Thirty-five brand guides to pets — fresh and premium pet food, and design-led beds, furniture and walk gear.
Pet brands have moved toward design and premium food. These guides look at how each presents itself, with honest caveats where the record is thin.
Food
The Farmer’s Dog leads fresh, human-grade dog food; Ollie is now Agrolimen-owned; Blue Buffalo belongs to General Mills; and The Honest Kitchen is a founder-led pioneer of human-grade dehydrated food.
Design objects for pets
Design-led brands treat pet products as furniture: Fable Pets’ furniture-crate, Karimoku Cat’s furniture-grade cat tower, Tuft + Paw’s cat furniture, Meyou’s made-in-France cat furniture and Wild One’s minimalist pet lifestyle range.
How to use these guides
Each guide covers a brand’s visual identity — its signature product, palette and voice — as design commentary, and notes where facts could not be fully confirmed. The table at the end gathers the essentials.
Pet food
The Farmer’s Dog, Ollie, Jinx, Wild One, Open Farm, The Honest Kitchen and Blue Buffalo.
- The Farmer’s Dog — The fresh, human-grade dog-food leader, its kale-and-carrot palette and human-meal-kit design, with honest caveats.
- Ollie — The fresh dog-food brand (now Agrolimen-owned), its bright ingredient palette and the scoop hidden in its logo, with honest caveats.
- Jinx — The design-led modern dog & cat food brand, its cream base and “happy colors,” with honest caveats.
- Wild One — The minimalist, pastel pet-lifestyle brand (“Away for pets”), its design-object system and honest caveats.
- Open Farm — The Canadian premium pet food built on ethical sourcing and ingredient traceability, and its natural design, with honest caveats.
- The Honest Kitchen — The founder-led human-grade dehydrated pet-food pioneer and its wholesome design, with honest caveats.
- Blue Buffalo — The natural mass-premium pet food (now General Mills), its blue look, LifeSource Bits and True Blue marketing, with honest caveats.
Pet design, part 1
Fable Pets, Cloud7, Zee.Dog, DOG Copenhagen, Karimoku Cat, United Pets and Howlpot.
- Fable Pets — The American brand’s modern furniture-crate, with honest caveats.
- Cloud7 — The Berlin brand’s interior-led dog bed, with honest caveats.
- Zee.Dog — The Brazilian brand’s bold, graphic walk gear, with honest caveats.
- DOG Copenhagen — The Danish brand’s ergonomic harness, with honest caveats.
- Karimoku Cat — The Japanese maker’s furniture-grade cat tower, with honest caveats.
- United Pets — The Milan brand’s playful design bowl, with honest caveats.
- Howlpot — The Korean brand’s minimalist walk gear, with honest caveats.
Pet design, part 2
Diggs, MiaCara, Barc London, Milk & Pepper, Mog & Bone, Labbvenn and Bowsers.
- Diggs — The American brand’s safety-engineered dog crate, with honest caveats.
- MiaCara — The German brand’s furniture-grade pet furniture, with honest caveats.
- Barc London — The British brand’s luxury vegan dog accessories, with honest caveats.
- Milk & Pepper — The French brand’s chic dog fashion, with honest caveats.
- Mog & Bone — The Australian brand’s print-led dog bed, with honest caveats.
- Labbvenn — The Polish brand’s Scandinavian-minimalist dog bed, with honest caveats.
- Bowsers — The Canadian brand’s designer-fabric dog bed, with honest caveats.
Pet design, part 3
Maxbone, PAIKKA, Non-stop Dogwear, Kentucky Dogwear, Meyou, pecolo and Ivy & Duke.
- Maxbone — The LA brand’s modern luxury pet lifestyle, with honest caveats.
- PAIKKA — The Finnish brand’s function-first Nordic dog gear, with honest caveats.
- Non-stop Dogwear — The Norwegian brand’s performance harness, with honest caveats.
- Kentucky Dogwear — The Belgian brand’s equestrian quilted bed, with honest caveats.
- Meyou — The Paris brand’s sculptural, made-in-France cat furniture, with honest caveats.
- pecolo — The Japanese brand’s minimal, made-in-Japan food stand, with honest caveats.
- Ivy & Duke — The British brand’s made-in-England dog bed, with honest caveats.
Pet design, part 4
Tuft + Paw, Charley Chau, Hunter, Charlie’s Backyard, Dog with a Mission, Pablo & Co and OYOY.
- Tuft + Paw — The Canadian brand’s design cat furniture, with honest caveats.
- Charley Chau — The British brand’s made-in-Britain luxury dog bed, with honest caveats.
- Hunter — The German brand’s handmade leather dog collar, with honest caveats.
- Charlie’s Backyard — The Korean brand’s minimalist modern harness, with honest caveats.
- Dog with a Mission — The Dutch brand’s boho leather collar, with honest caveats.
- Pablo & Co — The Australian brand’s bold print bandana, with honest caveats.
- OYOY — The Danish homeware brand’s OYOY Zoo pet line, with honest caveats.
Pet gear and food makers
PetSafe, KONG, Chuckit!, West Paw, Ruffwear, Kurgo and Butternut Box.
- PetSafe — The brand created in 1998 by Randy Boyd’s Knoxville company, founded in 1991 as Radio Fence Corporation, which bought Invisible Fence, ScoopFree and Premier Pet, was acquired by CD&R funds in 2020 and renamed itself PetSafe Brands in 2024.
- KONG — The Golden, Colorado company Joe Markham founded in 1976 after his German Shepherd, Fritz, took to a rubber part from a Volkswagen bus, which grew the red snowman-shaped KONG Classic into a range of rubber strengths and marked fifty years with a gold edition.
- Chuckit! — The fetch-toy brand created by Canine Hardware, a company founded in 1998 and based in the Seattle area, built around a long plastic ball launcher, and owned since December 2012 by Petmate of Arlington, Texas, which Platinum Equity announced it had acquired in 2021.
