Pet Adoption and Consumer Variety Seeking: Spillover Effects and Dog–Cat Differences
(A2026-132849)

AUTHORS

Jiajia Pan, University of Warwick; Miaolei Jia, University of Warwick

ABSTRACT

This project conceptualises pet adoption as a distinct life transition and examines how it reshapes consumers’ variety seeking in both non-pet fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and pet-related purchases. Using NielsenIQ Consumer Panel data from 2004–2020 and a difference-in-differences framework, the analysis shows that first-time pet owners increase their variety seeking in non-pet FMCG categories, indicating behavioural spillover into everyday household shopping. Within pet-related categories, the results reveal systematic heterogeneity by pet type: first-time dog owners exhibit higher variety seeking after adoption, whereas first-time cat owners display reduced variety seeking and a stronger preference for familiar options. Overall, the findings demonstrate that pet adoption tends to elevate variety seeking in routine FMCG purchases, while the size and direction of changes in pet-related categories depend on both product category and pet type.