Kiwi startup Muttley’s Estate has created a shelf-stable pet wine – and instead of alcohol, it’s made with catnip.
Since Muttley’s Estate launched its catnip wine range in New Zealand less than a year ago, it has already signed over 40 retailers including veterinary clinics and pet retailers across the country, says the company’s director John Roberts. It’s now looking to expand its business further by launching overseas.
Catnip (or Nepeta cataria) was introduced to New Zealand as a garden herb in 1870 and has been seen to positively impact mood in around two-thirds of cats while helping to soothe anxiety in dogs.
Global demand for catnip is rising, driven by pet product manufacturers and natural health industries. The catnip essential oil market alone is projected to grow by 5.8% annually by 2030 to reach $400M.
Looking to the US
With a growing domestic footprint, Muttley’s Estate is now setting its sights on the US market, where pet owners are increasingly seeking premium, novelty products for their furry companions, says Roberts.
“One of the key advantages of catnip is that even a small crop yields enough to produce a batch of pet wine, allowing us to create a high-value product without requiring extensive land investment.
“With the growing international interest in catnip and the ‘humanification’ of pet diets, it was a natural extension to explore the development of a premium beverage for pet owners to celebrate with their pets,” he adds.
“We believe the reputation of NZ’s wine sector in North America will help us establish an entry into this market and we now actively looking for US distributors.”
Fur-mented solutions
Roberts also highlights that research shows the impact of chronic anxiety and stress among pets has become more prevalent due to a combination of urbanisation, multi-pet household dynamics, ongoing issues relating to the pandemic and shifting lifestyles.
“International studies have found almost a third of dogs showed high sensitivity to noise, with fireworks a particular problem, while 29% of dogs were said to be highly fearful and 14% showed highly problematic aggression.
“Symptoms of anxiety in cats are often more subtle yet owners reported signs of tail flicking, avoiding eye contact and shifting head/body away repeatedly (every week or every other day) or more often than usual,” he explains.
“We created the range to help alleviate some of the modern stressors on pets but unlike conventional wines, our products contain zero alcohol.
“The range offers multiple ‘varietals,’ each featuring a different concentration of catnip: lighter whites such as the Champawgne appeals more to cats. Meanwhile, the deeper blends such as the Purrno Noir and Pawt are popular with dogs,” he adds.
Worldwide ambitions
As well as selling through veterinary clinics and pet retailers across the country, Muttley’s Estate has also held tasting events at local dog parks.
“We were overrun by canines wanting to taste the pet wine and it demonstrated the positive response across a wide variety of breeds,” says Roberts.
“We’re now working with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise to identify distributors in overseas markets.”
Muttley’s Estate also love to see entire fields of catnip grown right here, he adds.
“The idea that we could turn a small backyard experiment into a nationwide horticultural endeavour, and share it with pet lovers worldwide, is really exciting. It’s a chance for New Zealand to do something fresh and unexpected – yet again.”
In addition, the company is investigating the potential of catnip for human consumption, with trials underway to determine its suitability for the human market.
“Catnip is related to the mint family, so it is safe for humans. We’re working with food technologists to explore the possibilities,” he says.
