Cat food brands in the United States:Which are most popular?

Name: Cat food brands in the United States: Which are searched most?
Creator: Brandwave
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In September 2026, Smalls was the most searched cat food brand in the United States, accounting for 17.3% of all searches among the 15 brands we track. When we checked with ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews, Royal Canin, Purina Pro Plan and Hill's were mentioned most often, in four of the five answers. Hill's was recommended most often, coming first in one out of four responses that gave a list.

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Top cat food brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In Brandwave's three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Royal Canin, Purina Pro Plan and Hill's were mentioned most often, in four of the five answers. Hill's was recommended most often, coming first in one out of four answers that gave a list. Purina Pro Plan was second, and Royal Canin was third. Friskies, which ranked second in searches, was not mentioned at all.

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.

How many AI answers named each brand
Brand	ChatGPT	Google	Answers that named it
Royal Canin	Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answers	Named in 2 of 2 Google AI Overviews	4 of 5
Purina Pro Plan	Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answers	Named in 2 of 2 Google AI Overviews	4 of 5
Hill's	Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answers	Named in 2 of 2 Google AI Overviews	4 of 5
Purina ONE	Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers	Named in 2 of 2 Google AI Overviews	2 of 5
Smalls	Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers	Named in 1 of 2 Google AI Overviews	1 of 5
Fancy Feast	Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers	Named in 1 of 2 Google AI Overviews	1 of 5
Iams	Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answers	Named in 0 of 2 Google AI Overviews	1 of 5
Meow Mix	Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers	Named in 1 of 2 Google AI Overviews	1 of 5
Blue Buffalo	Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers	Named in 1 of 2 Google AI Overviews	1 of 5
Weruva	Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers	Named in 1 of 2 Google AI Overviews	1 of 5
Friskies	Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers	Named in 0 of 2 Google AI Overviews	0 of 5
Sheba	Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers	Named in 0 of 2 Google AI Overviews	0 of 5
Tiki Cat	Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers	Named in 0 of 2 Google AI Overviews	0 of 5
Wellness	Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers	Named in 0 of 2 Google AI Overviews	0 of 5
9Lives	Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers	Named in 0 of 2 Google AI Overviews	0 of 5

Royal Canin4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Purina Pro Plan4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Hill's4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Purina ONE2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Smalls1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Fancy Feast1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Iams1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Meow Mix1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Blue Buffalo1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Weruva1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Friskies0 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
Tiki Cat0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Wellness0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
9Lives0 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?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which cat food do vets recommend?”
1. 1Hill's
2. 2Purina Pro Plan
3. 3Royal Canin
4. 4Iams
Asked ChatGPT
“Is fresh cat food better than kibble?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“cat food”
1. 1Fancy Feast
2. 2Weruva
3. 3Purina ONE
4. 4Hill's
5. 5Royal Canin
6. 6Blue Buffalo
7. 7Meow Mix
8. 8Purina Pro Plan
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best cat food”
1. 1Smalls
2. 2Royal Canin
3. 3Hill's
4. 4Purina Pro Plan
5. 5Purina ONE

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 27, 2026.

Which cat food brands do people search for most?

This chart shows how often people search Google for each cat food brand by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 15 cat food brands we track, month by month, from searches in United States.

