Italy’s pet care sector is proving to be a magnet for foreign buyers right now, with two separate European companies announcing acquisitions that give them a stronger foothold in the country within days of each other.
Spanish agri-food cooperative Cotecnica has acquired Italian premium pet food manufacturer Life Pet Care, while Germany-based Gimborn has taken a majority stake in Cerberus, an Italian specialist in plant-based cat litter. Together, the two deals continue a wave of cross-border consolidation sweeping across Europe’s pet industry, following recent moves by Assisi Pet Care in the UK and United Petfood in Belgium.
Cotecnica Buys Its Way Into Italy
Cotecnica, the owner of the Ownat pet food brand, completed its acquisition of Life Pet Care in early August. The move is part of the Catalan cooperative’s broader international growth strategy, giving it a direct presence in Italy for the first time and strengthening its overall competitiveness across the European pet food market.
“By combining dry and wet food within our offer, we will have a greater capacity to respond to the needs of distributors, clients and pet parents across different countries. This may facilitate both entry into new markets and the strengthening of our position in markets where we are already present,” Cotecnica told GlobalPETS.
Life Pet Care, headquartered in Arezzo, generated €40 million ($46 million) in revenue during 2025. Beyond its home market in Italy, the company also operates in the United Arab Emirates, Poland, Greece, and Latvia — giving Cotecnica an established international distribution footprint alongside the acquisition itself.
Keeping the Brand Intact, For Now
Cotecnica has confirmed it will retain Life Pet Care’s existing operations, brand structure, and entire workforce, preserving the Life Natural brand rather than folding it into Ownat’s identity outright.
The company was candid about the work still ahead. “Over the next 12 months, the challenge will be to identify how Cotecnica can bring additional value, how we can leverage Ownat’s broad portfolio to respond to the needs of the Italian market, and how to generate real synergies between both companies,” it said.
Cotecnica expects the deal to have a positive effect on its overall revenue, international sales figures, and market position in the years ahead. “Our goal is to turn the existing synergies between both companies into consolidated projects, taking advantage of the complementarity of our portfolios, commercial networks and market knowledge,” the company added.
Based in Lleida, Spain, Cotecnica operates as a cooperative made up of 10 member organisations spanning Catalonia, Aragon, and Castile and León. In 2025, the group reported total revenue of more than €169.2 million ($195.2 million), up 7 percent year-over-year, with international markets accounting for a substantial 66 percent of sales within its pet food division specifically.
Gimborn Strengthens Its Cat Litter Portfolio
On the other side of Italy’s pet industry, Gimborn has taken a majority stake in Cerberus, an Italian manufacturer of eco-friendly litter for cats and small pets that was established in 2015.
As part of the deal, Gimborn will fold a Cerberus production facility located near Varese, roughly 630 kilometres north of Rome, into its broader global manufacturing network. The acquisition expands Gimborn’s plant-based cat litter and private-label offerings, complementing its existing bentonite product line.
Notably, the deal also lets Gimborn bring plant-based litter manufacturing in-house for the first time, replacing what had previously been a reliance on external suppliers for that segment of its business.
“The segment offers attractive growth potential in Europe and internationally, driven by rising demand for sustainable, natural and high-quality pet care products,” said Werner Averkamp, Chief Financial Officer of Gimborn. “Cerberus strengthens our competitive position by broadening our portfolio and enhancing our ability to meet evolving customer needs with innovative and high-performance solutions.”
Gimborn CEO Jordi Queralt added that the partnership could open the door to further collaboration opportunities with both current and prospective partners and customers seeking innovative product solutions going forward.
What These Deals Say About Italy’s Pet Market
Taken together, Cotecnica and Gimborn’s moves reflect growing confidence among European pet care companies in Italy specifically as a market worth entering or expanding within, rather than simply exporting into. For both companies, the logic is similar: acquire established local expertise, retain existing operational strength, and use it as a foundation to scale further across European and international markets.
As consolidation activity continues picking up pace across the continent’s pet industry, Italy’s blend of established local manufacturers and untapped growth potential looks set to keep attracting acquirers looking to deepen their presence in one of Europe’s most significant pet care markets.
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