PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT NO. 4                   FILED PURSUANT TO RULE 424(B)(3)
(To Prospectus Dated March 18, 1997, As   REGISTRATION STATEMENT NO. 333-21603
 Supplemented By Prospectus Supplement
 No. 1 Dated April 8, 1997, Prospectus
 Supplement No. 2 Dated May 14, 1997
 and Prospectus Supplement No. 3 Dated
 July 16, 1997)
 

                           [CENTRAL GARDEN & PET]


                                  $115,000,000
                   6% CONVERTIBLE SUBORDINATED NOTES DUE 2003
                                      AND
                             SHARES OF COMMON STOCK
                        ISSUABLE UPON CONVERSION THEREOF

     This Prospectus Supplement supplements information contained in that
certain Prospectus dated March 18, 1997, as amended or supplemented (the
"Prospectus") of Central Garden & Pet Company relating to the potential sale
from time to time of up to $115,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Notes and
the Conversion Shares by the Selling Securityholders.  This Prospectus
Supplement is not complete without, and may not be delivered or utilized except
in connection with, the Prospectus, including any amendments or supplements
thereto.  Capitalized terms used herein but not defined have the meanings
assigned to such terms in the Prospectus.

     The following table supplements the information set forth in the Prospectus
under the caption "Selling Securityholders" with respect to the Selling
Securityholders and the respective principal amounts of Notes and Conversion
Shares beneficially owned by such Selling Securityholder that may be offered
pursuant to the Prospectus:

                                                            
Taft Securities LLC        900,000        *         32,142       *         *
Aragon Investments Ltd.    900,000        *         32,142       *         *


                                        
     The line "Any other holder of Notes or future transferee from any such
holder ... 3,440,000, 3.0, 122,857, *, *" (other than the footnotes thereto
which remain unchanged) contained in the table set forth in the Prospectus under
the caption "Selling Securityholders" shall be deleted in its entirety and
replaced with the following:

                                                            
Any other holder of 
 Notes or future or
 future transferee 
 from any such          
 holder(8)(9)              1,640,000      1.4       58,571       *         *  
 



     All information in this Prospectus Supplement is as of December 1, 1997.



           THE DATE OF THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT IS DECEMBER 2, 1997