There is a number every pet food brand founder needs to have memorized in 2026: $157 billion. That is the projected total U.S. consumer spending on pets and pet supplies this year alone — a figure that makes the American pet care industry one of the largest and most resilient consumer spending categories in the entire economy. Of that extraordinary total, $67.8 billion is specifically allocated to pet food and treats. And the market is still growing, with projections suggesti