Dry Cat Food Prices Rebounded 18% in Mid-August
Dry cat food prices for a standardized 16-pound bag equivalent averaged $42.32 across 12 tracked city areas from August 14 to August 20. The previous seven days averaged $35.80, making the latest complete week about $6.53, or 18.2%, higher.
Every city area had a higher seven-day average. The increase ranged from 8.8% in Mid-City Los Angeles to 24.1% in Rainier Valley Seattle, so the rebound reached the full city comparison rather than one location.
The move restored much of an early-August dip. The latest daily average of $44.14 on August 20 was within about 50 cents of the series’ $44.64 opening benchmark on June 19.
The comparison uses the same standardized quantity, 12 city areas, and seven daily readings per city in both periods.
Dry cat food prices averaged about $6.53 more
The August 7–13 window averaged $35.80. The August 14–20 window averaged $42.32, a difference of about $6.53 per 16-pound equivalent.
The shift was visible across the daily path. None of the seven earlier readings reached $42. Five of the seven later readings did, including $45.48 on August 18 and $44.14 on August 20.
Using complete seven-day windows reduces the influence of any single checkpoint. The 18.2% result also remained broad when calculated city by city.
All 12 city-area averages moved higher
Seattle recorded the largest dollar and percentage increase, up $8.58 to a $44.21 weekly average. Los Angeles posted the smallest move, up $3.13 to $38.77.
| City area | August 7–13 | August 14–20 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago, IL - North Center/Avondale | $35.40 | $42.82 | +$7.42 / 21.0% |
| Clayton, MO | $34.51 | $42.67 | +$8.16 / 23.6% |
| East St. Louis, IL | $35.49 | $41.09 | +$5.60 / 15.8% |
| Houston, TX - Midtown | $37.26 | $43.51 | +$6.25 / 16.8% |
| Jackson, MS - North Jackson | $37.33 | $43.83 | +$6.50 / 17.4% |
| Jacksonville, FL - Westside | $36.57 | $41.40 | +$4.83 / 13.2% |
| Los Angeles, CA - Mid-City | $35.64 | $38.77 | +$3.13 / 8.8% |
| New York, NY - Ridgewood/Glendale | $35.71 | $43.65 | +$7.94 / 22.2% |
| Philadelphia, PA - South Philadelphia | $35.35 | $41.53 | +$6.18 / 17.5% |
| San Antonio, TX - West San Antonio | $36.33 | $42.95 | +$6.62 / 18.2% |
| San Jose, CA - Blossom Valley | $34.34 | $41.44 | +$7.10 / 20.7% |
| Seattle, WA - Rainier Valley | $35.63 | $44.21 | +$8.58 / 24.1% |
On August 20, the standardized city values still spanned about $10.39, from $37.15 in East St. Louis to $47.54 in North Jackson.
The rebound returned prices near their June level
The series began at a $44.64 12-city average on June 19, then reached an early-August low of $32.65 on August 9. The August 20 reading of $44.14 recovered nearly all of that difference without moving above the opening benchmark.
That longer view separates a rebound from a new price peak. It also keeps the dry-food result distinct from the wider cost of cat ownership per year, which combines dry food with wet food, litter, treats, and litter box liners.
For current comparisons, $42.32 is the complete-week dry-food benchmark rather than the mid-$30s average from early August. The live dry cat food price history shows whether that level holds, while the annual cat retail-goods index shows how food and supplies move together.