Thrive is a premium pet food brand that began in the United Kingdom in the early 2000s. The company was founded by food-industry professionals who had spent decades producing human food and became dissatisfied with the low meat content and heavily processed ingredients common in many commercial pet foods. Around 2000, they decided to create cat and dog foods made with simple, recognizable ingredients and high levels of real meat and fish.

Thrive first became well known in the UK for its freeze-dried cat treats, introduced around 2005, which used 100% meat or fish without artificial additives. The success of these products helped the company expand into wet cat food, focusing on “human-quality” ingredients such as tuna fillets and chicken breast. The brand promoted a philosophy of “real food” with no artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, or unnecessary fillers.

One of Thrive’s distinguishing features has been its sourcing and manufacturing approach. Its wet cat food is produced in Thailand, using facilities that also manufacture premium canned tuna for human consumption. The company says this allows it to maintain high hygiene standards and use responsibly sourced fish, including pole-and-line caught tuna.

Over the years, Thrive built a reputation among UK cat owners for high-protein wet foods with visible meat and fish pieces, particularly appealing to owners seeking grain-free or minimally processed diets. The brand also expanded internationally, exporting to markets in Europe and Asia.

In 2024, Thrive Pet Foods was acquired by the Swedish-based Petbuddy Group, which announced plans to grow the brand globally while continuing its focus on premium pet nutrition. 

Today, Thrive is being introduced to pet owners across the United States and is available through this website, Chewy, Walmart.com, Amazon and select independent pet retailers nationwide.