Share of searches among cat food brands in the United States, by month

Month	Smalls	Friskies	Fancy Feast	Iams	Meow Mix	Purina ONE	Royal Canin	Sheba	Blue Buffalo	Purina Pro Plan	Tiki Cat	Hill's	Wellness	Weruva	9Lives
Oct 2025	21.4%	7.9%	6.4%	6.4%	6.4%	6.4%	11.7%	5.2%	6.4%	11.7%	3.5%	0.84%	2.3%	2.3%	0.84%
Nov 2025	18.3%	6.7%	5.5%	6.7%	6.7%	6.7%	12.2%	5.5%	6.7%	15%	3.7%	0.88%	2.4%	2.4%	0.73%
Dec 2025	19%	7%	5.7%	7%	5.7%	7%	12.7%	5.7%	7%	12.7%	3.8%	0.91%	2.8%	2.5%	0.75%
Jan 2026	19.7%	7.2%	5.9%	5.9%	5.9%	5.9%	10.8%	5.9%	5.9%	16.1%	3.9%	0.96%	2.6%	2.6%	0.77%
Feb 2026	19.9%	7.3%	6%	7.3%	6%	6%	10.9%	6%	7.3%	13.3%	3.3%	1.2%	2.4%	2.2%	0.96%
Mar 2026	21.8%	8%	5.3%	6.6%	5.3%	6.6%	8%	5.3%	6.6%	14.6%	3.6%	2.4%	3.1%	1.9%	0.86%
Apr 2026	23.1%	8.5%	5.7%	5.7%	5.7%	5.7%	6.9%	5.7%	5.7%	15.5%	3.8%	2.5%	2.1%	2.5%	1.1%
May 2026	22.2%	8.1%	5.4%	5.4%	5.4%	6.7%	8.1%	6.7%	5.4%	14.9%	3.6%	2.4%	2%	2.4%	1.1%
Jun 2026	16.9%	7.6%	6.2%	7.6%	6.2%	9.2%	9.2%	7.6%	6.2%	11.3%	4.1%	2.8%	2.3%	2.2%	0.82%
Jul 2026	16.3%	7.3%	6%	7.3%	6%	8.9%	10.9%	7.3%	6%	10.9%	4%	3.3%	2.4%	2.7%	0.79%
Aug 2026	16.1%	8.8%	7.2%	7.2%	7.2%	8.8%	7.2%	7.2%	5.9%	10.7%	4.8%	3.2%	2.4%	2.6%	0.78%
Sep 2026	17.3%	9.5%	7.8%	7.8%	7.8%	7.8%	7.8%	7.8%	6.3%	6.3%	5.2%	2.8%	2.6%	2.3%	1%

Rank	Brand	Share of searches	Estimated monthly branded searches	vs prior month	Share change
1, held 1st	Smalls	17.3%	49.5K	0%	+1.3 points
2, moved from 3rd to 2nd	Friskies Nestlé	9.5%	27.1K	0%	+0.7 pointsmoved from 3rd to 2nd
3, moved from 5th to 3rd	Fancy Feast Nestlé	7.8%	22.2K	0%	+0.6 pointsmoved from 5th to 3rd
4, moved from 6th to 4th	Iams	7.8%	22.2K	0%	+0.6 pointsmoved from 6th to 4th
5, moved from 7th to 5th	Meow Mix Post Holdings	7.8%	22.2K	0%	+0.6 pointsmoved from 7th to 5th
6, moved from 4th to 6th	Purina ONE Nestlé	7.8%	22.2K	-18.1%	-1 pointsmoved from 4th to 6th
7, moved from 8th to 7th	Royal Canin Mars	7.8%	22.2K	0%	+0.6 pointsmoved from 8th to 7th
8, moved from 9th to 8th	Sheba Mars	7.8%	22.2K	0%	+0.6 pointsmoved from 9th to 8th
9, moved from 10th to 9th	Blue Buffalo	6.3%	18.1K	0%	+0.5 pointsmoved from 10th to 9th
10, moved from 2nd to 10th	Purina Pro Plan Nestlé	6.3%	18.1K	-45.3%	-4.4 pointsmoved from 2nd to 10th
11, held 11th	Tiki Cat	5.2%	14.8K	0%	+0.4 points
12, held 12th	Hill's	2.8%	8.1K	-18.2%	-0.4 points
13, moved from 14th to 13th	Wellness	2.6%	7.3K	0%	+0.2 pointsmoved from 14th to 13th
14, moved from 13th to 14th	Weruva	2.3%	6.6K	-18.5%	-0.3 pointsmoved from 13th to 14th
15, held 15th	9Lives Post Holdings	1%	2.9K	+20.8%	+0.2 points