- West Paw — The family-owned Bozeman, Montana, maker of dog toys, beds and treats, which Spencer Williams bought as a small Livingston pet-toy company in 1996, moved to Bozeman in 1998, built around its recyclable Zogoflex material, and certified as a B Corp in 2013.
- Ruffwear — The outdoor dog-gear company Patrick Kruse started in southern California in the early 1990s with a collapsible bowl sewn from tent fabric, moved to Bend, Oregon, and still owns privately, with a logo the company says was inspired by a rescued junkyard dog.
- Kurgo — The dog travel and outdoor gear brand the Spater brothers built in Massachusetts from a backseat barrier for a Plott Hound called Zelda, who the founders said was the model for the logo, and which Radio Systems Corporation, the PetSafe parent, has owned since October 2018.
- Butternut Box — The London fresh dog food subscription founded in 2016 by David Nolan and Kevin Glynn, trading as Dogmates, cooked in Doncaster, expanded to Poland through PsiBufet, and branded with the studio Otherway, whose “Fresh Food. Happy Dogs.” platform launched in 2026.
Pet food, gear and own labels
Hurtta, LickiMat, ORIJEN, Tiki Cat, Wellness, Stella & Chewy’s and Frisco.
- Hurtta — The Finnish dog-apparel brand whose name means hound, which says it made its first collars and leashes in 1997, grew inside Best Friend Group of Kuopio and today names Nordic Petcare Group as its parent.
- LickiMat — The textured rubber lick mat from Innovative Pet Products, an Australian-owned Gold Coast company linked to Joe and Hazel Clarke, which says it was founded in 2012, began with the OH Bowl and now sells mats for dogs and cats.
- ORIJEN — The dog and cat food brand introduced in 2005 by Champion Petfoods, the Alberta company founded in 1985 by Reinhard Muhlenfeld, made in its own kitchens in Alberta and Kentucky, and owned by Mars Petcare since February 2023.
- Tiki Cat — The cat food brand of Petropics, the company founded in 2005 by Christine and Robert Hackett, merged into Whitebridge Pet Brands in 2015, owned by NXMH from 2021 and by General Mills since December 2024, with a “Say Aloha to Real Food” line.
- Wellness Pet Food — The natural dog and cat food brand launched in 1997 by the Old Mother Hubbard company of Massachusetts, sold to Berwind in 2008 and to Clearlake Capital in 2020, and now the name of the Wellness Pet Company, which also owns WHIMZEES and Sojos.
- Stella & Chewy’s — The freeze-dried and frozen raw pet food brand Marie Moody started in her Manhattan apartment in 2003, named after her two rescue dogs, moved to Wisconsin in 2007 and backed by the growth investor Stripes since 2013.
- Frisco — The own brand Chewy launched in 2016 as its first private label for hardgoods, from crates and beds to bowls, toys and pet clothing, sold “by Chewy” on its website and from late 2018 through PetSmart too, and in 2026 partly folded into the new Chewy Made range.
The big pet-food houses
Royal Canin, Purina Pro Plan, Hill’s, Pedigree, Whiskas, Felix and ACANA.
- Royal Canin — The pet food brand a French veterinarian, Jean Cathary, registered in the Gard in 1968, built up by the Guyomarc’h group and Paribas, and owned by Mars since 2002, with a red crown as its emblem and its head office in Aimargues.
- Purina Pro Plan — The pet food line Ralston Purina introduced in St. Louis in 1986, grown from its Hi Pro sporting-dog food, owned by Nestlé since the 2001 Ralston Purina merger, and redesigned for Europe by Seymourpowell in 2012.
- Hill’s — The Topeka business that grew from Burton Hill’s 1907 rendering works, began making Dr. Mark Morris Sr.’s Canine k/d in 1948, launched Science Diet in 1968 and has been owned by Colgate-Palmolive since 1976.
- Pedigree — The Mars dog food brand that, by its own account, began as Pedigree Chum in the UK in 1960, reached the US through Kal Kan as Kal Kan Pedigree, took the single Pedigree name in 1988 and has run adoption drives since 2005.
- Whiskas — The Mars cat food launched in Britain in 1958 or 1959, which replaced the Kal Kan cat food name in the United States in 1988–89, comes in purple packs with a cat’s-head logo, and is known for its “8 out of 10 cats” line and AMV BBDO’s 2026 “Trust the Purr” campaign.
- Felix — A British brand that began making dry cat biscuits at Biggleswade, passed from Quaker Oats to Spillers to Nestlé, was relaunched in 1989 with a mischievous black-and-white cat, and was voiced by Robbie Williams in a 2023 campaign.
- ACANA — The dog and cat food brand of Champion Petfoods, the Alberta company founded in the 1980s, on Champion’s own product pages by 2002, made today in Alberta and Kentucky, sold under the line “Stubbornly good,” and owned by Mars Petcare since February 2023.
British pet food makers
Canagan, Lily’s Kitchen, Applaws, Harringtons, Forthglade, Burns and James Wellbeloved.
- Canagan — The grain-free dog and cat food launched in 2012 by Symply Pet Foods, the Buckinghamshire company of the pet-shop owner Eddie Milbourne, now run with his son James, which sells through independent pet stores and frames its recipes around the diets of wolves and wild cats.
- Lily’s Kitchen — The London pet food Henrietta Morrison started in 2008 and named after her border terrier, Lily, whose “Proper Dog Food” packs by Albion won a D&AD Wood Pencil in 2009, backed by L Catterton from 2015 and owned by Nestlé Purina PetCare since 2020.
- Applaws — The cat food brand that Manchester’s MPM Products (“Making Pet Food Matters”), formed in 2002 by Roger Wood, Roger Coleman and Jon Kinsey, launched with a cat tin in 2006, rebranded in 2024 and, in June 2025, agreed to sell to Partners Group.
