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"Anyone can make money, but at the end of the day, it all boils down to why you started in the first place." |
1. Fur Ball Story has become a trusted name in pet care since its inception in 2016. Could you tell us about the inspiration behind starting this venture and your journey so far?
We started Fur Ball Story with the purpose of introducing pet therapy in India. I and my husband & co-founder, Animesh Katiyar, were in the same college i.e. Symbiosis Law School, NOIDA. We are lawyers by education. Animesh is a Type 1 Diabetic. Back in the day, he was heading the national fest of our college so naturally that came with a lot of added tasks and responsibilities. I have always had a pet at home, but until that time, Animesh had never interacted with dogs or pets at all.
One day Symbiosis International University sent 2 pups to all its off campuses. To apprise the entire fraternity of the same, our college’s Director invited Animesh to get a few pictures clicked with the pups. That was his first ever interaction with dogs at all. He didn’t know what to expect & was quite surprised at how calm and happy the interaction made him. Post this activity, he went back home & kept on thinking that throughout that time, his blood glucose levels were stable and he wasn’t thinking about anything stressful at all. As curious as he is, he Googled about it and discovered the concept of pet therapy. Pet therapy has always been prevalent in the West but not so much in India. That’s how the idea of Fur Ball Story germinated.
We started with 3 therapy trained dogs to provide pet therapy to people suffering from depression, ADHD, autistic kids, etc. In order to popularize the concept, I used to send a lot of cold emails & messages to companies, hospitals, and pet lovers. More often than not, we were mocked at. People used to say, “how can a dog reduce my stress? Won’t he in turn, need me to do this for him?’. But I never stopped. As a result of one such message of mine, I got through to this website called Office Chai. They were the first ones to write about us. That article got picked up by Inshorts. And then there was no looking back.
Once we got mass acceptance, session requests started pouring in. But as we became full time pet parents, we faced a lot of concerns. There were a lot of gaps for pet parents. When we began resolving them, we thought why not resolve them for all pet parents. As a result, we ended up adding multiple services to our portfolio including pet taxis, dog training, dog boarding and pet friendly restaurant. During COVID, we lost one of our therapy dogs due to a faulty medicine. She was diagnosed with Spleen Cancer & was due for surgery but her platelet count was low. However, despite the medicine, it didn't increase in time & so we lost her. Later when we picked the medicine, we realised that the main ingredient necessary for increasing platelet count i.e. papaya carica (juice of papaya leaves) was present in extremely less quantity. Had we even administered the entire bottle of the medicine, it wouldn't have made any difference to her. Furthermore, this syrup that was being administered as a medicine had it written on the label that it is not for medicinal use. We delved deeper into the issue & discovered that a lot of products in the pet care sector are such. And so, we decided that instead of finding a dependable pet care brand, why not be one?! As a result, today our focus is on the medicines vertical of our brand. We are a funded company now. We have a strategic partnership with Emami Ltd.
The journey has been no less than a roller coaster, but we have learned so much because of all the hardships that we faced and so, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Even today, every day is a new chapter.
2. Ayurveda for animals is a unique concept. What inspired you to explore Ayurvedic solutions for pet health, and how do they compare to conventional approaches?
There were multiple reasons. Ayurveda is India’s gift to the world. It is so deeply entrenched in our habits and upbringing that we can’t distinctly identify it. It has become a way of life for most Indians. For example, whenever we have a stomach ache, we take carom seeds (ajwain) with a pinch of salt and consume it with lukewarm water. To support recovery from injuries, we drink turmeric milk, now famously called golden latte. When we have been healing through Ayurvedic herbs for ages, why not bring the same into practice for our pets?
Another reason for this was that the medicine that our therapy dog, Bailey, was being given to improve her platelet count was also Ayurvedic. Because of that, we discovered a major gap in the pet care market – that is, lack of effective, licensed herbal products. Therefore, we entered this market to provide products to pet parents that can prolong the life of pets along with improving the quality of their life.
To top it, Animesh’s father, Dr CK Katiyar, is an Ayurvedic researcher and an industry expert. He holds double PhD in Ayurveda, Pharmacology and Neurology. The formulations of all our therapeutics and cosmeceuticals are gifted by him. He retired as the CEO Healthcare of Emami Ltd last year and is currently serving as an Advisor to Emami.
3. Fur Ball Story offers a wide range of services, from pet-friendly cafes to boarding and training. How do you ensure consistency in the quality and care across such diverse offerings?
Initially we planned on expanding the services to multiple cities. In fact, we did expand the therapy sessions to Mumbai. We continued their until Covid. Our therapy dogs used to de-stress the travellers at the Mumbai International Airport from Friday to Sunday. But when Bailey passed away during Covid, we pivoted to this model. As a matter of fact, we had decided to not expand our services because of this very reason that maintaining quality is a big concern. The moment you involve dogs, personal attention and care take precedence over all else. It’s difficult to find staff members who care for them the way you do.
4. With over 50+ pet-centric solutions, innovation seems central to your brand. Could you share an example of a particularly innovative product or service that you’re especially proud of?