1.Smalls
17.3%
Held 1st. 49.5K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +1.3 points.
2.Friskies
9.5%
Moved from 3rd to 2nd. 27.1K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.7 points.
3.Fancy Feast
7.8%
Moved from 5th to 3rd. 22.2K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.6 points.
4.Iams
7.8%
Moved from 6th to 4th. 22.2K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.6 points.
5.Meow Mix
7.8%
Moved from 7th to 5th. 22.2K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.6 points.
6.Purina ONE
7.8%
Moved from 4th to 6th. 22.2K estimated branded searches, -18.1% vs prior month. Share -1 points.
7.Royal Canin
7.8%
Moved from 8th to 7th. 22.2K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.6 points.
8.Sheba
7.8%
Moved from 9th to 8th. 22.2K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.6 points.
9.Blue Buffalo
6.3%
Moved from 10th to 9th. 18.1K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.5 points.
10.Purina Pro Plan
6.3%
Moved from 2nd to 10th. 18.1K estimated branded searches, -45.3% vs prior month. Share -4.4 points.
11.Tiki Cat
5.2%
Held 11th. 14.8K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.4 points.
12.Hill's
2.8%
Held 12th. 8.1K estimated branded searches, -18.2% vs prior month. Share -0.4 points.
13.Wellness
2.6%
Moved from 14th to 13th. 7.3K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.2 points.
14.Weruva
2.3%
Moved from 13th to 14th. 6.6K estimated branded searches, -18.5% vs prior month. Share -0.3 points.
15.9Lives
1%
Held 15th. 2.9K estimated branded searches, +20.8% vs prior month. Share +0.2 points.

Which brand is most popular in search among cat food brands in the United States?

15 brands

In September 2026, Smalls was the most searched among cat food brands in the United States, with an estimated 49.5K branded searches, 17.3% of all searches for the 15 we track. Friskies is in 2nd place, 7.8 percentage points behind at 9.5%.

United States cat food brands, last 12 months ending September 2026
Brand	Share of searches	Peak	Low	Rank
Smalls	21.4% → 17.3%	23.1%Apr 2026	16.1%Aug 2026	1st
Friskies	7.9% → 9.5%	9.5%Sep 2026	6.7%Nov 2025	4th → 2nd
Fancy Feast	6.4% → 7.8%	7.8%Sep 2026	5.3%Mar 2026	6th → 3rd
Iams	6.4% → 7.8%	7.8%Sep 2026	5.4%May 2026	7th → 4th
Meow Mix	6.4% → 7.8%	7.8%Sep 2026	5.3%Mar 2026	8th → 5th
Purina ONE	6.4% → 7.8%	9.2%Jun 2026	5.7%Apr 2026	9th → 6th
Royal Canin	11.7% → 7.8%	12.7%Dec 2025	6.9%Apr 2026	3rd → 7th
Sheba	5.2% → 7.8%	7.8%Sep 2026	5.2%Oct 2025	10th → 8th
Blue Buffalo	6.4% → 6.3%	7.3%Feb 2026	5.4%May 2026	5th → 9th
Purina Pro Plan	11.7% → 6.3%	16.1%Jan 2026	6.3%Sep 2026	2nd → 10th
Tiki Cat	3.5% → 5.2%	5.2%Sep 2026	3.3%Feb 2026	11th
Hill's	0.84% → 2.8%	3.3%Jul 2026	0.84%Oct 2025	15th → 12th
Wellness	2.3% → 2.6%	3.1%Mar 2026	2%May 2026	13th
Weruva	2.3%	2.7%Jul 2026	1.9%Mar 2026	12th → 14th
9Lives	0.84% → 1%	1.1%Apr 2026	0.73%Nov 2025	14th → 15th

