PrettyLitter

Last updated
PrettyLitter
Company type Private
Industry
Founded2015;9 years ago (2015)
FoundersDaniel Rotman [1]
Headquarters Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Parent Mars
Website prettylitter.com

PrettyLitter is an American pet wellness company based in Los Angeles, that produces lightweight crystal-based cat litter that is designed to react to a cat's urine to indicate potential health problems by changing color based on the acidity, alkalinity or the presence of blood in a cat's urine. [2] [3] PrettyLitter also produces health-focused cat food. [4] In May 2021, PrettyLitter was acquired by Mars for a reported $1 billion. [5] [2]

Contents

History

PrettyLitter was founded in 2015 by Daniel Rotman [6] [7] who graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, and received his master's degree from Harvard University where he was a Fellow for the Center for Public Leadership. Rotman has previously worked for the U.S. Congressional Chair of the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs. [8] The idea of PrettyLitter was born after the passing of Rotman's cat, Gingi, where he discovered there were no at-home tools to help detect cats' potential health issues. [8] [9] [10] [11]

In 2015, PrettyLitter participated in the Startup U competition led by Tim Draper, a 7-week reality television series that premiered on ABC Family from August to October 2015. [12] [13] As one of the finalists for Startup U, Rotman managed to start PrettyLitter officially in late 2015. [8] [14]

In August 2016, the PrettyLitter joined American startup accelerator, Gener8tor which resulted in a growing sales size of 1300 percent within two months. [15] In May 2021, Mars acquired PrettyLitter for a reported $1 billion. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cat</span> Small domesticated mammal

The cat, also referred to as domestic cat or house cat, is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species of the family Felidae. Advances in archaeology and genetics have shown that the domestication of the cat occurred in the Near East around 7500 BC. It is commonly kept as a pet and farm cat, but also ranges freely as a feral cat avoiding human contact. Valued by humans for companionship and its ability to kill vermin, the cat's retractable claws are adapted to killing small prey like mice and rats. It has a strong, flexible body, quick reflexes, and sharp teeth, and its night vision and sense of smell are well developed. It is a social species, but a solitary hunter and a crepuscular predator. Cat communication includes vocalizations—including meowing, purring, trilling, hissing, growling, and grunting–as well as body language. It can hear sounds too faint or too high in frequency for human ears, such as those made by small mammals. It secretes and perceives pheromones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kitten</span> Juvenile cat

A kitten is a juvenile cat. After being born, kittens display primary altriciality and are fully dependent on their mothers for survival. They normally do not open their eyes for seven to ten days. After about two weeks, kittens develop quickly and begin to explore the world outside their nest. After a further three to four weeks, they begin to eat solid food and grow baby teeth. Domestic kittens are highly social animals and usually enjoy human companionship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Litter box</span> Indoor pet feces and urine collection box

A litter box, also known as a sandbox, cat box, litter tray, cat pan, potty, pot or litter pan, is an indoor feces and urine collection box for cats, as well as rabbits, ferrets, miniature pigs, small dogs, and other pets that instinctively or through training will make use of such a repository. They are provided for pets that are permitted free roam of a home but who cannot or do not always go outside to excrete their metabolic waste.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Housebreaking</span> Act of training an animal to excrete in a designated area

Housebreaking or house-training is the process of training a domesticated animal that lives with its human owners in a house or other residence to excrete outdoors, or in a designated indoor area, rather than to follow its instinctive behaviour randomly inside the house.

Feline diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease in cats whereby either insufficient insulin response or insulin resistance leads to persistently high blood glucose concentrations. Diabetes affects up to 1 in 230 cats, and may be becoming increasingly common. Diabetes is less common in cats than in dogs. The condition is treatable, and if treated properly the cat can experience a normal life expectancy. In cats with type 2 diabetes, prompt effective treatment may lead to diabetic remission, in which the cat no longer needs injected insulin. Untreated, the condition leads to increasingly weak legs in cats and eventually to malnutrition, ketoacidosis and/or dehydration, and death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feline lower urinary tract disease</span> Any disorder affecting the bladder or urethra of cats

Feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) is a generic category term to describe any disorder affecting the bladder or urethra of cats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Canin</span> Dog and cat feed manufacturer

Royal Canin is a French manufacturer and global supplier of cat and dog food. The company is a subsidiary of Mars, Incorporated. It undertakes research into the specific nutritional needs of dogs and cats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Draper</span> American businessman

Timothy Cook Draper is an American venture capital investor, and founder of Draper Fisher Jurvetson (DFJ), Draper University, Draper Venture Network, and Draper Associates. Since 2019, he is a partner in Draper Goren Holm. His most prominent investments include Baidu, Hotmail, Skype, Tesla, SpaceX, AngelList, SolarCity, Ring, Twitter, DocuSign, Coinbase, Robinhood, Ancestry.com, Twitch, Cruise Automation, PrettyLitter and Focus Media. In July 2014, Draper received wide coverage for his purchase at a US Marshals Service auction of seized bitcoins from the Silk Road website. Draper is a proponent of Bitcoin and decentralization. Draper was also one of the first investors in Theranos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cat communication</span> Feline means of exchanging information

Cats communicate for a variety of reasons, including to show happiness, express anger, solicit attention, and observe potential prey. Additionally, they collaborate, play, and share resources. When cats communicate with humans, they do so to get what they need or want, such as food, water, attention, or play. As such, cat communication methods have been significantly altered by domestication. Studies have shown that domestic cats tend to meow much more than feral cats. They rarely meow to communicate with fellow cats or other animals. Cats can socialize with each other and are known to form "social ladders," where a dominant cat is leading a few lesser cats. This is common in multi-cat households.

