Applaws vs Thrive:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Applaws had more branded searches than Thrive among cat food brands in the United Kingdom. Applaws had about 9,000 branded searches, while Thrive had 2,900. Applaws made up 6.9% of all cat food brand searches we track, and Thrive accounted for 2.2%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about cat food brands, Thrive appeared in one of the five answers and Applaws in none.
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Top cat food brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Thrive was mentioned in one out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Applaws did not appear in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
KatKin2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Royal Canin2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Lily's Kitchen1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers- Thrive1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Hill's1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Untamed0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Felix0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Applaws0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Sheba0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Iams0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about cat food brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best cat food in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which wet cat food is healthiest?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What should I feed a fussy cat?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“cat food”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best cat food”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United Kingdom on October 27, 2026.
Is Applaws or Thrive more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Applaws and Thrive by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 12 cat food brands we track, month by month, from searches in United Kingdom.
Share of searches by month for Applaws, Thrive. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Untamed | KatKin | Felix | Applaws | Royal Canin | Sheba | Lily's Kitchen | Iams | Whiskas | James Wellbeloved | Thrive | Hill's |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 32.8% | 21.9% | 8% | 7.3% | 8% | 6.6% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 2.9% | 1.9% |
| Nov 2025 | 33.5% | 22.4% | 8.2% | 7.4% | 6.7% | 6.7% | 3% | 3% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2% |
| Dec 2025 | 40.5% | 18.2% | 6.6% | 7% | 6.6% | 6.6% | 2.9% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2.9% | 2.4% | 1.6% |
| Jan 2026 | 34.5% | 23.1% | 6.9% | 7.3% | 6.9% | 6.9% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 2% | 2% | 2.5% | 1.7% |
| Feb 2026 | 37.9% | 20.7% | 6.2% | 6.9% | 6.2% | 7.6% | 2.8% | 2.8% | 2.2% | 2.8% | 2.2% | 1.8% |
| Mar 2026 | 36.7% | 20.1% | 7.3% | 6.7% | 7.3% | 7.3% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 2.1% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 1.8% |
| Apr 2026 | 38.2% | 20.9% | 6.3% | 6.9% | 6.3% | 7.6% | 2.8% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 2.8% | 1.5% |
| May 2026 | 33.8% | 22.6% | 6.8% | 8.8% | 6.8% | 6.8% | 3% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2% | 3% | 1.6% |
| Jun 2026 | 37.1% | 20.3% | 7.4% | 6.7% | 7.4% | 6% | 3.3% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 2.2% | 2.7% | 1.5% |
| Jul 2026 | 35.2% | 23.6% | 7% | 6.3% | 7% | 5.7% | 3.1% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.1% | 3.1% | 1.7% |
| Aug 2026 | 37.5% | 20.5% | 7.5% | 8% | 6.1% | 6.1% | 3.3% | 2.7% | 2.2% | 1.8% | 2.7% | 1.4% |
| Sep 2026 | 37.8% | 20.7% | 7.6% | 6.9% | 6.2% | 6.2% | 3.4% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 1.5% |
How has the Applaws and Thrive comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Applaws was ahead of Thrive in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Applaws’ share of searches among cat food brands in the United Kingdom moved from 7.3% to 6.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 9K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Thrive’s share of searches among cat food brands in the United Kingdom moved from 2.9% to 2.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 3.6K to 2.9K.
How did search popularity change for United Kingdom cat food brands in September 2026?
3 changes
In September 2026, Whiskas overtook Thrive to rank 9th among cat food brands in the United Kingdom, with 2.7% of the searches.
In September 2026, Applaws lost share of searches among cat food brands in the United Kingdom, from 8% to 6.9%.
In September 2026, Thrive lost share of searches among cat food brands in the United Kingdom, from 2.7% to 2.2%.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Applaws’ and Thrive’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
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