Hill's vs Wellness:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Hill's and Wellness were level in searches among cat food brands in the United States, with an estimated 8.1K versus 7.3K branded searches, at 2.8% and 2.6% of the total. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about cat food brands, Hill's appeared in four of the five answers and Wellness in none.
Who do people search for more?
Hill's, about 11% more searches than Wellness
Who does AI mention more?
Hill's, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, Wellness in 0
Who does AI recommend more?
Hill's, the only one of the two named
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Top cat food brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Hill's was mentioned in four out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Wellness 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.
- Hill's1st
Purina Pro Plan2nd
Royal Canin3rd
Smalls4th- Fancy Feast4th
- Purina ONE6th
Weruva7th
Blue Buffalo8th
Iams9th- +4 more
Wellness–- +1 more
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- 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
- Wellness0 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?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Is fresh cat food better than kibble?”
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 States on October 27, 2026.
Is Hill's or Wellness more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Hill's and Wellness 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 by month for Hill's, Wellness. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| 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% |
How has the Hill's and Wellness comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands once in the 12 months ending September 2026: Hill's took it in April 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Hill's’ share of searches among cat food brands in the United States moved from 0.84% to 2.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.9K to 8.1K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Wellness’ share of searches among cat food brands in the United States moved from 2.3% to 2.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 7.8K to 7.3K.
How did search popularity change for United States cat food brands in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Wellness rose from 14th to 13th among cat food brands in the United States.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Hill's in the United States rose 179.3% over 12 measured months, from 2.9K to 8.1K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Hill's’ and Wellness’ 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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