Is Kitty Kasas Still in Business? 

Nikki Linn and Rusty Niedwick introduced Kitty Kasas, Pet Accessories, in 2017. Kitty Kasas’ net worth in 2023 is $1 million. The company is now earning $600,000 in annual revenue. 

The founders of the company came up on Shark Tank season 10 and secured a deal from one of the sharks named Lori Greiner.  She promised to invest $200,000 in exchange for a 30% stake in the business. The final valuation was $666,000 down from the initial estimate of $1 million of the founder.

As of 2023, Kitty Kasas is still in business.  The company has now rebranded itself to Jolly Pets in 2023. You will get the products of the company on its website and Amazon. 

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Who are the founders of Kitty Kasas? 

Kitty Kasas was set up by Nikki Linn and Rusty Niedwick in 2017. Both of them are unique creators.  They are best friends with each other.  The founders of Kitty Kasas,  Nikki Linn, and Rusty Niedwick, have an approximate net worth of $1 million as of 2023.

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Kitty Kasas before Shark Tank

Ex-bikers Nikki Linn and her husband, Rusty Niedwick had a deep love for animals. They have been operating the ARNI Foundation, a non-profit no-kill shelter for cats and dogs for about 20 years. 

At the time of operating the shelter,  they understood that the cardboard boxes and carpet-covered scratch pads that they used for their kitties were not sufficient. They would easily get destroyed or worse,  soiled and after this it may cause hygiene issues. 

Eventually Rusty came up with the concept of using plastic boxes.  They are not only durable but also they can be easily cleaned. 

They matched their shelter with milk-sized crates in 2013 and it grabbed the attention of other pet lovers instantly. 

Since one thing led to another,  it became a business named Kitty Kasas.  It faced ups and downs in its entire journey.  Though it became successful,  the profit margins of the company were not satisfactory.  A European manufacturer stole their concept and tweaked the product just sufficiently to bypass copyright infringement. 

They wanted to get more out of the company so that they were able to save more animals.  That is why they made up their minds to audition for Shark Tank.  They passed the audition successfully after standing in mine for a couple of hours in the California desert. 

They were finally featured in the 11th episode of the 10th season, which aired on  January 13, 2019.

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What occurred to Kitty Kasas on Shark Tank?

Nikki and Rusty entered the SharkTank stage riding on their motorcycle to surprise the Sharks. They took off their helmets and introduced themselves as the founders of Kitty Kasas. They asked for an investment of $200,000 from the sharks in exchange for a 20% stake in their business. 

After this, they started to explain what kitty Kansas is.  They said it is a stackable, cube system for cats and they also informed the sharks that they can be used individually or put together. 

They also stressed that they are durable and available in a variety of colours and patterns and as they do, the camera zooms in on the display beside them. 

Kevin asked instantly about the sales of the company.  Rusty replied that they had managed to sell $600,000 worth I er a year and a half which impressed Kevin as well as the other sharks.  He also explained that they had hiccups. At the time of their second year, they collaborated with a plastics company,  which did not result in multiple sales. 

When the sharks inquired about their sales from the last quarter,  Rusty replied that they had managed to do $200,000 over the past three months. 

After hearing this,  guest shark Sara Blakely asked how they got onto the business. Nikki told them that they had been operating a non-profit animal shelter and the idea came up in their mind after understanding that there was nothing in the market like this. 

She explained that the cubes were originally prepared for themselves but that they had made up their mind to turn it into a business when adopters revealed interest in the products.

Rusty explained that they can be easily cleaned.  They can only take them outside and use bleach or a power washer. 

Lori was interested in the cubes as she too loves cats.  Kevin then asked the founders about the manufacturing costs.  Rusty said that they had three types of prices– that the ‘bedroom’ costs $10, the one with a scratchy post costs $11, and the top bed costs $5—and that they sell them for $39, $49, and $22.99 respectively.

Barbara then asked about the hiccup that they had at the time of their second year.  Rusty explained that they had taken their cliches to a design show in Germany and a very large plastics company approached them to turn their products into an injection mould for a price.  In return for buying these injection mould cubes,  they would then provide their distribution network as a royalty for European sales. 

Along with the story,  Nikki explained that the company ended up stringing them along for a year, stealing their intellectual property in the process which left them with nothing.  Rusty also said that they have resigned over cubes and have manufactured their injection moulds. 

Kevin inquired whether they had a patent for the product.  Rusty replied yes,  but they had chosen not to cease as it was not worth it for them to continue a $2 billion plastics company. 

Sara then inquired how the founders would utilize the $200,000. Rusty informed her that they had planned to cropland the company as this was only by them and an IT guy at that time.  Barbara then asked how they would use the $200,000 if they were to go into the retail space. Rusty said they wanted to redo their website and build up their social media. 

Sara was encouraged after seeing how passionate they are for cats but admitted that she did not have much idea about them as she has allergies to the animals and that is why she left the deal. 