Aging in cats is the process by which cats change over the course of their natural lifespans. The average lifespan of a domestic cat may range from 13 to 20 years. As cats senesce, they undergo predictable changes in health and behavior. Dental disease and loss of olfaction are common as cats age, affecting eating habits. Arthritis and sarcopenia are also common in older cats. How a cat's health is affected by aging may be managed through modifications in a cat's diet, accessibility adjustments, and cognitive stimulation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cat behavior</span> Behavior of cats

Cat behavior encompasses the actions and reactions displayed by a cat in response to various stimuli and events. Cat behavior includes body language, elimination habits, aggression, play, communication, hunting, grooming, urine marking, and face rubbing. It varies among individuals, colonies, and breeds.

Beginning in March 2007, there was a widespread recall of many brands of cat and dog foods due to contamination with melamine and cyanuric acid. The recalls in North America, Europe, and South Africa came in response to reports of kidney failure in pets. Initially, the recalls were associated with the consumption of mostly wet pet foods made with wheat gluten from a single Chinese company.

A cat pheromone is a chemical molecule, or compound, that is used by cats and other felids for communication. These pheromones are produced and detected specifically by the body systems of cats and evoke certain behavioural responses.

Feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC) or feline interstitial cystitis or cystitis in cats, is one of the most frequently observed forms of feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD). Feline cystitis means "inflammation of the bladder in cats". The term idiopathic means unknown cause; however, certain behaviours have been known to aggravate the illness once it has been initiated. It can affect both males and females of any breed of cat. It is more commonly found in female cats; however, when males do exhibit cystitis, it is usually more dangerous.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cat training</span> Modifying a cats behavior

Cat training is the process of modifying a domestic cat's behavior for entertainment or companionship purposes. Training is commonly used to reduce unwanted or problematic behaviors in domestic cats, to enhance interactions between humans and pet cats, and to allow them to coexist comfortably. There are various methods for training cats which employ different balances between reward and punishment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human interaction with cats</span>

Human interaction with cats relates to the hundreds of millions of cats that are kept as pets around the world. The inter-relationship involves companionship, communication and caregiving. Dating back thousands of years, cats were originally domesticated for their ability to control pests and later became valued companions. Cats communicate through vocalizations, body language and behaviors, forming strong bonds with their human owners. Owners provide the food, shelter, and medical care, while play and enrichment activities stimulate their physical and mental well-being. Despite their independent nature, cats enjoy human company and require understanding of their unique behaviours. Positive reinforcement training can shape desired behaviours, fostering a harmonious relationship between humans and their feline companions, built on mutual respect and affection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Maris</span> American tech entrepreneur

Bill Maris is an American entrepreneur and venture capitalist focused on technology and the life sciences. Bill Maris's investments have to date resulted in over 150 exits and more than 50 companies that have grown to over $1B in value, including: Nest, Uber, Crowdstrike, Coinbase, 23andme, Flatiron Health, Foundation Medicine, The Climate Corporation, Vir and Auris. He is the founder and first CEO of Google Ventures (GV) and also served as VP of Special Projects at Google/Alphabet. He is the creator of Google's Calico project, a company created to treat aging as a disease, and cure it. He is the founder of early web hosting pioneer Burlee.com, now part of Web.com, and the founder of S32, a California-based venture fund focused on frontier technology.

<i>Startup U</i> 2015 American TV series or program

Startup U is an American reality television series that premiered on August 11, 2015 on Freeform. The show is about students in an entrepreneur mentoring program in Silicon Valley.

Whistle Labs Inc. is a subsidiary of Mars Petcare headquartered in San Francisco, California. It produces and markets the Whistle GPS Pet Tracker, a device worn on a pet's collar that monitors its activity and location. In addition to pet owners, the devices have been used by veterinary researchers.

References

  1. ↑ "LA Startups Take Advantage of Booming Pet Care Industry | Los Angeles Business Journal". labusinessjournal.com. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
  2. 1 2 3 "Mars Is Said to Acquire PrettyLitter for Under $1 Billion". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
  3. ↑ "Rainbow Kitty Litter Could Help Monitor Your Cat's Health". Wired. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
  4. ↑ Adelson, Karen Iorio (2018-12-10). "Strat Haul: This Odor-Free Kitty Litter Is the Best Thing I Bought in 2018". The Strategist. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
  5. ↑ "Coinbase takes its SEC battle to the public". Fortune. Retrieved 2021-11-14.
  6. ↑ Adelson, Karen Iorio (2019-03-05). "The Best Automatic Pet Feeders and Water Fountains, According to Experts". The Strategist. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
  7. ↑ "Check out Randle Communications on Inc.com". Inc.com. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
  8. 1 2 3 Dundas, Suzie. "Created On A Television Show, PrettyLitter Uses Color-Changing Litter To Monitor Feline Health". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
  9. ↑ "Health-monitoring cat litter can help detect common feline illnesses". oregonlive. 29 October 2015. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
  10. ↑ Abo, Jessica. "How to Be a Successful Leader in Your Industry". Entrepreneur. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
  11. ↑ Chan, Tim (2021-07-20). "So You Got a Pandemic Puppy… Here's How to Keep Them Happy Once You Go Back to Work". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
  12. ↑ Friedlander, Whitney (2015-06-30). "ABC Family Sets Cast for Tech-Themed Reality Series 'Startup U'". Variety. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
  13. ↑ "Why Tim Draper's startup reality show is the first one I've actually liked (No really)".
  14. ↑ Shandrow, Kim Lachance. "Meet the Scrappy Young Entrepreneurs of ABC Family's Upcoming 'Startup U' Show". Entrepreneur. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
  15. ↑ "Xconomy: Gener8tor Unveils New Class of Startups, Hits Fundraising Milestone". Xconomy. 2016-10-24. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
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