Walt Frank ALTOONA — Pet owners are dealing with a cat food shortage. Many stores are having issues stocking canned cat food, and the problem appears to be connected to COVID-19. According to Packaged Facts, a source for pet products and services market research, some 3.3 million new pets and counting have been welcomed into U.S. households since the start of the pandemic. “The pet category has experienced increased consumer demand. Due to overall COVID-related disruption to the production of goods, it’s possible pet parents may not find a specific item or flavor of wet food for cats on the shelf on a given day. However, Petco locations carry a vast nationwide assortment of wet food for cats and have plenty of options readily available,” Petco spokesperson Ventura Olvera said.