Current status and market dynamics of the emerging pet industry in Bangladesh: Insights from a nationwide survey of pet owners and veterinary clinics

Abstract

A large number of people are interested to rear pets in their households’ now-a-days in Bangladesh. Therefore, the study was conducted to know the current scenario of pet rearing, emerging trends, market transformation, prospects, and challenges of the pet industry in Bangladesh. Three well-structured questionnaires were developed to collect the data. The study found that 90% of pet animals were cats, and 10% were dogs. The current pet market is valued at approximately 236 crores BDT ($19.21 million), with a market growth rate of 13%. Pet food had the largest (57.84%) market share. All pet products were imported from different countries. More than 85% of pet professionals had <5 years’ experience. Pet practitioners mostly (82%) used human and other animal’s medicines. Four leading companies are currently importing pet vaccines and the market share of Flu (PCH) vaccine was highest (62%) for cats. Foods were imported from Thailand (42%), Turkey (31%), China (12%) and others (15%) whereas litter was mostly imported from China (98.66%). Students were more involved (43.9%) in cat rearing but more average number of cats was raised by housewives (4.31). About 42.6% of cat rearers raised their cats for > 3-5 years. Among the cats reared, 40% were local breeds followed by mixed breeds (35%), and Persian breeds (25%). Approximately 56.6% of cat owners purchased commercial food while 50.9% purchased litter. Vaccination coverage in the surveyed areas was reported at 62.5% and 49% of owners used medicines, with an average annual cost of BDT 4369 ($35.64) per cat. Despite challenges such as limited information, lack of infrastructure, high costs of pet care products, poor-quality supplies, unavailability of vaccines, and limited access to pet clinics in many areas, the pet industry in Bangladesh is experiencing growth driven by rising demand for pet care services and products.