Fresh cat food company KatKin has doubled its cat nutrition team with the recruitment of four additional scientific staff.
Research and development director Ryan Honaker, senior scientist Jirayu (Boo Boo) Tanprasertsuk, scientist Devon Tate, and technical product manager LeeAnn Perry have joined the UK-based firm from US pet food brand Nom Nom, which was recently acquired by Mars.
Conducting tests across chemistry, processing and formulation, KatKin’s cat nutrition team are aiming to build the world’s largest dataset and knowledge base on fresh cat food palatability in the world, as well as playing a key role in bringing new cat health products and services to market. Additionally, they will support KatKin’s aim to build relationships in the veterinary industry and pursue retail partners.
Founded in 2020 by siblings Brett and Nikki O’Farrell, to date KatKin has delivered over 50 million fresh meals to over 200,000 cats in the UK. The brand’s seven fresh recipes use 100% human-quality meat, gently cooked to protect nutrients and then frozen. The company recently raised funding of £32 million from V3 Ventures (Verlinvest), Perwyn, Active Partners and Octopu.
Honaker said: “We’re thrilled to be joining KatKin at a time of incredible opportunity, and doubling down on the business’s commitment to science and cat nutrition.
“In a world where many vets are crying out for more comprehensive cat nutrition education, and cat parents are eager to learn how to make their pets healthier, KatKin’s commitment to science has one aim: to get cats the healthy, fresh food they were born to eat.
“With in-house vets and cat nutrition experts, our cat-first team is perfectly placed to make the UK’s healthiest cat food.”
Brett O’Farrell, co-ceo of KatKin, added: “We’re excited to welcome Ryan and the team into KatKin, as we all share the passion to make cat nutrition research and resources more readily available to both consumers and vets.”
