Spanish agri-food cooperative Cotecnica, the owner of natural pet food brand Ownat, has completed the acquisition of Italian premium pet food manufacturer Life Pet Care. The deal, announced in early August, gives Cotecnica a direct production and commercial presence in Italy and expands its combined dry-and-wet food offering across Southern Europe.
Life Pet Care, headquartered in Arezzo, posted revenue of €40 million ($46M) in 2025 and sells in Italy, the UAE, Poland, Greece and Latvia under the Life Natural brand. Cotecnica reported €169.2 million ($195.2M) in 2025 revenue, up 7% year-over-year, with international markets accounting for 66% of pet food sales. Cotecnica says it will retain Life Pet Care’s operations, brand structure and entire workforce.
The acquisition is the latest in a busy European M&A cycle that includes Central Garden & Pet’s pending €400M TRIXIE deal, Assisi Pet Care’s purchase of Forthglade, Burgess Pet Care’s acquisition of Bunny Nature and United Petfood’s investment in SmartPetPro. For manufacturers and distributors, the transaction signals that proprietary-brand, natural-format production assets in Southern Europe are becoming a concentrated battleground.
