A new class of upmarket 'pet parents' – who treat their dogs and cats like children – are ditching traditional pet foods in favour of more premium offerings. In turn, new innovations like 'fresh from the fridge' and 'personalised nutrition plans' are catching on.

Pets have long been seen as family members, but does that mean they should be eating like one? FreshPet is just one of a large number of companies targeting these pampered pets’ 'parents' with high quality human-grade dog and cat food products fresh from the fridge.

Comparisons between dogs and children are nothing new. Get a dog as a warm-up before kids. Get a dog to distract the kids. Never work with either in the movies. Yet in America, many women are increasingly choosing pets over parenthood, favouring the tinier breeds.

Does Google have all the answers? A new wave of premium mobile services don't think so. Connecting people with real-time advisors in everything from fashion to finance, innovators are creating a future where having a panel in your pocket, ready to offer support in one click, is the norm.