Brands behind the 'cat food causing paralysis' controversy: Frekat's parent company reported annual revenue of RMB 6.77 billion, while Pure&Natural’s investors have ties to LVMH

On July 8, an investigative report by Beijing Business Today thrust two domestic cat food brands—Pure&Natural and Frekat—into the spotlight.

According to the report, cat owners across multiple regions nationwide reported that their pets suddenly developed hind limb weakness and difficulty walking, with severe cases resulting in complete paralysis—forcing cats to drag themselves using only their front limbs—despite having no external injuries or clear prior medical history. Symptoms reportedly improved gradually after switching cat food brands.

The report cited consumer-collected data indicating that among over 1,000 affected cats, approximately 65.58% had been fed Pure&Natural, while another 24.6% had consumed Frekat.

Following the report’s publication, widespread attention ensued, propelling the topic onto Weibo’s trending list, prompting swift public statements from the brands involved.

On July 9, Pure&Natural issued a statement saying that since becoming aware of consumer feedback, it had formed a dedicated task force to continuously collect, organize, and follow up on relevant information, and had conducted multiple rounds of testing and verification on retained product samples. To date, all test results complied with national pet feed regulations and product quality standards. Relevant departments under China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs have also initiated sampling inspections and verification procedures for the products, finding no safety issues thus far.

Image source: Pure&Natural

As of July 13, Fregate had not issued any public response. A reporter from Times Weekly contacted Fregate’s Tmall flagship store customer service posing as a consumer, and was told, 'The current data lacks peer-reviewed validation and authoritative medical experimental evidence, limiting its reliability. There are multiple potential causes for feline hind limb mobility issues, and a systematic diagnosis by a qualified veterinarian is required.'

Regarding the above situation, a licensed veterinary practitioner at a pet hospital consulted by reporters stated that most cases of paralysis are caused by nerve conduction blockage or dysfunction, brain lesions, spinal cord compression, or thrombosis. 'In our clinical experience, we have not encountered any paralysis cases directly linked to cat food.'

However, she also noted that according to media reports, many cats gradually improved after switching cat food, making cat food the most plausible initial factor to investigate.

Retail sales channels reportedly impacted, with consumers requesting returns

In recent years, China’s pet economy has taken shape. Industry data shows that by 2025, the number of pet dogs and cats in Chinese urban areas will exceed 126 million, with the pet consumption market reaching RMB 312.6 billion, up 4.1% year-over-year. Of this, dog-related spending totaled RMB 160.6 billion, growing 3.2% year-over-year, while cat-related spending reached RMB 152 billion, rising 5.2% year-over-year.

Such a market environment has provided fertile ground for the rapid growth of Fregate and Pure&Natural. However, the recent 'cat food causing paralysis' controversy has already had a certain impact on the brands.

Reporters noted that although the cause of the cats’ hind limb paralysis still requires further clarification and may not necessarily be linked to the cat food, it has nonetheless triggered anxiety among some pet owners.

On social media platforms, many pet owners said they had already contacted e-commerce platforms to request returns, and consumers have flooded the relevant brand livestreams with questions.

Image source: Pure&Natural’s official flagship store Douyin livestream

Sales have undoubtedly been affected as well. Reporters from Times Weekly consulted the third-party data platform Huitun Data and learned that on July 8, total sales of Pure&Natural’s official flagship store on Douyin dropped significantly compared to July 7. Although sales rose slightly on July 9, 10, and 11, they have not yet returned to pre-controversy levels.

Image source: Huitun Data

Meanwhile, Fregate’s sales also declined on July 8, continued to fall on July 9, and as of July 11, had not recovered to the level seen on July 7.

On July 10, reporters from Times Weekly sent an interview outline to Pure&Natural regarding this matter. A staff member responded, saying, 'We are temporarily unable to disclose details.'

In response, Times Weekly reporters conducted on-site visits and made phone calls to nearly ten pet stores and veterinary clinics in Shanghai’s Minhang and Putuo districts, finding that Pure&Natural products were sparsely stocked in these areas, with only one store carrying the brand.

A staff member at a well-known chain pet services store told our reporter they had seen the media reports but that their company does not partner with Pure&Natural, so the store does not sell its products. 'We do carry Fregate, but so far we haven’t received any customer feedback about cats showing limb weakness, and no customers have come in to return the product in recent days.'

Another pet specialty store also carries Bernatianchun products, but only dog food. A staff member at the store told reporters that Bernatianchun dog food is better known than its cat food. 'Their duck-and-pear formula dog food helps reduce tear stains and has steady demand.'

In addition, a search on food delivery platforms revealed that although multiple stores in the aforementioned area sell Bernatianchun products, merchants indicated that daily sales volumes for this brand remain limited, and they have not received any return requests.

Fregat is linked to Guibao Pet, a listed company whose share price has fallen below its IPO price.

Publicly available information shows that Fregat is a premium brand under Guibao Pet (stock code: 301498.SZ).

