EXHIBIT 23.1
 
                         INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' CONSENT
 
Board of Directors
Central Garden & Pet Company
Lafayette, California
   
  We consent to the use in this Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement
of Central Garden & Pet Company on Form S-3 of our reports dated November 15,
1996, appearing in the Prospectus, which is a part of this Registration
Statement, and incorporated by reference from the Company's Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 28, 1996, and our report on Four
Paws Products, Ltd. and subsidiaries dated January 20, 1997 and our report on
the Sandoz flea and tick protection business dated December 20, 1996 (May 23,
1997 as to Note 9) incorporated by reference herein from the Company's Current
Reports on Form 8-K/A dated April 3, 1997 and July 14, 1997, respectively, and
to the references to us under the headings "Selected Consolidated Financial
and Operating Data" and "Experts" in such Prospectus.     
 
Deloitte & Touche LLP
San Francisco, California
   
July 23, 1997