A love of cats inspired a young Thai entrepreneur to create water hyacinth products for pets.
CatChawa products are environmental-friendly and pet safe.
Global pet care market is expected to increase throughout 2022.
The growing trend of pet humanisation, whereby domestic animals are seen as part of the family, and changing consumer preference for environmentally-friendly products is driving the demand for natural and organic pet care products.
This is encouraging many entrepreneurs to introduce natural pet products. One such is Dhaneshphon Nadhanapong, product manager of Petnamchoke.
He developed the CatChawa brand from his love of cats and interest in creating a business from water hyacinths. CatChawa product are environmental-friendly and safe for both pets and humans.
“Although many may consider water hyacinth as a weed, water hyacinths retain their shape well when weaved,” he says. “So, I came up with the idea of making environmental-friendly products for cats and small dogs by joining with local villagers to collect water hyacinths from natural sources. We use the traditional knowledge of weaving water hyacinths combined with creative design and patterns to create products that are durable, safe for pets and suitable for nature lovers.”
With its well-designed products, such as cat houses, furniture and toys, CatChawa is now quite popular among cat lovers. Although the company only sells domestically at the moment, it plans to penetrate the overseas markets in 2022.
Many foreign traders, especially from the Middle East and Europe have shown interest in their products, especially since Petnamchoke joined the DITP’s STYLE International Fair for the past two years.
The global pet care market is expected to increase throughout 2022, following an increase in the number of pet owners and their expenditure. Nadhanapong is confident CatChawa products will be successful overseas. The company has already received a patent from the Intellectual Property Department.
Nadhanapong believes the CatChawa brand will appeal to affluent consumers who have high demands for natural and organic pet care products. So far, it has four product categories with more than 30 design products including cat scratch ladder, cat and small dog house, cat condominium and cat bed.
The company also aims to help the local community, creating jobs for around 40 people. Nadhanapong says the company’s constant striving to develop new designs and expand into overseas markets, will ensure its sustainable growth, as well as provide an income for local villages.
For more information, visit: www.facebook.com/CatChawa/
Words by Petchanet Pratruangkrai
Photo courtesy of CatChawa
