General Mills' pet food segment is flourishing, even though consumers are spending less on food for themselves. During F4Q, the company's North American pet segment sales increased 4%, driven by a double-digit percentage increase in cat food and low-single-digit percentage increase in dog food. Meanwhile, sales in the retail segment, which includes General Mills' cereals, fell 4%. The company described the current consumer backdrop as "challenging," but plans to invest more in "pet humanization" in the year ahead, as shoppers are still willing to spend on their furry companions. General Mills is up 4% premarket. (katherine.hamilton@wsj.com)