Charlee Bear Products acquires a line of canned Paleolithic diet dog and cat food

St. Francis-based Charlee Bear Products, which makes Charlee Bear Dog Treats, has acquired a line of Paleolithic diet dog and cat food, the company announced in a news release Tuesday. 

The acquisition of Hound & Gatos will help Charlee Bear tap into the popularity of Paleo diets, which eliminate foods such as grains, dairy, refined sugar, salt, potatoes and highly processed products. The idea behind Paleo, which limits food intake to that which would have been eaten during the Paleolithic era, is that modern diets contain foods the body is not able to digest properly.

The Hound & Gatos line of canned pet food includes only meat, vitamins and minerals. The company said the food feeds the "carnivorous instincts of dogs and cats."

“At Charlee Bear, our mission is to improve the health and nutrition of pets through simple, natural ingredients one small bite at a time,” Peter Gottsacker, owner of Charlee Bear Products, said in the news release announcing the acquisition. “Our passion for quality pet products and ingredients was a natural fit with Hound & Gatos, and we are pleased to welcome this brand into the Charlee Bear Products family.”

The small, three-calorie Charlee Bear treats are billed as all natural and made in the U.S.

Charlee Bear Products said in the release it has started to hire additional management and sales support to accommodate the acquisition. The brand will be refreshed in the coming months. Hound & Gatos is now based in Wisconsin, the release said.  

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Sarah Hauer can be reached at shauer@journalsentinel.com or on Instagram @HauerSarah and Twitter @SarahHauer.