As China’s pet food business expanded rapidly over the last five years, demand for premium pet food has tracked the rise.

Chinese consumers view their furry friends as family members who deserve the best to eat, according to a white paper by Alibaba Group and C2 Capital Partners, a private equity firm, drawing on data from consultancy Bain & Co.

“This shift in attitudes has fueled demand for premium commercial pet food that promotes pet health and wellbeing,” wrote the report’s authors, including Chen Tan, who oversees the pet category at Alibaba’s cross-border marketplace Tmall Global.

Premium pet food, defined as products costing over $7 per kg, outpaced the animal food category as a whole during 11.11, the world’s largest retail event last year.

Top-quality imported brands saw 40% growth during the 11.11 shopping festival, higher than the 25% growth across the broader category, according to Alibaba’s B2C marketplace Tmall.

The Chinese pet market has yet to see a brand valued above RMB10 billion ($1.4 billion), with only a few brands reaching the RMB 1 billion mark, analysis from consultancy Bain & Co. shows.