Kiwis watching waistlines… of their fur babies

Kiwis watching waistlines… of their fur babies

Forty five per cent of New Zealanders measure the amount of food that they give their pet so he/she doesn’t get fat

Auckland, Thursday 14 July: Despite 45% of Kiwis measuring their pet’s food intake, more than half (53%) are giving their pets treats on top of their regular meals according to the results of the latest survey by consumer satisfaction company, Canstar Blue.

This is perhaps because New Zealanders are mostly concerned about their pet’s enjoyment when it comes to their food. The New Zealand pet food industry is worth about $1.58 billion a year and about half of this is spent on pet food[1]which shows the significant investment that people are putting in for their pets, says Canstar New Zealand General Manager, Jose George.

“Forty two per cent rate their animal’s enjoyment as their number one driver when it comes to choosing a brand of pet food.”

Baby Boomers are the most likely of the generations to treat their furry friends (58%).

The concern for their pet’s happiness continues as close to a quarter (24%) of Kiwis don’t like feeding their pet the same food every day as they worry that it will get bored with it.

Cats vs Dogs

When it comes to our choice of companion, Kiwis are overwhelmingly in favour of a feline with 62% of the nation owning cats compared to just 35% who are the proud owners of a dog.

Northlanders are the most likely to have a dog (42%) while those in the Waikato are the least likely (28%).

As a country on the whole we love animals, with nearly half (47%) having more than one pet, says George.

“We love our animals so much that we are investing a lot of time in ensuring that they are happy - 65% of us are exercising them at least once a day and 70% are playing with them each day as well.”

Does he miss me when I’m gone?

Thirty five per cent of Kiwis wonder what their pet gets up to when they are out of the house, with women (39%) a lot more interested in their animal’s antics than men (29).

New Zealanders are very close to their pets with 40% even inviting them into their beds each night for a snooze.

Cantabrians are most likely to sleep with their pets in their beds (50%) compared to a third of those in the Manawatu.

Women (44%) also tend to enjoy their pet’s presence in their beds more than men (35%) do.

And 6% even feed their pet straight from their plate at the dinner table, with Generation Y most likely to sneak food under the table (8%).

Is that for me?

Twenty eight per cent of Kiwis say that their pets like to bring them presents in the form of dead animals.

There’s nothing to indicate whether this influences their love for their animal or not, but 11% of those surveyed say that they have one animal that they prefer over all of their other pets, says George.

“When it comes to caring for their animals, Kiwis are fairly vigilant – 62% say that they keep up to date with their pets vaccinations.

“Baby Boomers (72%) and those in Northland (70%) are the most attentive among us when it comes to keeping up with their pet’s jabs.”

Canstar Blue customer satisfaction ratings – Pet Food

Customer satisfaction ratings for 2016

This year, Jimbo’s has taken away the Canstar Blue Customer Satisfaction Award – Pet Food scoring five star ratings in nearly every category.

Jimbo’s was particularly strong in ‘pet enjoyment’ which was the number one driver of satisfaction for consumers (42%), followed by value for money (25%), says George.

“Because Kiwis are so passionate about their pet’s enjoyment with their food, Jimbo’s provides them with premium quality meat for their pet's diet.

“More than three quarters of New Zealanders (77%) purchase their pet food from the supermarket, and Jimbo’s is one of the premium brands found in the pet food chillers and supermarket freezers.”

The survey asked respondents to rate their pet food brand across four variables:

1. Value for money

2. Variety/range

3. Pets enjoyment

4. Packaging

Pet food habits by region (exceptions only):

Auckland: Aucklanders are most likely (equal with Northland and Hawke’s Bay) to not like feeding their pet the same food every day because they worry that they get bored with it (27%) and least likely to have more than one pet (39%).

Northland: Northlanders are least likely (equal with Hawke’s Bay) to measure the amount of food that they give their pet so that he/she doesn’t get fat (36%), most likely (equal with Northland) to not like feeding their pet the same food every day because they worry that they get bored with it (27%), most likely to have their pets vaccinations up to date (70%), least likely to have a favourite pet that they prefer above all of their other pets (3%) and least likely (equal with Waikato)to feed their pet straight from their plate at the dinner table (3%).

Waikato: Those in the Waikato are least likely to give their pets treats on top of their regular meals (44%), least likely (equal with Taranaki) to often wonder what their pet does at home when they are out of the house (26%),least likely (equal with Northland) to feed their pet straight from their plate at the dinner table (3%), and least likely to prefer buying their pet food at the pet store or vet because they enjoy the expert advice they get (7%).

Bay of Plenty: Those in the Bay of Plenty are most likely to measure the amount of food they give their pet to make sure they don’t get fat (55%), most likely to say that their pet likes to bring them presents in the form of dead animals (38%) and least likely to say that their pets’ vaccinations are up to date (50%).

Hawke’s Bay: Those in the Hawke’s Bay are least likely (equal with Northland) to measure the amount of food that they give their pet so that he/she doesn’t get fat (36%), and most likely (equal with Auckland and Northland) to not like feeding their pet the same food every day because they worry that they get bored with it (27%) and most likely to have a favourite pet that they prefer over their other pets (18%).

Taranaki: Those in Taranaki are least likely (equal with Waikato) to often wonder what their pet is up to when they are not home (26%), least likely to go to pet stores just to look at the animals (19%) and most likely (equal with Wellington) to prefer buying pet food from the pet store or vet because they enjoy the expert advice (16%).

Manawatu/Whanganui: Those in Manawatu/Whanganui are least likely to not like feeding their pet the same food every day in case they get bored with it (16%), least likely to have their pet sleeping in the same bed as them (33%), most likely to have more than one pet (57%), most likely to feed their pet straight from their plate at dinner (9%).

Wellington: Wellingtonians are most likely (equal with Canterbury) to give their pets treats on top of their regular meals (60%), most likely to often wonder what their pet does when they are out of the house (42%), least likely to say that their pet likes to bring them presents in the form of dead animals (25%), most likely to like to go to pet stores just to look at the animals (41%) and most likely (equal with Taranaki) to prefer buying food at the pet store or vet because they enjoy the expert advice they get (16%).

Canterbury: Cantabrians are most likely (equal with Wellingtonians) to give their pet treats on top of their regular meals (60%) and most likely to have their pet sleep in their bed with them (50%).

About the survey

Canstar Blue commissioned I-view to survey 2,500 New Zealand consumers across a range of categories to measure and track customer satisfaction.

The outcomes reported are the results from customers who have purchased food for their pet in the last three months– in this case 1,474 New Zealanders.

For further information or to speak with a Canstar Blue spokesperson, please contact:

Magdalen Ford

SenateSHJ

magdalen@senateshj.co.nz

02102279903

About Canstar Blue

Canstar Blue was launched in July 2010 by CANSTAR - Australia and New Zealand’s premier researcher of retail finance information for more than 350 institutions across the finance sector. Canstar Blue measures and tracks Australian and New Zealand consumer satisfaction across over 100 different categories to help consumers make the best purchasing decisions for their needs.

What are the Canstar Blue ratings?

Canstar Blue researches, compares and rates products and services according to customer satisfaction across categories including banking, telecommunications, appliances, electronics, utilities and FMCG. Results are freely available to consumers who are encouraged to use the ratings as a guide to product excellence. The full range of results can be seen on the Canstar Blue website at www.canstarblue.co.nz

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