Retailers stocking healthier fare for wellness-conscious pet owners.

Healthy and all-natural foods have been a mainstream part of American diets for more than 30 years, and health foods now are filtering down to pets. What started out as a trend at pet specialty stores has reached into those drug retailers that carry a larger assortment of foods and treats that promote pet health.

The $31 billion pet supply industry has been booming, but natural foods and supplements are outpacing the overall market with double-digit increases each year as pet owners become more conscious of what their pets eat. The trend also is helped by the fact that 60 percent of people who shop at natural food stores are pet owners.

Pharmacy retailers have taken notice, and several now stock a variety of healthy and all-natural foods. Longs Drug Stores and Rite Aid both carry Purina One, Beneful and a wide assortment of Iams foods for dogs and cats Rite Aid also carries all-natural dog chews from Hartz. And Sav-on Drugs carries a selection of Iams dog food and biscuits.

While people outside the pet world may find the idea of healthy pet foods extreme, pet owners don't see it that way. "It's the whole humanization of pets," said Paul Cooke, vice president of trends and industry development for Purina. "Most pet owners really do consider pets to be part of their family." Cooke said the trend toward wellness and healthy living that really gained steam in the 1990s has now made its way into the pet world, and Purina has taken a lead role in the movement. He said the company's biggest success to date has been Beneful dog food, a line of healthy food it introduced in 2003.

"That's really been our greatest success in the upper-end product category," said Cooke. "It's a home-meal concept that blends nutritional dog food with healthy products like fruits and vegetables that were never available in pet food before." Purina also has added healthy new foods for cats, which include Fancy Feast cat food and its Super Premium label for dogs and cats. While the products are priced a little higher than standard dog and cat chow, the costs don't deter mainstream retailers like drug stores and grocers from carrying them.

While some retailers question whether people are inclined to spend extra money to ensure their pet's health, market research conducted among pet owners supports the theory. Close to 80 percent of pet owners allow their pets to sleep in their beds with them, and 40 percent carry a photo of their pet with them at all times. And 50 percent of owners said they'd risk their life to save their pet.

"There's a real emotional connection there, and it carries over into other areas," said Cooke. "And it's an extension of the whole trend toward wellness and nutrition." And, if anything, sales of all-natural and healthy pet products are likely to increase in coming years as the aging baby boomer population comes to grips with the empty nest syndrome. "You have an aging population, and that means more and more couples whose children have grown up and left the home," said Cooke. "So that makes them more likely to get a pet if they don't already have one and spend money on it." Pet food manufacturers are prepared to give them plenty of options for spending that disposable income. A good example is Iams, a pioneer in the development of healthy food for pets. For years, Iams only allowed its products to be sold in pet supply specialty stores, but it has since branched out to make most of them available to all retail outlets, a sign that consumers are willing to pay more for quality food.

For its part, specialty brand Eukanuba, currently sold only at pet retailers, is expanding its line of cat food products to include for the first time premium wet cat food in mess-free, 3-ounce pouches.

And nearly every major pet food manufacturer has some type of all-natural food in its product mix. They include Nature's Choice from Science Diet, Pet Promise dog and cat foods from Natural Pet Nutrition and Natural Blend Holistic Dog Food and Solid Gold Holistic Blend. The trend toward holistic foods, though, is still confined to specialty retailers.

The all-natural label is showing up on other items found in a standard pet supply aisle. Pet Care Systems has developed a new "low-track" litter called Swheat Scoop that is--as the name implies--wheat-based. In addition to being natural, Pet Care Systems boasts that the litter "doesn't get tracked around or raise clay clouds when poured." Another product in the same category is Cat Country Elite from Mountain Meadows, a litter with wheat-grass granules that is all-natural, contains no chemicals and can be flushed down the toilet.

Even dog and cat treats, chews and biscuits are going the all-natural route, and many focus on healthy teeth and gums. According to Market Trends, retail sales of pet oral care products accounted for $425 million in 2005, a 35 percent increase from 2000.