There are several innovative products that I am very proud of. Our CanniVin Oral Nutritional Sprays for dogs provide great ease of administration. As a pet parent, the toughest part is feeding medicines to your pets. Our CanniVin sprays surpass first pass
mechanism and get absorbed from the saliva directly into the blood stream within 3 seconds. We have 4 variants of this spray and all of them can be given to the dogs even when they have gut problems.
Our Heal Pet wound healing cream is the most potent wound healer I have ever used. Its key ingredient is Jatyadi Oil which itself is a combination of over 15 herbs. Apart from that, our Jump-O-Joint Oil & Tablets aided in strengthening the joints of our 8-years old Labrador who was diagnosed with Spondylitis and had stopped moving all his legs.
We have over 5 more such products in the pipeline. The reason why we invest so much in innovation is that we don’t just arrive at our problem statements through customer research. We experience them ourselves. As pet parents, we develop products to help our own dogs. Needless to say, the quality henceforth is always top notch.
5. Building a community of over 100,000 followers is no small feat. How has your online presence contributed to the growth and impact of Fur Ball Story?
One can’t undermine the role of social media today. Platforms like Instagram, Facebook and X have made it easier for customers to directly speak with brands. It’s in fact essential to have a presence on these platforms so that people can reach out to you to understand your products and thought process better. We are trying to build a community of pet parents on these channels. While the pet industry in India is flourishing, yet there is a serious lack of awareness as well as a dearth of the requisite knowledge. Our plan is to empower the pet parents with enough information that enables them to make informed decisions.
6. Half a million loyal pet parents rely on Fur Ball Story. What do you think sets your brand apart and fosters such deep trust among your customers?
There are a lot of factors that set us apart from other brands in this industry.
1. The fact that our brand & products are curated by loving pet parents, and that the products are a result of the problems and/or gaps we encounter in the pet care market. When you know the products are being used by those who have crafted them, it makes a world of difference. In fact, all our products are human grade. Whenever a sample arrives, we use it ourselves first. There are videos of us trying out the samples on our social media channels.
2. The formulations of our products are all done in-house by Dr CK Katiyar, who is a veteran and a legendary figure in the field of Ayurvedic Industry, Research, Regulations and Policymaking. Therefore, there’s no question about the potency and efficacy of our products.
3. All our products are approved and licensed. They bear license of Ayurvedic Proprietary Medicine. This may sound unimportant, and you may think that this should be a bare minimum requirement. But that’s not really the case in the pet care market.
4. Ease of access is a major contributing factor here. If a pet parent wishes to get in touch with us, our team is always reachable through calls, emails, social media messages and even via WhatsApp. Plus, we have a team of in-house veterinary doctors who are available for consultations. We cater to almost all queries of pet parents – be it regarding the usage of our products or essentially anything under the sun.
7. Events promoting #AyurvedaForAnimals are an interesting initiative. How do you approach creating awareness about this unique aspect of pet care, and what has the response been like?
We have received mixed responses, mostly good though. We started promoting #AyurvedaForAnimals to spread awareness regarding the medicinal benefits of herbal ingredients. Veterinary doctors are not taught about ayurvedic treatment in their veterinary courses. #AyurvedaForAnimals is our initiative for them. The reason why we have been receiving mixed responses is because there’s still a lot of stereotypical thinking associated with this school of medicine. The moment people think of Ayurveda, the first thing that comes to mind is still the roadside vaid making their own concoctions and prescribing them without any degree of medicine. Additionally, ayurvedic medicines are linked to delayed healing process, thanks to some bad formulations floating in the market. We know we need to spread a lot of knowledge and #AyurvedaForAnimals is an initiative for the same.
8. Pet parenting is evolving rapidly. What are some of the biggest trends or challenges you see emerging, and how is Fur Ball Story adapting to them?
I think pet parenting is evolving for the better. In the coming years we are going to witness pet parents become more aware and mindful. Fur Ball Story is not just adapting to this upcoming trend but trying to bring it more rapidly. We want pet parents to begin reading labels and raise concerns whenever needed. It’s simple - if the customers don’t demand good quality and transparency, why will brands ever care to change?
9. As a co-founder and pet guardian yourself, what is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned from working so closely with animals and their families?
I have come to see the stark difference between pet care markets of India and abroad. I see how much pet parents in the US or Europe care about training their pets. Not just this, a lot of emphasis is given to their daily exercise and stimulation routine. That’s why you see a lot of pet friendly places in abroad but not so much in India. After all, having an educated pet makes a lot of difference, especially when you take them out where they can socialise.
Most importantly, having a pet care label has given me a lot of perspective. It has made me able enough to keep the business running without forgetting the purpose. Anyone can make money. But at the end of the day, it all boils down to why you started doing this in the first place. If you continue to work with the same passion, sky is the limit.
10. If you could host an event or design a product for a famous pet or fictional animal character, who would it be and why?
Interesting, I’ve never been asked this. I’ll probably give our Calm Pet to Scooby Doo. Its hero ingredients Ashwagandha, Brahmi & Jatamansi, will help reduce his fear, stress and anxiety.
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Interviewed by : Shivam Sharma
Edited by : Shivam Sharma
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