German food tech firm Vegdog has expanded beyond dog food with the launch of microbial-fermented vegan treats for cats.
Vegdog is going from canines to cats.
The Munich-based startup has diversified its low-carbon pet food portfolio with Pure Bites for cats, a hypoallergenic snack made with biomass-fermented protein. The treats are available online in Germany, Austria and Italy, priced at €2.99 per 60g pack.
“From the very beginning, our vision was to replace meat-based products in the pet food sector with healthy plant-based alternatives,” said Tessa Zaune-Figlar, co-founder and CEO of Vegdog.
“Having already grown Vegdog into the leading brand for vegan dog food in Europe, we are now taking the next step with Vegcat.”
Vegan cat treats show high palatability
The pet treats are produced by fermenting biomass with microbes, which produce an ingredient with 60% protein and a much lighter impact on the environment than conventional meat. The fermented protein makes up 20% of the cat treats’ recipe, complemented with tapioca starch, pea protein, coconut fat, rapeseed oil, cellulose, brewer’s yeast, sodium chloride, and catnip.
Developed in collaboration with veterinarians, the Vegcat Pure Bits contain 4,000 mg of taurine per kg, an amino acid essential for cats. Plus, it has 27% crude protein and 4% raw fibre, and no artificial colours or flavours.
Since the fermentation process doesn’t involve any animals, allergies and cross reactions are “extremely unlikely”, according to Vegdog. That’s because the most common food allergens in cats are beef (18%), fish (17%) and chicken (5%).
Plus, many conventional pet food products rely on inorganic phosphates (like sodium hexametaphosphate or phosphoric acid), and while these can increase palatability, they have been linked to kidney damage and other health problems. Vegdog avoids this by excluding phosphorus additives in the Pure Bites product.
“Thanks to new, innovative raw materials and scientific advances, it is now possible to feed cats a balanced plant-based diet. This opens up completely new opportunities – for greater sustainability and for a future in which love for animals does not come at the expense of other animals,” said Zaune-Figlar, who founded the startup a decade ago with Valerie Henssen.
In a post on social media, she explained that the new product was created for cats “who inspect, compare, and make their decisions quietly, but absolutely”.
“When it comes to palatability, we wanted to do what previous vegan cat-food attempts couldn’t. We went through countless rounds, took a few hits along the way, and only moved forward once our own – very critical – cats approved,” she said, outlining that the Pure Bites were accepted by nearly 100% of cats in taste tests.
Alternative pet food advances as vegan diets found beneficial for cats
Cats have long been viewed as obligate carnivores, hampering sustainable product innovation in the category. However, recent research shows that felines fed a plant-based diet can be healthier than those eating meat, with owners reporting fewer visits to the vet and reduced diagnoses of severe illness, and more vets describing vegan cats as healthy.
Earlier this year, a study also found that plant-based food is the “most effective measure” to tackle the climate footprint of cats and dogs, whose diets account for 30% of the environmental impact of livestock production.
It’s why alternative pet food is having a moment, especially products that embrace novel technologies like fermentation and cell-cultivation. This year, the UK became the first country where consumers could buy cultivated meat for their cats and dogs off the shelves. Further, Biocraft Pet Nutrition and Umami Bioworks secured EU registration to sell their cultured meats as pet food ingredients in the region.
In Singapore, Friends & Family Pet Food Co secured regulatory approval to sell a line of cultivated Kampung bird treats for cats and dogs.
Back in Europe, Marsapet rolled out a kibble product for dogs using Calysta’s gas-fermented FeedKind protein, and The Pack introduced microbial dog treats with MicroHarvest.
The latter itself partnered with Vegdog in 2024 to launch Pure Bites for dogs, in a year when the Munich-based firm’s sales shot up by 66%. And this year, Vegdog raised $10M in funding to expand its team and product footprint – the cat treats evidently being a part of that plan – with the aim of achieving a growth rate of up to 80% in the coming years.
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