As temperatures rise across Europe, pet hydration is becoming more than a seasonal welfare message. It is emerging as a meaningful innovation opportunity for pet food brands and retailers looking to meet changing consumer needs with products that are practical, appealing and relevant to everyday pet care.
Western Europe has already experienced its warmest June on record in 2026, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service, with the region recording an average temperature of 20.74°C, 3.05°C above the 1991-2020 average. The same update reported that June 2026 was the second-warmest June globally, underlining the wider challenge of increasingly frequent and intense heat extremes. [climate.co…ernicus.eu]
For pet owners, warmer weather brings a familiar set of practical concerns: keeping pets indoors during the hottest parts of the day, using cooling mats, offering frozen snacks, and making sure clean, fresh drinking water is always available. But hydration is not always as simple as filling a bowl. Cats and dogs have different drinking habits, and some pets do not drink as much as they need, even when temperatures rise.
For the pet food industry, this creates a timely opportunity to develop products that support hydration, improve palatability and add variety to daily feeding routines.
Hydration is not always straightforward for cats and dogs
Pet owners understand the importance of providing clean, fresh drinking water all year round. However, during periods of hot weather, keeping pets well hydrated can become more challenging.
Cats are a particular focus because they naturally have a relatively low thirst drive and often obtain a meaningful proportion of their water intake through food. This makes moisture-rich feeding options especially relevant for cat owners, particularly during warmer periods when fluid needs may increase.
Dogs generally drink more readily, especially after exercise or time outdoors, but some may still need encouragement. Puppies, older dogs, highly active dogs and brachycephalic breeds can be more vulnerable during hot conditions, making hydration an important consideration for owners and product developers alike.
Feeding strategies can help add moisture to daily routines
Wet food naturally contains more moisture than dry kibble, making it a useful way to increase water intake through diet. Mixed feeding, where owners combine wet and dry food, also continues to appeal because it balances convenience, texture, variety and moisture.
This is particularly relevant in Europe, where pet ownership remains strong and the pet food category continues to evolve. FEDIAF’s 2025 Facts & Figures report highlights almost 300 million pets in European households, 139 million pet-owning households, and a European pet food market valued at €29.3 billion. [europeanpetfood.org]
As more owners seek products that feel tailored, functional and easy to incorporate into daily routines, hydration-led formats have the potential to sit naturally alongside existing wet food, treats, supplements and mixed-feeding occasions.
Functional hydration is moving into the mainstream
Hydration toppers, broths and liquid-based meal enhancers are gaining attention because they offer a simple benefit that pet owners can immediately understand: added moisture, added flavour and added interest at mealtimes.
These formats can be poured over wet or dry food, served separately alongside a pet’s usual water bowl, or frozen as a cooling treat during warmer weather. For brands and retailers, that versatility is important. It gives hydration products relevance across multiple usage occasions, from everyday feeding to seasonal summer merchandising.
Market data also supports the growth story. IndexBox estimates the European cat and dog food toppers market at approximately €1.8-2.2 billion in 2026, driven by premiumisation and pet humanisation trends, with functional, freeze-dried and liquid meal enhancers increasingly gaining traction across Western and Northern Europe. [indexbox.io]
A growing commercial opportunity for brands and retailers
For retailers and pet food brands, hydration products represent more than an incremental SKU. They create opportunities to diversify ranges, bring newness to the fixture, and respond to consumers looking for products that combine wellbeing, convenience and mealtime enjoyment.
They also offer clear seasonal relevance. As heatwaves become more frequent and summer temperatures become a greater concern for pet owners, hydration-led products can support campaigns around warm-weather care, mixed feeding, treat occasions and functional nutrition.
For own-label retailers, hydration toppers can help strengthen premium ranges with accessible, benefit-led innovation. For pet food brands, they provide a way to extend into complementary feeding occasions while reinforcing credentials in pet wellbeing and product innovation.
Helping customers respond to the hydration trend
At C&D Foods and its affiliates, we are helping customers respond to emerging consumer needs with complementary hydration products designed to combine convenience, palatability and functional appeal.
Our focus is on developing formats that are easy for pet owners to understand and easy for brands and retailers to activate: liquid toppers, broths and meal enhancers that can add moisture, taste and variety to daily feeding routines.
As Europe’s climate continues to heat up, hydration is likely to become an increasingly important consideration for pet welfare, product development and category growth. Pet owners will continue to have their own preferences for wet, dry or mixed feeding, but innovation in hydration-led products gives them more ways to care for their pets, and gives brands and retailers a timely opportunity to bring relevant, engaging products to market.
For C&D Foods and its affiliates, this is where product insight, manufacturing expertise and customer partnership come together: helping brands turn an emerging consumer need into a compelling, retail-ready proposition.