Each finding as a sentence

Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Smalls’ share of searches among cat food brands in the United States decreased from 21.4% to 17.3%.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Friskies’ share of searches among cat food brands in the United States increased from 7.9% to 9.5%.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Fancy Feast’s share of searches among cat food brands in the United States increased from 6.4% to 7.8%.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Iams’ share of searches among cat food brands in the United States increased from 6.4% to 7.8%.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Meow Mix’s share of searches among cat food brands in the United States increased from 6.4% to 7.8%.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Purina ONE’s share of searches among cat food brands in the United States increased from 6.4% to 7.8%.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Royal Canin’s share of searches among cat food brands in the United States decreased from 11.7% to 7.8%.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sheba’s share of searches among cat food brands in the United States increased from 5.2% to 7.8%.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Purina Pro Plan’s share of searches among cat food brands in the United States decreased from 11.7% to 6.3%.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Tiki Cat’s share of searches among cat food brands in the United States increased from 3.5% to 5.2%.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Hill's’ share of searches among cat food brands in the United States increased from 0.84% to 2.8%.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Smalls’ share of searches among cat food brands in the United States peaked at 23.1% in April 2026 and was lowest at 16.1% in August 2026.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Friskies’ share of searches among cat food brands in the United States peaked at 9.5% in September 2026 and was lowest at 6.7% in November 2025.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Fancy Feast’s share of searches among cat food brands in the United States peaked at 7.8% in September 2026 and was lowest at 5.3% in March 2026.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Iams’ share of searches among cat food brands in the United States peaked at 7.8% in September 2026 and was lowest at 5.4% in May 2026.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Meow Mix’s share of searches among cat food brands in the United States peaked at 7.8% in September 2026 and was lowest at 5.3% in March 2026.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Purina ONE’s share of searches among cat food brands in the United States peaked at 9.2% in June 2026 and was lowest at 5.7% in April 2026.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Royal Canin’s share of searches among cat food brands in the United States peaked at 12.7% in December 2025 and was lowest at 6.9% in April 2026.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Blue Buffalo’s share of searches among cat food brands in the United States peaked at 7.3% in February 2026 and was lowest at 5.4% in May 2026.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Purina Pro Plan’s share of searches among cat food brands in the United States peaked at 16.1% in January 2026 and was lowest at 6.3% in September 2026.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Tiki Cat’s share of searches among cat food brands in the United States peaked at 5.2% in September 2026 and was lowest at 3.3% in February 2026.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Hill's’ share of searches among cat food brands in the United States peaked at 3.3% in July 2026 and was lowest at 0.84% in October 2025.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Wellness’ share of searches among cat food brands in the United States peaked at 3.1% in March 2026 and was lowest at 2% in May 2026.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Friskies rose from 4th to 2nd among cat food brands in the United States.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Fancy Feast rose from 6th to 3rd among cat food brands in the United States.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Iams rose from 7th to 4th among cat food brands in the United States.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Meow Mix rose from 8th to 5th among cat food brands in the United States.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Purina ONE rose from 9th to 6th among cat food brands in the United States.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Royal Canin fell from 3rd to 7th among cat food brands in the United States.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sheba rose from 10th to 8th among cat food brands in the United States.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Blue Buffalo fell from 5th to 9th among cat food brands in the United States.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Purina Pro Plan fell from 2nd to 10th among cat food brands in the United States.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Hill's rose from 15th to 12th among cat food brands in the United States.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Weruva fell from 12th to 14th among cat food brands in the United States.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, 9Lives fell from 14th to 15th among cat food brands in the United States.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Wellness held steady: its share of searches among cat food brands in the United States moved less than 0.5 percentage points.

How did search popularity change for United States cat food brands in September 2026?

8 changes

In September 2026, Friskies overtook Purina Pro Plan to rank 2nd among cat food brands in the United States, with 9.5% of the searches.
In September 2026, Fancy Feast overtook Purina Pro Plan and Purina ONE to rank 3rd among cat food brands in the United States, with 7.8% of the searches.
In September 2026, Iams overtook Purina Pro Plan and Purina ONE to rank 4th among cat food brands in the United States, with 7.8% of the searches.
In September 2026, Meow Mix overtook Purina Pro Plan and Purina ONE to rank 5th among cat food brands in the United States, with 7.8% of the searches.
In September 2026, Royal Canin overtook Purina Pro Plan to rank 7th among cat food brands in the United States, with 7.8% of the searches.
In September 2026, Sheba overtook Purina Pro Plan to rank 8th among cat food brands in the United States, with 7.8% of the searches.
In September 2026, Smalls gained share of searches among cat food brands in the United States, from 16.1% to 17.3%.
In September 2026, Purina Pro Plan lost share of searches among cat food brands in the United States, from 10.7% to 6.3%.

How are branded searches counted for cat food brands?

16 search terms

Each brand's share of searches among cat food brands comes from the terms listed under its name. When people mostly search for a brand because of something else it sells, only the searches that name this product count here.