Stores in the Killeen-Fort Hood area are running low on pet food due to a shortage that has going on since early 2021.
There is no need to panic though; our furry friends are going to be OK.
The H-E-B on Trimmier Road in Killeen appeared to be running low on stock of large bags of dry dog and cat food Thursday morning. However, it did have a moderate amount of smaller bags and wet or canned food.
Sam’s Club in Harker Heights was described as well stocked with both dry and wet foods by shoppers on Thursday.
The food most out of stock in Bell County stores appeared to be large-dog food bags for mainstream brands such as Purina, Iams or Pedigree and wet cat food.
Customers who cannot find their preferred pet food are left with no choice but to buy either wet food or different brands in order to satisfy their pets’ needs.
Shortages of ingredients, packaging materials, and problems with shipping across the U.S. have caused pet food companies to struggle to keep up with the increased demand like many other industries since the start of the pandemic.
Another factor for the shortages is the rise in pet adoption since the first global lockdown in 2020.
A report from the American Pet Products Association showed that from 2021 to 2022, pet ownership increased from 67 percent to 70 percent of U.S. households.
In addition, the company found that 35 percent of pet owners were spending more on their pets in 2021 with online shopping for products such as food, toys and accessories, making the new total 86 percent, based on survey respondents in the past year.
While there are many stores from which to buy pet food, it can be disheartening to go to multiple stores looking for one specific brand, only to come up empty.
If residents continue to struggle to find their preferred brand, they can slowly switch their pets to another brand that is readily available or look for a canned food option.
It helps if residents can find brands with similar ingredients to their previous brand to help with the transition, but it is recommend by most pet owners to not switch automatically. This can cause pets to have upset stomachs and upset owners.
Residents can also search for other alternatives like organic homemade dog and cat food. This can be made at home with regular ingredients or bought through trial sites.