- Harringtons — The pet food brand launched in 2008 by the Thirsk, North Yorkshire family business then known as Wagg, now Inspired Pet Nutrition, whose history goes back to 1923 and which L Catterton agreed to sell to CapVest in December 2020.
- Forthglade — The Devon dog food business founded in 1971 by Basil Palmer and Doug Wilkins, bought by Chris Brooking and Gerard Lovell in 2012, made at a factory on the edge of Dartmoor and owned by Assisi Pet Care since July 2026.
- Burns Pet Nutrition — The Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire pet food company founded in 1993 by the vet John Burns, sold at first in plain polythene sacks, linked to the John Burns Foundation, and owned by Assisi Pet Care since December 2023.
- James Wellbeloved — The Somerset pet food formed in 1992 by Christine Priest, Robin Jackson and Michael Newsum, bought by Royal Canin in 2000 and part of Mars since Mars took over Royal Canin in 2002, with a dry food factory at Castle Cary.
Dog treats and chews
Greenies, Zuke’s, Milk-Bone, Dentastix, Beggin’, WHIMZEES and Pet Munchies.
- Greenies — The green dog treat from the Kansas City area, started by Joe and Judy Roetheli’s S&M NuTec, which the company dates to 1996, bought by Mars in 2006 and still made, the brand says, in Kansas City.
- Zuke’s — The dog treat brand Patrick Meiering founded in Durango, Colorado, in 1995 and named after his chocolate Labrador, sold by Encore Consumer Capital to Nestlé Purina in 2014 and folded into Merrick Pet Care’s operations in Texas in 2018.
- Milk-Bone — The dog biscuit begun in 1908 by the F.H. Bennett Biscuit Company in New York as Maltoid, kept by the National Biscuit Company after 1931, sold by Kraft to Del Monte in 2006 and owned by The J.M. Smucker Co. since 2015, baked in Buffalo since 1957.
- Dentastix — The X-shaped dog chew sold under Mars’s Pedigree brand, which Pedigree dates to 2001, registered as a US trademark by Mars, Incorporated in 2004 and extended in the UK with bitesize Chewy Chunx in 2020.
- Beggin’ — The bacon-style dog treat first made by Ralston Purina of St. Louis and sold from 1989, fronted by a cartoon dog called Hamlet and a 1989 commercial that Purina revived in 2023, and owned by Nestlé Purina PetCare since 2001.
- WHIMZEES — The shaped vegetable-based dog chews made by Paragon Pet Products in Veendam, the Netherlands, launched in the United States in 2013 under founder Wim Pater, and owned since February 2017 by WellPet, now the Wellness Pet Company.
- Pet Munchies — The British natural dog and cat treat brand founded in 2008 by Suzanne Rothman, which operated from Edgware in Middlesex and has been owned by Assisi Pet Care since 2022.
Cat litter
World’s Best Cat Litter, Tidy Cats, Fresh Step, Cat’s Best, Catit, PrettyLitter and Dr. Elsey’s.
- World’s Best Cat Litter — The corn-based litter of the family-owned Kent group of Muscatine, Iowa, built on a patent filed by Grain Processing Corporation in 1997, marking its 25th anniversary in 2023 and made at a new Muscatine plant opened in 2026.
- Tidy Cats — The clay litter brand Edward Lowe of Cassopolis, Michigan, put into supermarkets in the 1950s, sold with his business in 1990 to the Golden Cat Corporation, bought by Ralston Purina in 1995 and now made by Nestlé Purina PetCare of St. Louis.
- Fresh Step — The cat litter of The Clorox Company of Oakland, California, a Clorox brand online by 1996, made with Scoop Away at a Martinsburg, West Virginia plant opened in 2022, and using the Febreze and Gain names under licence from Procter & Gamble.
- Cat’s Best — The plant-fibre cat litter of JRS (J. Rettenmaier & Söhne), the family fibre company of Rosenberg in Baden-Württemberg that began as an oil and grain mill in 1878, turned to wood fibres in 1938 and sells the litter through JRS Petcare.
- Catit — The cat-care brand that the family-owned Hagen Group of Quebec, founded by Rolf C. Hagen in 1955, says it launched in 1999, with Go Natural pea-husk litter, PIXI litter boxes, Senses play circuits and the Flower Fountain.
- PrettyLitter — The Los Angeles silica-gel cat litter founded by Daniel Rotman in 2015 after ABC Family’s Startup U, sold largely by subscription, and acquired by Mars Petcare in 2021.
- Dr. Elsey’s — The cat-litter brand of Precious Cat Inc., which feline veterinarian Dr. Bruce Elsey and his wife Kathy founded in 1987 near Denver, known for Cat Attract and Ultra, and which moved its production from Englewood, Colorado, to Cheyenne, Wyoming.
Aquarium and pond makers
Fluval, JUWEL, Seachem, Hikari, OASE, EHEIM and API.
- Fluval — The aquarium brand of Rolf C. Hagen Inc., the Montreal pet-products family company founded in 1955 by the German-born Rolf C. Hagen, which dates Fluval to a three-stage filter of 1975 and now sells Flex, Edge and Spec aquariums under the line “Immerse Yourself.”
- JUWEL — The German aquarium maker founded in 1969 by the Köhlmoos brothers, whose aluminium-framed tanks of the 1960s grew into complete system aquariums such as the Rio, Lido and Vision, still run by the Köhlmoos family from Rotenburg (Wümme) in Lower Saxony.
- Seachem — The aquarium company Dr. Leo G. Morin founded in 1980, family-run from Madison, Georgia, whose first product Cupraplex became Cupramine, and whose range grew to the Tidal filter made with Sicce of Italy and the Aquavitro, JurassiPet and AviPet lines.
