Brandwave

How popular isRoyal Canin?

In September 2026, people searched for Royal Canin by name about 3,150 times in New Zealand, about the same as the previous year. These searches made up 34.7% of all New Zealand kitten food brand searches, placing Royal Canin first out of four brands. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about kitten food brands, Royal Canin appeared in all answers and was the most recommended of the four.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

Royal Canin is the most searched of 4 competitors and the most recommended in AI answers.

  1. Royal CaninShare of searches 34.7%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
  2. Hill'sShare of searches 29.1%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
  3. WhiskasShare of searches 28%Mentioned in 1 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
  4. PurinaShare of searches 8.2%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
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Top kitten food brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Royal Canin appeared in all five answers. Royal Canin is the most recommended of the four.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Royal Canin1st
  2. Hill's2nd
  3. Purina3rd
  4. Whiskas4th

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Royal Canin5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Hill's5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Purina4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Whiskas1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about kitten food brands

5 answers

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 21, 2026.

Which kitten food brands compete with Royal Canin?

Royal Canin against kitten food brands in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for Royal Canin, Hill's, Whiskas, Purina. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthRoyal CaninHill'sWhiskasPurina
Oct 202537.4%28.9%26.2%7.4%
Nov 202534.4%32.5%24.2%8.8%
Dec 202538%24.8%27.4%9.8%
Jan 202635.1%22.6%30.7%11.5%
Feb 202635.4%25.3%30%9.3%
Mar 202636.2%28.2%26.2%9.5%
Apr 202637.2%24.8%28.1%9.9%
May 202634.3%27.1%28.1%10.5%
Jun 202633.6%27.5%28.5%10.5%
Jul 202633.9%23.6%32.7%9.8%
Aug 202634.3%26%31.5%8.2%
Sep 202634.7%29.1%28%8.2%

  1. 1.Royal Canin

    34.7%

    Held 1st. 3.1K estimated branded searches, +1.9% vs prior month. Share +0.4 points.

  2. 2.Hill's

    29.1%

    Moved from 3rd to 2nd. 2.6K estimated branded searches, +12.8% vs prior month. Share +3.1 points.

  3. 3.Whiskas

    28%

    Moved from 2nd to 3rd. 2.5K estimated branded searches, -10.6% vs prior month. Share -3.5 points.

  4. 4.Purina

    8.2%

    Held 4th. 740 estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.1 points.

Compare popularity between Royal Canin and its closest rivals

Every comparison with Royal Canin

8 comparisons

How has branded search demand for Royal Canin changed in New Zealand over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Royal Canin in New Zealand held steady at 3.1K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Royal Canin’s share of searches among kitten food brands in New Zealand decreased from 37.4% to 34.7%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Royal Canin’s share of searches among kitten food brands in New Zealand peaked at 38% in December 2025 and was lowest at 33.6% in June 2026.

How did search popularity change for New Zealand kitten food brands in September 2026?

4 changes

  1. In September 2026, Hill's overtook Whiskas to rank 2nd among kitten food brands in New Zealand, with 29.1% of the searches.

  2. In September 2026, Whiskas lost share of searches among kitten food brands in New Zealand, from 31.5% to 28%.

  3. Royal Canin’s share of searches among kitten food brands in New Zealand has gained ground for 3 months in a row, from 33.6% to 34.7% in September 2026.

  4. Purina’s share of searches among kitten food brands in New Zealand has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 10.5% to 8.2% in September 2026.

How are Royal Canin’s branded searches counted?

5 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Royal Canin’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

  • royal canin
  • royal canin gi
  • royal canin hypo
  • royal canin kitten
  • royalcanin

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Who owns Royal Canin?

Royal Canin is owned by Mars. Brandwave also tracks Airwaves, Dolmio, Eclipse, Extra, Juicy Fruit, Pedigree and Whiskas, owned by the same company, in New Zealand.

Do you work for Royal Canin? To request corrections or removal please contact us via our support page and we will be happy to assist.

Where does Royal Canin compete?

Royal Canin is ranked in four competitor sets. Each share is worked out among that set's brands, so it differs from set to set.
Competitor setRankShare of searchesRanking
Pet food brands1st of 822%Show ranking
Kitten food brands1st of 434.7%Shown above
Dog biscuits brands1st of 360.7%Show ranking
Skin and coat brands1st of 373.6%Show ranking
Creator with pink hair and a pink jacket

Is Royal Canin your brand?

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