Aside from Fregat, Guibao Pet also owns brands such as Myfoodie and Jinbaicui. Among them, Myfoodie—the company’s flagship brand—has ranked first overall on Tmall for six consecutive years, with a market share of 6.2%, making it the top domestic pet food brand.

Moreover, Guibao Pet has aggressively expanded into the ultra-premium segment, acquiring two well-known New Zealand premium pet food brands, K9 Natural and Feline Natural, in one go. Their product lines cover freeze-dried and canned foods for both cats and dogs. On Tmall’s official flagship store, K9 freeze-dried food sells for approximately RMB 1,300 per kilogram, while canned food costs around RMB 200 per kilogram.

Positioned in China’s high-end fresh-meat pet food segment, Fregat focuses on high-meat-content freeze-dried and baked cat food. According to the company’s annual report, the brand’s revenue in 2025 grew by over 80% year-on-year. Market data shows Fregat’s price range extends to RMB 80–100 per kilogram. During the 2025 Singles’ Day shopping festival, its total online sales exceeded RMB 335 million, up 51% year-on-year. In Tmall’s June 18 sales event in 2026, Fregat—a cat-food-focused brand—ranked among the top five pet brands by transaction volume on Tmall.

According to Guibao Pet’s published financial report, the company generated RMB 6.769 billion in revenue in 2025, an increase of 29.06% year-on-year; net profit attributable to shareholders was RMB 673 million, up 7.75% year-on-year; and adjusted net profit was RMB 665 million, rising 10.80% year-on-year.

However, while Guibao Pet’s premium-brand strategy is beginning to show results, it has also led to substantial marketing expenditures. Financial statements show that in 2025, the company’s sales expenses reached RMB 1.527 billion, a 44.79% year-on-year increase. Of this, 'promotion expenses' alone amounted to RMB 837 million—higher than the company’s net profit of RMB 673 million for the same period. The company explained that this surge in sales spending was due to investments in incubating premium brands and an increased proportion of direct-to-consumer sales.

By 2026, Guibao Pet’s net profit had declined year-on-year. From January to March, the company reported revenue of RMB 1.644 billion, up 11.08% year-on-year, but net profit attributable to shareholders fell by 39.50% year-on-year to RMB 124 million.

Meanwhile, Guai Bao Pet's share price has been on a continuous decline from its all-time high of RMB 125.38 last year. On July 13, the stock fell below its IPO price of RMB 39.99, closing at RMB 37.65.

Bernadin Pure is backed by investors with ties to LVMH.

Bernadin Pure also focuses on mid-to-high-end natural pet food, offering both cat and dog food products, and is operated by Shanghai Ewin Pet Supplies Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as 'Ewin Pet').

According to Tianyancha, Ewin Pet was established in June 2009 with a registered capital of RMB 40.998 million. Its founder and actual controller, Zhao Haiming, holds a 24.1475% stake in the company. In February 2022, Ewin Pet received exclusive investment from L Catterton, the private equity fund under the LVMH Group—a landmark financing event in the pet food sector that year.

To date, Ewin Pet has invested in six companies spanning pet supplies, biotechnology, and technical testing, managing a portfolio of over 1,000 SKUs. In addition to Bernadin Pure, Ewin Pet owns multiple pet brands such as Weizhengchun and Viscon. In 2025, the company launched two new brands—Wenshiji and Shixiansheng—targeting the currently popular 'fresh food' and 'raw diet' concepts, respectively.

Data from Bernadin Pure’s Tmall flagship store shows that its top four best-selling cat foods are: Full-Recipe Low-Fat Cat Food priced at RMB 12.9 per 400g after discounts; Classic Adult Cat Food at RMB 69.3 per 1.5kg; Full-Recipe Adult Cat Food at RMB 351.16 per 10kg; and Full-Recipe Crispy Cat Food at RMB 86.7 per 1.5kg. These products have each sold over 40,000, 40,000, 20,000, and 20,000 units, respectively. Based on rough estimates by reporters, Bernadin Pure’s cat food prices range between RMB 15 and RMB 30 per jin (approximately RMB 30–60 per kg).

According to a research report by Guotai Haitong Securities, during this year’s 618 shopping festival, Bernadin Pure ranked among the top ten cat and dog food brands by sales across all stages on the Taotian platform.

Source: Guotai Haitong Securities

As previously disclosed by Zhao Haiming, founder of Bernadin Pure, in media interviews, the brand’s sales exceeded RMB 1 billion in 2024. It holds a relatively strong market position in dog food, which accounts for over 60% of its total sales. Over the years, Bernadin Pure has shifted its channel focus from offline to online, with online revenue now contributing more than 70% of total revenue.

In terms of production model, unlike some trendy pet food brands that adopt an asset-light OEM approach, Bernadin Pure insists on building its own factories to maintain control over its supply chain. The company currently operates two wholly-owned manufacturing facilities in Guangde, Anhui, and Zhenjiang, Jiangsu.

Moreover, during the interview, Zhao Haiming repeatedly emphasized the importance of product safety for Pure & Natural. He noted that Pure & Natural is a pet food brand that prioritizes 'safety and long-term health,' with the slogan 'Peace of Mind Through Trusted Taste.'

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