- Hikari — The fish food brand of Kyorin Co., Ltd., formed in 1968 from the Kamihata koi business of Himeji, Hyōgo, whose group traces its roots to 1877; made by Kyorin Food Industries, sold in North America through Hikari Sales USA since 2006.
- OASE — The water-garden and fountain company of Hörstel in Germany, begun in 1949 as August Wübker Söhne, which turned to fountain pumps in 1966, passed through Cognetas, Equistone and Argand Partners, bought biOrb in 2016 and moved into aquariums.
- EHEIM — The Deizisau company Gunther Eheim founded in Esslingen in 1949 to repair and make technical toys, which put an aquarium suction filter into series production in 1963, folded mp and JÄGER into the EHEIM name, and calls itself a family company.
- API — The aquarium and pond care brand that began as Aquarium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. of Chalfont, Pennsylvania, incorporated in 1964, acquired by Mars in February 2003 and sold today under the API name by Mars Fishcare.
Small-animal and bird care
Kaytee, Oxbow, Supreme Petfoods, Vitakraft, Burgess, carefresh and Versele-Laga.
- Kaytee — The bird and small-animal brand of Chilton, Wisconsin, which traces its roots to 1866 and the grain firm Knauf & Tesch, passed to the Engler family in 1964 and has been owned by Central Garden & Pet since 1997.
- Oxbow Animal Health — The small-animal brand that John Miller grew from Oxbow Hay Company, started on his family’s farm at Murdock, Nebraska, in 1980, which became Oxbow Pet Products in 1992 and has been owned by Manna Pro Products since 2022.
- Supreme Petfoods — The Suffolk company at Hadleigh behind Science Selective and Tiny Friends Farm, registered in 1981 and renamed in 1983, with roots it traces to a family milling business, and a Selective look redrawn by Cowan London in 2019.
- Vitakraft — The Bremen pet-products company that traces itself to Heinrich Wührmann’s 1837 feed shop at Heiligenrode, introduced the Vitakraft name in 1929 and the Kräcker in 1965, changed owners in 2013 and began a blue-and-white brand relaunch in 2026.
- Burgess Pet Care — The family-owned Yorkshire firm with its head office at Thornton-le-Dale and its mill at Pollington near Goole, which traces its roots to a 17th-century flour mill, launched Excel in 1998 and has had its packs redesigned by the agencies CHILLI and BGN.
- carefresh — The paper-fibre small-pet bedding first made in Bellingham, Washington, by International Absorbents and its Absorption Corp, owned by Kinderhook from 2010 and sold to Germany’s JRS group in 2013, now sold by Healthy Pet of Ferndale in a lowercase wordmark.
- Versele-Laga — The Belgian family pet-food maker that grew from Prudent Versele’s 1932 grocery and feed trade in Astene, Deinze, took the Laga name in a 1966 merger, and in May 2026 announced it would trade under one master brand, Versele.
Horse feed
Dodson & Horrell, SPILLERS, Baileys Horse Feeds, TopSpec, Saracen Horse Feeds, BUCKEYE Nutrition and Triple Crown.
- Dodson & Horrell — The horse feed maker founded in Ringstead, Northamptonshire, in 1939, based at Islip since 2005, part of the Lea family’s Oakes Millers group since December 2020, with a D&H logo redrawn in February 2025 around a horse and an oat crown.
- SPILLERS — The brand that launched Horse & Pony Cubes in 1958, was bought out from Dalgety in 1998, has been owned by Mars since 2002 and is run by Mars Horsecare from Milton Keynes, alongside the American feed brand Buckeye Nutrition.
- Baileys Horse Feeds — The Essex horse-feed maker at Four Elms Mills, Bardfield Saling, which says it has been family owned and run since 1982, trades through G.R. Bailey Limited (incorporated 1943) and has numbered its feeds since at least 2000. Unrelated to the Irish cream liqueur.
- TopSpec — The North Yorkshire horse-feed brand of TopSpec Equine Limited, incorporated in 1999 at Pickhill near Thirsk, jointly owned by Nicola and Philip Tyler, built around feed balancers and the TopChop fibre line, with a pet-food sister brand, VetSpec.
- Saracen Horse Feeds — The family-owned horse feed maker of Aylesford, Kent, which described itself in 2016 as the horse feed division of the Lillico Group, has worked with Kentucky Equine Research since 2001, and carries a shield brandmark its designer says was reworked in 2024–25.
- BUCKEYE Nutrition — The Ohio feed brand that began with the Pocock family’s Buckeye Cereal Company in Massillon in 1910, rebuilt its Dalton mill after a 1969 fire, and has been owned by Mars since 2005, marketed by Mars Horsecare US.
- Triple Crown — The horse feed brand of Triple Crown Nutrition, Inc. of Wayzata, Minnesota, which the company says was established in 1989, led by founder and CEO Rob Daugherty, sold through feed dealers and, since 2020, Tractor Supply.
Wild bird food and feeders
Haith’s, Jacobi Jayne, Peckish, Gardman, CJ Wildlife, Droll Yankees and Brome Bird Care.
- Haith’s — The Lincolnshire bird-food maker John E. Haith Limited, which says a Grimsby Zoo head keeper began cleaning seed in 1937, worked from a Cleethorpes chapel, moved to Grimsby’s Europarc and in March 2023 to Louth, and licenses its Robin Red mark to bait makers.
- Jacobi Jayne — The Kent birdcare supplier behind Ring-Pull feeders, Flutter Butter and the Living with Birds catalogue, exclusive UK and Irish distributor for Schwegler nest boxes, and the company with which the BTO launched National Nest Box Week in 1997.
- Peckish — The wild bird food and feeder brand of Westland Horticulture, a garden-products company headquartered in Northern Ireland, known for its “For the love of birds” line, a 2019 Channel 4 Weather sponsorship and the Colour In Your Garden and ColourWatch campaigns.
