7 trends in the world of pets in 2022

    1 Pet parenting as a trend

Interesting in this respect are also the statistics of human-pet households. During the Covid pandemic, their numbers are rising sharply. At the forefront of the national chart are Millennials, where 1 of 3 Millennials are proud to be a pet parent. It would be an exaggeration to consider pet parenting as a separate trend but the millennial generation is generally bringing many technical innovations into the products.

    2 Quality food and the all-in-one box

The absolute lead in nutrition have taken food mixes and treats labelled as organic. In stores as well as on-line we choose food without pesticides, antibiotics, residual chemical elements and added colours, and we are willing to pay for quality. 

The growing popularity of raw food, particularly dog food, goes hand in hand with new products and start-ups focusing purely on this type of diet. All-in-one boxes are a new solution, where with one box we buy all products related to one type of nutrition or diet dealing with a specific problem. You don't have to think about what can be combined in the case of a cat with kidney problems because we have a tailor-made solution for you.

    3 CBD oil as a leader in food supplements

Another innovation is the use of hemp in food supplements for our furry friends. 5% to 10% CBD oil is used in the form of drops to relieve anxiety, to prevent and stop the spread of cancerous cells, to treat epileptic seizures, inflammation or joint aches.

    4 Eco-direction in pet care

When it comes to pet care, there is a clear inclination towards eco-friendly products and innovative technical solutions. We are now aware of our ecological footprint even when choosing cosmetics and accessories for our furry friends. Feeding bowls, collars, but also combs and clothes should preferably be made of sustainable materials. Many new companies are being founded with sustainability as the main criteria. 

On the other hand, it is very trendy to wear matching dog and owner outfits or to get your pet a Halloween outfit. That is nothing to do with sustainability. 

    5 Tech innovations 

Another direction in pet care is the effort of companies to come up with a new solution for simpler care. For example self-cleaning cat toilets, collars with GPS or feeders for rodents with an in-built timer. Most of these innovations can be controlled through a mobile phone application and it is easier for owners to meet all of their pet's needs, even when they are not close by at that moment.

    6 Trends in services

The biggest growth can be seen in the portfolio of services for our furry friends. There is a wide selection of pet-sitting services, insurance or wellness and they all use digital innovations. Everyone who has a pet and wants to go on holiday knows that they must take care of pet sitting. We used to ask someone who lives nearby but today this problem is solved with pet-sitting houses, where the pet has an organised daily programme and the owner can watch them through a web camera. The selection of pet wellness services is also growing. Rather than just the classic grooming, there are sophisticated programmes, tailor-made to meet the needs of each specific pet. 

    7 The WAGMO application

The US market is offering the WAGMO application, which combines visits at the vets, pet insurance and wellness services together with tips for better health and suitable food supplements. This application is provided as a digital membership for a monthly fee. It is only a matter of time before it is modified to fit the Czech environment.

These are, in short, trends for this year. Some of them are very expensive, so treat them as only an inspiration. Remember that human touch, a gentle scratch behind the ear and a lot of time spent together remain at the top in human-pet households.