New report on ‘Other Pet Food in the US’ by Euromonitor available

FastMarketResearch.com now offers Euromonitor International's report on Other Pet Food in the US.
According to the report, other petfood faced a challenging environment in 2012, with the bird and fish populations declining slightly as high upfront investment costs associated with exotic fish and birds dissuaded new pet owners from acquiring such pets. 
The report offers a comprehensive guide to the size and shape of the market at a national level with retail sales data 2008-12. It identifies the leading companies, the leading brands and offers strategic analysis of key factors influencing the market, as well as provides forecasts to 2017 illustrate how the market is set to change. The report covers the market for bird food, fish food, and small mammal and reptile food. 

Vitakraft Sunseed launches 'Complete Kit for Guinea Pigs'

Vitakraft's "Complete Kit for Guinea Pigs" provides food, bedding, a cage and other essentials for new guinea pig owners.

Vitakraft Sunseed introduced "The Complete Kit for Guinea Pigs" to provide new pet owners with the essentials they will need for their small animal.
The kit comes with a cage, Vita-Plus guinea pig food, timothy hay, attachable chew toys, a food bowl, a water bottle and Fresh World bedding.
“This is a great way to encourage new pet ownership and to introduce children and families to a wonderful hobby that can last a lifetime,” said Holly Hoffman, director of marketing for Vitakraft Sunseed. 

Small animal, pet bird ownership on rise in US, report finds

Ownership of small animals, birds and fish as pets is on the rise in the US, according to a new report from market research firm Packaged Facts, which suggests pet industry retailers may benefit from this rebound.
The most popular small animal in the US is rabbits; in 2012, 4.2 million rabbits lived in US households. The report noted that in 2010, 39 percent of small-animal owners said they owned a rabbit, compared to 25 percent for hamsters and 24 percent for guinea pigs.
The report also found that 7.2 million households own a total of 84.3 million fish in 2012, accounting for 73 percent of the pet population, excluding dogs and cats. The number of fish-owning households in 2012 rose by about 100,000 from 2011.
The number of bird-owning households in 2012 totaled 4.6 million. Although this number was down from the 5.8 million households that owned a bird in 2008, bird ownership is up 24 percent since 2010 when just 3.7 million households owned birds. Moreover, 41 percent of bird owners said they considered their bird to be a member of the family.
A decline in pet ownership was seen in the reptile segment. In 2012, 1.8 million households owned 3.9 million reptiles, down from 2.3 million households in 2008. The report noted the decline may be linked to the higher cost of caring for reptiles, such as lizards and iguanas.
“These pet owners represent big business for the pet industry,” the report's co-authors, Robert Brown and Ruth Washton, noted. “They groom and board their birds, buy toys for their iguanas, purchase medications for their turtles, take their gerbils to the vet, decorate their fish tanks and, of course, buy food for all of the tens of millions of pets that they own besides their cats and dogs."

RECALL: PMI Nutrition recalls small animal, bird food

PMI Nutrition International has initiated a voluntary recall of four varieties of the LabDiet and Mazuri animal feed products, due to the potential for an elevated vitamin D level in these products.
Recalled products were manufactured at the Richmond, Indiana, USA, feed plant and were distributed throughout the US and to a few international customers. Recalled products, including formula number, item number, description and lot number include:

• 5025 0001330 Guinea Pig Diet 50# APR17122
• 56A6 0001452 Mazuri Small Bird Maintenance 25# APR15123
• 5MA2 0040996 Mazuri Primate Maintenance Biscuit 25# APR22122
• 5MD9 0011482 Mazuri Maned Wolf Diet 33# APR21122
The recall was initiated after receiving customer complaints involving animal illness and small bird deaths. Customers who purchased the product will receive a full refund. For more information on the product recall, contact the company at +1.855.863.0421, x 224, from 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. EDT, Monday through Friday.

Purina Mills launches new small animal food, treat line

Purina Mills LLC is launching a new line of small animal food, Purina Little Wonders Food and Purina Small Animals Treats, in select Walmart stores.
These specially formulated diets for gerbils, hamsters, guinea pigs and rabbits provide small animals with wholesome ingredients, like seeds, nuts, vegetables and fruits.
Products available include Purina Little Wonders Guinea Pig Diet in 4 lbs.; Purina Little Wonders Rabbit Diet in 4 lbs.; Purina Little Wonders Gerbil and Hamster Diet in 2 lbs.; Purina Apple-Flavored Flips; and Purina Gourmet Bites with Tasty Vegetables. Purina Apple-Flavored Flips and Purina Gourmet Bites with Tasty Vegetables are treats formulated for a variety of small animals including gerbils, hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, rats and mice.
“Small animals need the recommended amount of vitamins and nutrients that will fuel their energy and support their overall health, just like the rest of the family,” said Dr. Mikelle Roeder, a nutritionist with Land O’ Lakes Purina Feed. “Purina Little Wonders Food and Purina Small Animals Treats are a balanced mix of fun, delicious food that you will enjoy sharing with your critters combined with the nutrition needed to help them live a long healthy life.”

Purina Mills celebrates Small Animals month in June

Purina Mills LLC is celebrating the first Small Animals Awareness Month throughout June, and invites small animal owners to share stories and photos on the company's Facebook page.
From June 4-30, consumers will also receive a US$2 off coupon for any Purina Small Animals Garden Recipe food and can be redeemed at US PetSmart stores.
“Purina loves animals of all sizes, but for the month of June we’re taking special notice of the littlest family members – gerbils, hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, rats and mice,” said Gabriela Bonadonna, senior marketing manager for Purina Mills. “Small pets can bring such joy to children, helping to teach them responsibility, providing comfort and becoming an amusing companion. We are excited to take this month to celebrate the contributions of our furry friends.”

RECALL: Kaytee Pet Products recalls Forti-Diet Pro Health small animal food

 Kaytee Forti-Diet Pro Health food for mice, rat and hamsters is recalled due to Salmonella.

Kaytee Pet Products is recalling select packages of its Kaytee Forti-Diet Pro Health Mouse, Rat and Hamster food due to possible Salmonella contamination.


According to Kaytee, the product is being recalled because a sample from a 5-pound bag of the small animal food tested positive for Salmonella in a random test conducted by the US Food and Drug Administration, but no human or pet illnesses have been reported. The products were manufactured on January 5 and 6.


Recalled Kaytee Forti-Diet Pro Health Mouse, Rat and Hamster products include: 3-pound packages with a “best before” date of 31-Mar-2013 K63 and UPC code 71859 9994; 5-pound packages with a “best before” date of 03-Apr-2012 K61 and UPC code 71859 00001; and 25-pound bags with “best before” dates of 31-Mar-20-13 and UPC codes 71859 99995 and 71859 9994. At Petco stores only, the recalled product was also distributed in 25-pound bags with "best before" date of 30-Mar-2013 and UPC code 71859 00000.


The recalled products were distributed to the following USA states and one territory: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.


The products were also distributed to the following countries: Abu Dhabi, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Czechoslovakia, Dominican Republic, Dutch Antilles, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Guam, Honduras, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Mexico, New Zealand, Pakistan, Panama, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, Thailand and Trinidad.


The company urges consumers that have purchased the recalled products to contact Kaytee customer service representatives at +1.800.529.8331 for further instructions. Humans feeding the product to their pet could become infected, and should watch for symptoms that may include: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramping, fever, arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation and urinary tract symptoms. Signs of Salmonella infections in pets include: decreased appetite, lethargy, diarrhea, fever, abdominal pain and vomiting.