- Gardman — The garden-sundries and wild bird care brand founded by Paris Natar in 1992 and based in Moulton, Lincolnshire, which worked with the British Trust for Ornithology from 1997, passed through private-equity owners and has been owned by Westland Horticulture since October 2018.
- CJ Wildlife — The bird-food and garden-wildlife business founded in 1987 on a farm in Shropshire, which traded as CJ WildBird Foods, once made the RSPB BirdCare range, sells a National Trust range and is part of the Vivara group.
- Droll Yankees — The New England bird-feeder brand started in 1960 by Peter Kilham and Alan Bemis to make talking records, named after Balzac’s Droll Stories, maker of the A-6F tube feeder from 1969, later part of Classic Brands and now carrying a Woodstream copyright.
- Brome Bird Care — The Knowlton, Quebec feeder maker led by its founder, Paul Cote, which says it has designed and made wild bird feeders since 1998, sells them under the Squirrel Buster name, and whose founder and company hold US feeder patents granted from 2012 onwards.
Reptile and terrarium
Exo Terra, Zoo Med, Arcadia Reptile, Komodo, Lucky Reptile, Fluker’s and Pangea Reptile.
- Exo Terra — The reptile and amphibian brand of Rolf C. Hagen Inc., the Montreal pet-products family company founded in 1955, which dates Exo Terra to 2000, developed its products at a “Base Camp” in Mechelen, Belgium, and sells under the line “Make your reptiles feel at home.”
- Zoo Med — The reptile-care products company of San Luis Obispo, California, which grew from a reptile import business Gary Bagnall started in 1977 as In Cold Blood, took its name when the dry-goods side split off, and dates its ReptiSun UVB lamp to 1993.
- Arcadia Reptile — The reptile lighting, heating and nutrition brand that grew from Arcadia Engineering, set up in 1964 by Doug and Noel Jerrard, and that Monkfield Nutrition of Cambridgeshire has owned since buying it from Arcadia Products plc in March 2017.
- Komodo — The British reptile-supplies range that began with Underworld Products, was bought with Underworld’s stock and intellectual property by Happy Pet Products of Syston, Leicestershire, in 2011, and has been sold in the United States by Multipet since 2018.
- Lucky Reptile — The terrarium-equipment brand of Import Export Peter Hoch GmbH, a family wholesaler in Waldkirch near Freiburg that Peter Hoch started in 1976 and that Jürgen Hoch has led since 2009, with lighting the company says it assembles in-house in the Black Forest.
- Fluker’s — The family-run Fluker’s Cricket Farm of Port Allen, Louisiana, started by Richard Fluker in the 1950s to supply bait crickets, and turned by his son David Fluker into a brand of feeder insects, reptile diets and habitat products.
- Pangea Reptile — The gecko breeder and reptile-supply business that Matthew Parks says he started in 2001, online from Grand Rapids, Michigan that year and today based in Zeeland, Michigan, known for its crested gecko diets.
Dog toys and accessories
Outward Hound, FURminator, flexi, Nylabone, Benebone, Rogz and EzyDog.
- Outward Hound — The dog toy, game and gear brand of Kyjen, founded by Kyle Hansen in Centennial, Colorado; owned by Riverside from 2013, J.W. Childs from 2017, and majority-owned by funds affiliated with H.I.G. Capital since July 2026.
- FURminator — The pet grooming brand built on a tool patented by Angela and David Porter, run from St. Louis, Missouri, and owned by Spectrum Brands through its United Pet Group subsidiary since December 2011.
- flexi — The retractable dog lead brand of flexi – Bogdahn International, a family business in Bargteheide near Hamburg, built on the leash Manfred Bogdahn devised in 1972 and patented in the United States in 1975.
- Nylabone — The dog chew toy brand founded in 1955 and based in Neptune City, New Jersey, owned through TFH Publications by Central Garden & Pet since 1997, with a signature orange and a 2025 packaging redesign built around a heart.
- Benebone — The family-owned American dog-chew company behind a curved, bacon-flavoured wishbone, which says its chews are USA-made, names itself after a loose reading of the Latin “bene,” and in March 2025 added the natural-rubber Benebone Bounce toys.
- Rogz — The Cape Town pet-gear company started by Paul Fuller and Irené Raubenheimer, which began as Blue Bay Concepts making sunglass cords, became Ratz Strapz, moved into dog collars under the Rogz name in 2000 and makes much of its range in Cape Town.
- EzyDog — The dog-gear brand that says it began in 1995 as the Big Dog Leash Co in a garage at Palm Beach on the Gold Coast, with a leash made from shock cord and water ski rope, and grew into harnesses, collars and DFD dog life jackets.
Dog toys and accessories, part 2
Planet Dog, Petstages, ZippyPaws, Petmate, Multipet, Coastal Pet and Lupine.
- Planet Dog — The Portland, Maine dog toy brand incorporated in 1997, founded by Alex Fisher, known for Orbee-Tuff balls and the Planet Dog Foundation; Outward Hound has owned it since October 2018.
- Petstages — The Northbrook, Illinois dog and cat toy brand that says it was founded in 2003, maker of the Dogwood Chew Stick and Orka toys; Outward Hound has owned it since October 2015, and its cat range moved to Catstages in 2023.
- ZippyPaws — The Southern California dog toy and accessories company started in 2011 by Jennifer Cao and her father Benny Cao, known for squeaker toys such as Donutz, which took a new logo, packaging and palette for its tenth anniversary.
- Petmate — The Arlington, Texas pet products company founded in 1959 as Doskocil Manufacturing; owned by Westar Capital, by Wind Point Partners from 2011, Olympus Partners from 2017 and Platinum Equity from 2021, before a 2024 agreement to hand its equity to its lenders.
- Multipet — The family-run New Jersey pet toy company led by Mark Hirschberg, which brought Shari Lewis’s Lamb Chop puppet to the dog-toy market as a plush squeaky toy in 2010.
