Freshpet and i-Tail Lead Q2 2026 Pet Manufacturer Growth as the Best Cat Food Brands Pull Ahead

Executive Summary: Six of seven major pet manufacturers grew sales in Q2 2026, led by Freshpet at 15.5 percent and Thailand’s i-Tail at 13 percent, a GlobalPETS analysis shows. Cat food, treats and premium formulations did the heavy lifting while dog food slowed in key markets, and Central Garden and Pet’s 19 percent reported decline reflected a deliberate exit from pet distribution rather than lost demand.

Key Facts

Analysis

GlobalPETS Pet Industry Pulse (II), 28 September 2026

Sample

Seven publicly traded pet manufacturers, Q2 2026

Leader

Freshpet: USD 305.6M net sales, +15.5% YoY, net income +19%

Runner-up

i-Tail Corporation: USD 152M net sales, +13% YoY, net income +21.3%

Biggest

Nestle pet care: USD 5.6B, +0.3% YoY

Outlier

Central Garden & Pet: USD 400M, -19% YoY reported; organic +2%

Event Date

2026-09-28

Source

GlobalPETS + company Q2 2026 reports

What Happened

GlobalPETS published its Pet Industry Pulse (II) analysis on 28 September 2026, aggregating the calendar Q2 2026 results of seven publicly traded pet manufacturers. Six of the seven grew net sales, with growth rates spanning 0.3 percent to 15.5 percent. Freshpet led with net sales of USD 305.6 million, up 15.5 percent year over year on higher household penetration, while Thai wet-food specialist i-Tail Corporation posted USD 152 million, up 13 percent, driven by functional and health-oriented cat food and by treats, its fastest-growing segment. At the top of the table by size, Nestle pet care edged up 0.3 percent to USD 5.6 billion, and Central Garden & Pet was the only decliner at USD 400 million, down 19 percent because of its exit from the pet distribution business.

Background

The quarter continued patterns that first appeared in retailers’ results. GlobalPETS’ earlier Pulse (I) analysis, published 25 September 2026, found all analyzed retailers grew revenue in the quarter on store expansion and loyalty programs. Manufacturers tell the mirror-image story: volume and price rose together, cat food outperformed dog food, and premium plus diet formulations kept taking share. Profitability told a messier story because of one-offs. Freshpet’s net income jumped 19 percent, helped by an equity investment from a previous divestiture, and i-Tail’s rose 21.3 percent on tariff refunds. J.M. Smucker’s pet segment profit fell 2 percent on higher costs and marketing spend, and Central’s adjusted EBITDA slipped 2.3 percent, also weighed down by the divestiture.

Industry Context

Cat food strength ran through nearly every report. i-Tail’s growth leaned on functional and health-oriented cat formulations; Nestle cited continued strength in cat food and improving dog performance in Europe; J.M. Smucker’s cat food sales grew alongside double-digit gains in soft and chewy snacks. Hill’s grew net sales 3.4 percent to USD 1.2 billion on e-commerce strength and Prescription Diet demand, but Science Diet dog food slowed, which Colgate-Palmolive CEO Noel Wallace attributed to a shift in dog ownership from larger to smaller breeds, a trend that shrinks per-household food volumes. Spectrum Brands’ Global Pet Care division grew 3.3 percent to USD 263.7 million with market share gains in chews, stain and odor products, grooming and aquatics, and adjusted EBITDA up 91.8 percent.

Market & Business Impact

Guidance suggests the split widens from here. i-Tail forecasts 17 to 20 percent full-year growth in dollar terms and Freshpet 10 to 12 percent, while Colgate-Palmolive guides 2 to 6 percent and Nestle 3 to 4 percent organic. J.M. Smucker is the only company in the sample expecting net sales to fall, by 1 to 2 percent. Central raised its diluted EPS guidance by 5.5 percent despite the reported sales decline, signaling that profitability, not top-line optics, is driving its strategy. For suppliers and co-manufacturers, the guidance spread matters more than the Q2 prints: fresh and frozen capacity, cat-specific formulations and treat lines are where order books will thicken in 2027.

Companies & Brands Involved

Freshpet (US) led growth on household penetration up 5 percent and expanded channel reach. i-Tail Corporation (Thailand) rode functional cat food and treats with 21.3 percent net income growth. Hill’s Pet Nutrition (Colgate-Palmolive, US) grew on e-commerce and Prescription Diet. Spectrum Brands Global Pet Care (US) gained share in chews and grooming. J.M. Smucker (US) grew modestly on cat food and snacks. Nestle (Switzerland) absorbed a US retailer inventory reduction while Europe grew premium wet cat food. Central Garden & Pet (US) exited pet distribution, with organic sales up 2 percent to USD 380 million led by small animal, equine and avian.

Data & Evidence

Every figure cited here comes from the GlobalPETS Pet Industry Pulse (II) analysis of 28 September 2026, which draws on the companies’ own Q2 2026 releases: Freshpet net sales USD 305.6 million (EUR 269M), +15.5 percent YoY, net income +19 percent; i-Tail USD 152 million (EUR 134M), +13 percent, net income +21.3 percent; Hill’s USD 1.2 billion (EUR 1B), +3.4 percent, operating profit 2 percent; Spectrum Brands GPC USD 263.7 million (EUR 232.1M), +3.3 percent, adjusted EBITDA +91.8 percent; J.M. Smucker pet USD 371.7 million (EUR 319.7M), +1 percent, segment profit -2 percent; Nestle pet care USD 5.6 billion (EUR 4.9B), +0.3 percent; Central Garden & Pet USD 400 million (EUR 352M), -19 percent reported and +2 percent organic at USD 380 million, adjusted EBITDA -2.3 percent.

What This Means for the Pet Industry

GPI’s read: the quarter confirms that category mix now matters more than brand size. The two fastest growers sell exactly what the market is pulling, fresh formats and functional cat food, while the biggest player treads water on a portfolio weighted toward dog. For B2B buyers, the actionable signal is capacity: fresh and chilled production slots, cat treats lines and functional formulations will be the scarce goods of 2027, and the brands that locked co-manufacturing during Q3 will own the shelf space that goes with them.

Key Takeaways

• Six of seven analyzed pet manufacturers grew Q2 2026 net sales, with growth from 0.3 to 15.5 percent.
• Freshpet led at USD 305.6 million, up 15.5 percent, on household penetration up 5 percent.
• i-Tail Corporation grew 13 percent to USD 152 million on functional cat food and treats, with net income up 21.3 percent.
• Cat food outperformed dog food across Nestle, J.M. Smucker and i-Tail reports; Hill’s Science Diet dog slowed on the shift to smaller breeds.
• Central Garden & Pet’s 19 percent reported decline reflects its exit from pet distribution; organic sales rose 2 percent.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

1. Primary — GlobalPETS (Global Pet Industry), Pet industry pulse (II): Manufacturers deliver growth despite uneven market conditions by Thais Matos, globalpetindustry.com, 28 September 2026.
2. Secondary — Company Q2 2026 earnings releases: Freshpet, i-Tail Corporation, Colgate-Palmolive (Hill’s), Spectrum Brands, J.M. Smucker, Nestle, Central Garden & Pet, as aggregated in the GlobalPETS analysis.
3. Secondary — GlobalPETS, Pet industry pulse (I): Retailers post growth as expansion and loyalty drive sales, globalpetindustry.com, 25 September 2026.

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