The rise of so‑called “pet‑fam” households (a compound of “pet” and “family”), which treat companion animals like family members, is drawing attention to the related market as a new growth engine for companies. Beyond feed and related supplies, the market is rapidly expanding into healthcare and beauty product lines such as dog‑specific probiotics and skin‑moisturizing creams.

On 23 March, COSMAX PET, an ODM company under the COSMAX Group that manufactures health functional foods for companion animals, announced that it will enter the premium probiotics market for companion animals in partnership with biotech company CTCBIO. The two companies plan to jointly develop mixed probiotics by selecting strains optimized for the intestinal environment of companion animals and blending them. The new premium product line will depart from the conventional approach of emphasizing the number of strains added at the time of manufacture and instead apply “guaranteed viable count” design technology, which focuses on the number of live strains remaining through the end of the shelf life, thereby enhancing functionality.

The product lineup will also be further segmented. Through this collaboration, the two companies plan to develop product ranges tailored to the condition of companion animals, not only for intestinal health but also for immunity, oral care, skin and coat, and stress management. COSMAX PET plans to introduce these as products in various dosage forms, including powders, chewable types, and stick formats.

Even before this probiotics development collaboration, COSMAX PET had already secured technologies specialized in the skin and grooming care of companion animals. It has developed “Puppycera,” which alleviates skin itching in companion animals and improves moisturizing and hair gloss, as well as “Snow White,” an ingredient for tear‑stain care. Driven by business expansion, COSMAX PET’s sales last year reached KRW 8.5 billion, an 84.8% increase from the previous year’s KRW 4.6 billion.

KleanNara also moved to strengthen its related business by launching the companion animal brand “Pawpawmong” in July 2023. After initially releasing products centered on hygiene items such as training pads and pet wipes, the company added the low‑irritation skincare line “Lovingpaw” last year. Representative items include bathing and cleansing products, creams with skin‑moisturizing functions, mists, and dental sprays. Pawpawmong’s sales last year increased 263% compared with the previous year.

The background to distribution companies rapidly rolling out increasingly segmented product lines for companion animals lies in the sharp increase in the number of households raising pets. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs’ “2025 Companion Animal Ownership Survey,” the proportion of households directly raising companion animals in their place of residence stands at 29.2%, or roughly one in three households. An industry official analyzed, “The phenomenon of ‘pet humanization,’ which provides health management at the same level as for humans, has become more pronounced, and this is leading to the expansion of a high value‑added market.”

As pet‑fam households increase, the size of the related market is also growing. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the domestic companion animal market is projected to grow from USD 6.2 billion (approximately KRW 9.4029 trillion) in 2022 to USD 15.2 billion (approximately KRW 23.0523 trillion) in 2032, an increase of 145.2% over 10 years. In its “Pet Business Trend Report,” Samjong KPMG Economic Research Institute stated, “In Korea as well, the growth potential of industries related to companion animals looks promising, in line with the increase in key consumer groups such as pet owners, as well as the rising number of companion animals and spending levels.”

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