- Coastal Pet — The family-owned collar, leash and harness maker founded in Alliance, Ohio, in 1968 by brothers Jim and Tom Stout, known for nylon-webbing collars and its curved Kanine buckle, and run today by Jim Stout’s daughter, Kim Stout.
- Lupine — The dog collar and lead maker of Conway, New Hampshire, started by Scott Badger, Valerie Meunier and Dave Jensen around a collar made for a wolf hybrid named Blaze, with a howling-wolf logo and an “Even if Chewed” guarantee.
Pet accessories: European makers
Trixie, Karlie, Kerbl, Ferplast, Beeztees and Tuffy.
- Trixie — The pet supplies maker and wholesaler founded by Bonnik Hansen in Tarp, Schleswig-Holstein, in 1974; in July 2026 Central Garden & Pet agreed to buy a majority stake, with closing expected in 2027.
- Karlie — The German pet supplies wholesaler set up by Gerd Blaschke in 1976 in Bad Wünnenberg, merged with Belgium’s Flamingo under Perusa, and owned by the parent company of Dutch firm Beeztees since May 2017.
- Kerbl — Albert Kerbl GmbH, founded in 1984 by Albert Kerbl on his parents’ farm in Buchbach, Bavaria, a family business supplying farm, equine and pet ranges, launched as a manufacturer’s brand in 2010.
- Ferplast — The Castelgomberto, Italy pet-accessory maker founded in 1966 by Carlo Vaccari and his sister Caterina, which began with birdcages, makes in Italy, Slovakia and Ukraine, and bought Marchioro and Hydor.
- Beeztees — The Dutch pet accessory brand run by siblings Guusje and Job van Riel, which the company traces to Van Riel Distripet, renamed Beeztees in 2014; it bought Karlie in May 2017 and won the GlobalPETS Forum Award 2021.
- Tuffy — The soft dog toy brand of MyDogToy, the family-owned Phoenix, Arizona company founded by Stephen Sacra, which dates itself to 2003 or 2004 and also sells Mighty Toys, Silly Squeakers and DuraForce.
Cat furniture and accessories
PetFusion, Hepper, Mau, Catastrophic Creations, The Refined Feline, SmartyKat and Petlinks.
- PetFusion — The online cat furniture and scratcher brand founded in 2010 and based in Fanwood, New Jersey, acquired by Cosmic Pet in 2019 and, with Cosmic Pet, combined with Petmate under Platinum Equity in 2021.
- Hepper — The modern cat furniture brand that launched in March 2007, whose early Pod, Podium, Nest and Wave beds were designed by Jed Crystal in Burlington, Vermont; Hepper now names Pangolia as its parent company.
- Mau — The cat furniture brand of maupets.com, whose founder Joel Dickstein told Kinship in 2023 that cat furniture should look good to people and work for cats; its site lists a Pembroke Park, Florida address and designs inspired by moons, waves and trees.
- Catastrophic Creations — The cat wall furniture brand Mike Wilson and Megan Hanneman say they started in 2013 after adopting a cat named Ickle; it grew from an apartment and garages into Michigan workshops making wood, canvas and sisal shelves and bridges.
- The Refined Feline — The American cat furniture company founded by Josh Feinkind, maker of the Lotus Cat Tower and the Refined Litter Box cabinet; launched from New York in the mid-2000s and now, the company says, run by a team in Austin, Texas.
- SmartyKat — The cat toy and scratcher brand of Worldwise, the California company formed in 1990 to sell eco-friendly garden products; A&M Capital Partners has owned Worldwise since September 2021, and SmartyKat packs carry a colour-coded Complete Needs System.
- Petlinks — The Worldwise cat toy and scratcher brand launched as the “petlinks system,” sorted by colour-coded puzzle pieces; Worldwise, founded in 1990 and renamed PetWise in 2023, listed Petlinks among its brands in 2015 and 2021.
Dog beds
Big Barker, Furhaven, Molly Mutt, K9 Ballistics, Kuranda and Coolaroo.
- Big Barker — The Pennsylvania dog bed brand whose president, Eric Shannon, built it around beds for big dogs, launched its Original bed in 2012, and was described by dvm360 in 2023 as a majority-owned brand of Tenth Avenue Holdings.
- Furhaven — The pet bed brand founded in 2004 and headquartered in Bellingham, Washington, founded by Eric Heilborn, and acquired in January 2022 by Worldwise, a California pet products company backed by A&M Capital Partners.
- Molly Mutt — The dog bed duvet cover brand whose idea, by the account of textile designer Molly Mundt, came in 2009 in a small San Francisco apartment, with a warehouse in Berkeley and cotton canvas prints named after songs.
- K9 Ballistics — The dog bed and gear company based in Camarillo, California, which says it was established in 2013 and assembles its products in the USA.
- Kuranda — The elevated dog and cat bed maker in Glen Burnie, Maryland, whose name comes from the Australian town where the business began; Michael Harding bought it in 1987, the company says, and it has made its beds in Maryland since then.
- Coolaroo — The consumer brand of GALE Pacific, the Melbourne fabrics company that began as Gale Scarves in 1951, listed on the ASX in 2000 and sells shade products and elevated dog beds under the Coolaroo name.