Kevin started to talk about their slim margins as he did not live this.  He also did not like the reason that the products contained a lot of floor space but was eager to give them a proposal – $200,000 in exchange for a 33.3% share in the business.  He also said that he would assist them to blow up directly to customers. 

When the founders were thinking about his offer,  Lori asked whether or not the products could collapse for shopping. They told her yes and started to give her a demonstration.  Moreover,  they went over the shipping prices which are generally between the price range of $6 to $7.

Kevin teased Loti about what she was doing and she stated that she was asking questions.  At the same time,  Barbara left the deal saying that she hated cats and they were not for her.

Soon after this, Lori told them that she wanted to make them a proposal.  Rusty and Nikki got excited.  When she was rearranging her notes Mark Said that while his brother loved cats,  he did not love the cats and had a letting business and that is why he too dropped out from the deal. 

After being teased by Kevin,  Lori disclosed her proposal which was just like Kevin’s offer.  Rusty asked whether she was able to do it for 25% of her business. 

Nikki then gave another counteroffer. Nikki said that they would give up a 30% stake in the company for $200,000. Finally, there was a deal between Lori and the sharks.

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Kitty Kasas Shark Tank update

It was a matter of sorrow that the deal with Lori Grenier was never successful as it was not listed in her Shark Tank profile.  However,  Nikki and Rusty were able to become successful with their effort.  They not only sold their products on Amazon but also made a contract with Petco. 

They also introduced a new product named the Siesta.  Their previous cat homes were shaped like a cube.  But the Siesta was shaped like a teardrop and you may hang it from a chain or rope from the ceiling.  You may also use it indoors as well as outdoors.  The product is available in a variety of colours.  The price of the product is $149 as per the official website of the company. 

Nonetheless,  Nikki and Rusty are not the owners of Kitty Kasas any more as of 2023. A few months after coming up on Shark Tank, Jolly Pets acquired the company. Jolly Pets is a pet toy manufacturer based in Streetsboro,  Ohio. The company bought Kitty Kasas for an undisclosed amount. 

It was certain that the cat homes became very popular. The company had also included a line of plush cat beds in their product line.  They are available in a variety of colours and designs.  Not only that, they also provide accessories like the Kitty Kasa Penthaus and wall mount,  both of which are compatible with their cube beds. 

Those who want to buy their products may pay a visit to their official website.  The company offers free economy shipping all over the United States for all orders above $75.

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Kitty Kasas Review

Kitty Kasas is not only an average kitty home as the company provides its consumers with a lifetime guarantee as they are sure that their innovation is practically unbreakable.  The Kitty cube was measured up to 15×15×12 inches and it snapped together very easily to make a shelter for your cat. 

The entrance to every Kitty Kasas cube had a cutout entrance the shape of which was just like the silhouette of the face of a cat,  minus the whiskers also.  You will be able to find a machine-washable pillow and hanging toys inside this kitty recreation cube. 

Kitty Kasas Penthouse Bed can be added as a perch as it easily fits on top of the cube.  It helps the car to view their penthouse properly.  This is a very good product for data as it saves the cats from any danger and keeps them away from hugs and kisses. 

Kitty Kasas Wall Mount is another outstanding addition to your cat’s home.  This enables your cat to traverse higher than their bird’s eye view.  That is why they can sit in the open air.  Moreover,  every Kitty Kasas kit comes with wooden screws that may assist to mount the cube by using extra kitty clips. 

As most of these structures are designed by using stainless steel,  you may stay out of any tension that will be a string platform for your cat. 

The company has introduced Duro Series recently which is designed as a single-piece mould that is sold in various styles.  You may go for between the gym,  recreation,  and bedroom styles.  Nevertheless,  they have also launched a product named the Kitty Kasas Siesta which is a hanging chair. 

No matter whichever home or facility you opt for your kitty,  you will see that they are easily stackable and their solid,  furniture-like colours fade easily. Every cube or outdoor structure can be cleaned and disinfected easily from time to time.

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What are the advantages of Kitty Kasas?

The advantages of Kitty Kasas are as follows: 

• Every cube looks like a piece of abstract art with your cat peering through it. 
• It is made by using durable stainless steel. 
• Some scratch pads ensure that your cat doesn’t scratch other surfaces. 
• It can be easily assembled and carried around. 
• Every structure is designed according to the requirements of cats. 
• There are wooden pegs that can be easily detached. 
• There are a lot of designs and fashionable colours of the product. 
• There are kitty clips that ensure that the structure does not wobble out of place.

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What are the disadvantages of Kitty Kasas? 

• Some pet parents think that it is an undue amenity. 

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 Final opinion

Nikki and her husband Rusty and a lot of customers are very glad if these uniquely designed cat structures in their homes are called Kitty Kasas.  Kitty Kasas’s Shark Tank episode brought it a success.  Unfortunately, Kitty Kasas created all its operations in 2023. The product is also not available in the market any more.

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