Packaging Food for Small Pets

3 Benefits of Reclosable Pouches for Hamster, Guinea Pig, Bird Food, and More

Along with advancements in packaging technology, changing consumer preferences have driven many pet food brands to adopt new packaging formats and design. Several brands have moved to more sustainable packaging for pet food, refreshed their look to include bold, eye-catching graphics, or added new features to improve the functionality of their packaging, such as closures and stand-up pouches.

Conversations about pet food packaging design have centered on packaging for dog and cat food due to their popularity and a growing tendency toward humanization of pets. Millennials and Gen Z in particular view their pets as a member of their family and have the same expectations for pet food as they do their own when it comes to the quality of ingredients and product freshness. These consumers also want to see safe, sustainable, and functional packaging for pet food.

Small pet owners have some of the same concerns as their dog- and cat-owning counterparts, according to Petfood Industry Magazine. And, when it comes to packaging, small pet food brands have led the charge in adopting flexible packaging formats to reach their customers.

There are several features that small animal food producers should consider, and one of them is reclosable packaging.

Here are just a few benefits that reclosability has to offer.

1. A Better Consumer Experience for Small Pet Owners

The main benefit of choosing reclosable packaging is creating an improved experience for your consumer—meaning greater brand loyalty for you. Since food for small animals like birds, hamsters, and guinea pigs includes seeds, corn, millet, pellets, and grasses of various sizes, spills can be particularly difficult to clean up, causing consumer frustration and a potentially negative experience with your product.

Closures help reduce the risk of product spillage, as they allow consumers easy reopening and closing of the package—consumers won’t have to use clips or roll the bag shut to keep products in the original package. Closures such as the Fresh-Lock^® mini Slider are perfect options for small pet foods, particularly when combined with stand-up pouches. The mini Slider offers consumers effortless opening and closing, and the stand-up packaging format makes for easy storage and access to product.

2. Preserving Pet Food Product Freshness

While children were a key demographic for small pets in the past, ownership of rabbits, gerbils, chinchillas, and other pets among millennials, Gen Z, and other groups is going up. These groups are drawn to sustainable brands and are concerned about the safety of their pets. Implementing packaging features that preserve product freshness is one way to show consumers you’re working to reduce waste and keep their pets safe. Reclosable packaging helps keep products fresher longer and can help consumers worry less about potential product contamination.

Closures such as the Fresh-Lock^® Click ‘N Lock™ Sensory Zipper gives pet owners confidence that their pet food will remain fresh. It provides audible and tactile feedback to help consumers know when the package is closed.

3. Improved Awareness of Your Pet Food Brand

Reclosable flexible pouches also help reduce the likelihood that consumers will transfer your product into a secondary container to prevent spilling or maintain product freshness. That means consumers will encounter your branding every time they utilize the package and be more likely to recall your brand and key messaging points the next time they go to the pet store or shop online.

“The packaging has to carry that feeling through that it’s a premium product with premium ingredients, and that it’s natural,” Jim Seidewand, owner of Pet World

Flexible packaging offers an excellent opportunity for billboarding and communicating product features and differentiators, and it allows brands to offer consumers a window into the food and its ingredients. For small pet owners, this is particularly important, as they are increasingly looking for natural food that mimics what their pets would eat in the wild. Getting a glimpse of the real food they’ll be feeding their pets removes some of the “artificial” feelings they may experience.

Without reclosability, you run the risk of losing that billboarding and brand recognition. Closures such as the Slide-Rite^® S-Slider reinforce the premium feel of a product, providing consumers with an ergonomic, easy-to-grip lock that instills confidence that the package is closed. Combining this closure with eye-catching flexible packaging in a stand-up format shows consumers that you’re interested in adding value to your product.

Reach More Small Pet Owners with Custom Flexible Packaging for Pet Food

Want to learn more about what reclosability can add to your small pet food packaging? Learn more about pet food packaging trends or connect with our pet food packaging experts, and we’ll help find a solution that fits your specific product and target customer.