At a glance: founding, base and signature
Taken from each guide’s fact panel. Follow the link for detail and caveats.
| Brand | Founded | Based | Signature |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACANA | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| API | See guide | See guide | Aquarium and pond care, Stress Coat, test kits |
| Applaws | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Arcadia Reptile | Arcadia Engineering Co., England (1964) | See guide | Reptile lamps, heating and supplements |
| Baileys Horse Feeds | See guide | Four Elms Mills, Bardfield Saling, Essex | Numbered feeds: No. 1 Cooked Cereal Meal, No. 2 Working Cubes |
| Barc London | 2017 (London) | London, UK | Vegan collar |
| Beeztees | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Beggin’ | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Benebone | See guide | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, per its website | Wishbone chew, Benebone Bounce toys |
| Big Barker | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Blue Buffalo | 2002 / 2003 (Bill Bishop) | See guide | LifeSource Bits |
| Bowsers | 1997 (Toronto) | Toronto, CA | Designer bed |
| Brome Bird Care | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| BUCKEYE Nutrition | Massillon, Ohio, USA (1910 (as the Buckeye Cereal Company)) | See guide | See guide |
| Burgess Pet Care | Fountains Abbey mill, North Yorkshire (1649 (company date)) | See guide | Burgess Excel, Supadog, Rabbit Awareness Week |
| Burns Pet Nutrition | West Wales, by the vet John Burns (1993) | See guide | See guide |
| Butternut Box | London, UK (2016) | See guide | See guide |
| Canagan | United Kingdom (2012 (company says)) | Wooburn Green, Buckinghamshire | See guide |
| carefresh | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Catastrophic Creations | Company says 2013 (2013) | See guide | See guide |
| Catit | By the Hagen Group (company timeline) (1999) | See guide | See guide |
| Cat’s Best | Rosenberg (oil and grain mill) (1878) | See guide | Plant and wood fibres |
| Charley Chau | 2010 (Manchester) | Manchester, UK | Luxury dog bed |
| Charlie’s Backyard | 2016 (Korea) | Gyeonggi, KR | Modern harness |
| Chuckit! | See guide | See guide | Chuckit! ball launcher, Ultra Ball |
| CJ Wildlife | A farm in Shropshire, England (1987) | See guide | See guide |
| Cloud7 | 2010 (Berlin) | Berlin, DE | Dog bed |
| Coastal Pet | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Coolaroo | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Dentastix | Pedigree range (2001 (per Pedigree)) | See guide | X-shaped chew sticks, Chewy Chunx |
| Diggs | 2018 (US) | New York, US | Safety crate |
| Dodson & Horrell | Ringstead, Northamptonshire (1939) | See guide | See guide |
| DOG Copenhagen | 2015 (Copenhagen) | Copenhagen, DK | Ergonomic harness |
| Dog with a Mission | 2014 (Netherlands) | Netherlands, NL | Boho leather collar |
| Dr. Elsey’s | Denver area, Colorado (company: Precious Cat Inc.) (1987) | See guide | Classic, Ultra, Cat Attract, cleanprotein |
| Droll Yankees | See guide | See guide | A-6F tube feeder (1969) |
| EHEIM | Esslingen am Neckar, Germany (1949; in Deizisau since 1956) | See guide | Canister filters (professionel, ecco), JÄGER heaters, incpiria aquariums |
| Exo Terra | Exo Terra, per the Hagen Group (2000) | See guide | Glass terrariums, lighting, heating |
| EzyDog | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Fable Pets | 2019 (US) | New York, US | Modern crate |
| Felix | Biggleswade, Bedfordshire (before 1939 (Wikipedia)) | See guide | See guide |
| Ferplast | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| flexi | Hamburg area, Germany (1973) | See guide | Retractable dog lead |
| Fluker’s | Port Allen, Louisiana (1953 or 1956 — sources differ) (1950s) | See guide | See guide |
| Fluval | Fluval filter, per the Hagen Group (1975) | See guide | Filters; Flex, Edge, Spec aquariums |
| Forthglade | Devon, by Basil Palmer and Doug Wilkins (1971) | See guide | See guide |
| Fresh Step | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Frisco | By Chewy, USA (2016) | See guide | Crates, beds, bowls, toys, pet clothing |
| Furhaven | Washington state, United States (2004) | See guide | See guide |
| FURminator | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Gardman | Founder: Paris Natar (1992) | Moulton, Lincolnshire | See guide |
| Greenies | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Haith’s | Grimsby, Lincolnshire (1937, the company says; limited company 1961) | See guide | Cleaned wild-bird and aviary seed, Robin Red |
| Harringtons | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Hepper | United States (2007) | See guide | See guide |
| Hikari | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Hill’s | Topeka, Kansas (1907 (as Hill Rendering Works)) | See guide | Prescription Diet, Science Diet |
| Howlpot | 2015 (Seoul) | Seoul, KR | Minimalist walk gear |
| Hunter | 1980 (Bielefeld) | Bielefeld, DE | Leather collar |
| Hurtta | Finland (first products 1997 (company); brand 2001 (2014 report)) | See guide | Weatherproof dog coats and harnesses |
| Ivy & Duke | — (UK) | Manchester, UK | Handcrafted bed |
| Jacobi Jayne | See guide | See guide | Ring-Pull feeders, Flutter Butter |
| James Wellbeloved | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Jinx | 2019 (Los Angeles) | See guide | See guide |
| JUWEL | Rotenburg (Wümme), Germany (1969) | See guide | Rio, Lido, Vision and Trigon aquariums |
| K9 Ballistics | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Karimoku Cat | 2019 (Japan) | Aichi, JP | Cat tower |
| Karlie | See guide | Bad Wünnenberg-Haaren, Germany | See guide |
| Kaytee | Chilton, Wisconsin, United States (1866) | See guide | Forti-Diet Pro Health, Timothy Complete, Clean & Cozy, CritterTrail |
| Kentucky Dogwear | 2017 (Belgium) | Ronse, BE | Quilted bed |
| Kerbl | Buchbach, Bavaria, Germany (1984) | See guide | See guide |
| Komodo | Underworld Products, UK | See guide | Reptile decor, feeding and housing |
| KONG | Golden, Colorado (1976) | See guide | KONG Classic, KONG Extreme, Easy Treat |
| Kuranda | Kuranda, Australia (company says) | See guide | See guide |
| Kurgo | Salisbury, Massachusetts, USA (2003) | See guide | Backseat Barrier, car harnesses, dog packs |
| Labbvenn | 2016 (Poland) | Poland, PL | Minimalist bed |
| LickiMat | See guide | See guide | Textured rubber lick mats, OH Bowl |
| Lily’s Kitchen | London (2008 (company registered 2007)) | See guide | See guide |
| Lucky Reptile | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Lupine | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Mau | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Maxbone | 2016 (US) | Los Angeles, US | Luxury lifestyle |
| Meyou | 2015 (Paris) | Paris, FR | Cat furniture |
| MiaCara | 2011 (Germany) | Germany, DE | Feeding station |
| Milk & Pepper | 2009 (France) | France, FR | Dog apparel |
| Milk-Bone | New York City, USA (1908 (as Maltoid)) | See guide | Bone-shaped dog biscuits, MaroSnacks, Soft & Chewy |
| Mog & Bone | — (AU) | Australia, AU | Print bed |
| Molly Mutt | See guide | See guide | San Francisco, California, United States |
| Multipet | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Non-stop Dogwear | 2009 (Norway) | Brøttum, NO | Technical harness |
| Nylabone | New Jersey, United States (1955) | See guide | Nylon and rubber chew toys |
| OASE | Hörstel, Germany (1949 (as August Wübker Söhne OHG)) | See guide | Pond pumps, fountain technology, HighLine and biOrb aquariums |
| Ollie | 2016 (New York) | See guide | Fresh + Baked |
| Open Farm | 2014 (Toronto) | See guide | See guide |
| ORIJEN | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Outward Hound | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Oxbow Animal Health | Murdock, Nebraska, United States (1980 (as Oxbow Hay Company)) | See guide | Essentials, Enriched Life, Kindswell |
| OYOY | 2012 (Herning) | Herning, DK | Pet homeware |
| Pablo & Co | 2016 (Queensland) | Queensland, AU | Print bandana |
| PAIKKA | 2019 (Helsinki) | Helsinki, FI | Recovery gear |
| Pangea Reptile | See guide | See guide | Crested gecko diets and captive-bred geckos |
| Peckish | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| pecolo | 2014 (Yokohama) | Yokohama, JP | Food stand |
| Pedigree | United Kingdom (as Pedigree Chum) (1960, by the brand’s account) | See guide | See guide |
| Pet Munchies | United Kingdom (2008) | See guide | Natural dog and cat treats |
| PetFusion | Fanwood, New Jersey, United States (2010) | See guide | See guide |
| Petlinks | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Petmate | 1959, as Doskocil Manufacturing | See guide | See guide |
| PetSafe | Knoxville, Tennessee (1991 (as Radio Fence Corporation)) | See guide | See guide |
| Petstages | Company says 2003 (2003) | See guide | See guide |
| Planet Dog | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| PrettyLitter | By Daniel Rotman (2015) | See guide | Amorphous silica-gel crystals |
| Purina Pro Plan | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Rogz | Blouberg, Cape Town, South Africa (1994 (company gives 1995)) | See guide | See guide |
| Royal Canin | Gard, France, by Jean Cathary (1968) | See guide | See guide |
| Ruffwear | Southern California, USA (1994 (incorporated)) | See guide | Collapsible bowls, Front Range, Web Master, Float Coat |
| Saracen Horse Feeds | See guide | Aylesford, Kent, England | Horse feeds; Re-Covery Mash |
| Seachem | Dr. Leo G. Morin (1980) | See guide | See guide |
| SmartyKat | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| SPILLERS | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Stella & Chewy’s | Manhattan, New York (2003) | See guide | Freeze-dried and frozen raw food for dogs and cats |
| Supreme Petfoods | See guide | See guide | Science Selective, Selective Naturals, Tiny Friends Farm |
| The Farmer’s Dog | 2015 (Founder-led) | See guide | Fresh subscription |
| The Honest Kitchen | 2002 (San Diego) | See guide | See guide |
| The Refined Feline | Company says 2004; a release gives 2005 (2005) | See guide | See guide |
| Tidy Cats | Edward Lowe, Cassopolis, Michigan (mid-1950s (as Tidy Cat)) | See guide | Clay, mined in Illinois in 1995 |
| Tiki Cat | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| TopSpec | See guide | See guide | Feed balancers, TopChop chopped fibre |
| Triple Crown | See guide | See guide | Fixed-formula feeds with EquiMix |
| Trixie | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Tuffy | See guide | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | See guide |
| Tuft + Paw | 2016 (CA) | Vancouver, CA | Cat furniture |
| United Pets | 1999 (Milan) | Milan, IT | Design bowl |
| Versele-Laga | Astene (Deinze), Belgium (1932) | See guide | Complete, Nature, Crispy, NutriBird |
| Vitakraft | Heiligenrode, near Bremen, Germany (1837) | See guide | Kräcker, Beef Stick, bird and small-animal food |
| Wellness Pet Food | Massachusetts, United States (1997) | See guide | See guide |
| West Paw | See guide | See guide | Zogoflex toys, Toppl, Qwizl, Tux |
| WHIMZEES | United States (2013) | See guide | See guide |
| Whiskas | Britain (1958 or 1959) | See guide | “8 out of 10 cats” |
| Wild One | 2018 (Brooklyn, NY) | See guide | See guide |
| World’s Best Cat Litter | See guide | See guide | Whole-kernel corn |
| Zee.Dog | 2011 (Rio) | Rio de Janeiro, BR | Bold walk kit |
| ZippyPaws | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Zoo Med | Orange County, California (1977 (as In Cold Blood)) | See guide | ReptiSun, ReptiVite, enclosures |
| Zuke’s | Durango, Colorado (1995) | See guide | See guide |
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Blue Buffalo?
General Mills, according to our guide.
Who owns Ollie?
Agrolimen, according to our guide.
See also our smart home brand guidelines, which cover pet tech.
Part of our Home & Kitchen brand guidelines. See also all collections.