We're committed to small batches

Most companies make it almost impossible to make their products with full care and attention. Mass production manufacturers churn out millions of soft chews a year, pushing understaffed crews and old machinery to their limits. Working at such volumes makes proper ingredient dosing and quality assurance incredibly difficult - It's no wonder the vast majority of supplements tested are dramatically inconsistent from batch-to-batch and biscuit-to-biscuit. Not here - we take manufacturing with care and attention to a different level, focusing on making small batches of perfect product with trained teams of happy pet lovers. Every team member and manager is all in on the process to make sure we deliver our best. It's been a wild ride growing and expanding while holding true to our roots and we're so proud of our team for laying that foundation and holding to it early on. As we grow, one thing we will never do is cut corners, and just because we focus on small batches does not mean our process is less serious than the big box brands.

What is the NASC Quality Seal?

At Austin and Kat, we’ve always taken pride in doing things differently. From the very beginning, we’ve been committed to crafting the highest-quality wellness solutions for pets —meticulously sourcing our own ingredients, formulating every product ourselves, and handcrafting everything in small batches right here at our Seattle Makery. A major milestone that underscores that dedication was earning the NASC Quality Seal.

The National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) is the gold standard when it comes to quality and safety in the pet supplement industry. Earning their seal isn’t just a box to check—it’s a rigorous process that requires full transparency, adherence to strict manufacturing protocols, and proof that every ingredient is carefully sourced and tested for purity and efficacy.For pet parents, seeing the NASC Quality Seal on a product means you can trust that what’s inside is exactly what it says on the label—nothing more, nothing less. It’s a promise of quality, safety, and consistency, something we’ve always stood by at Austin and Kat."Why This Is a Big Deal for a Small, Independent Company Like UsIn an industry dominated by large-scale manufacturers and mass-produced supplements, Austin and Kat stands apart. Most pet supplement companies rely on third-party manufacturers to produce their products, meaning they have little control over their sourcing, formulation, or production process. That’s not how we operate.Instead, we do it all ourselves—from sourcing every single ingredient to handcrafting each batch in our own facility. This hands-on approach allows us to maintain the highest level of quality, ensuring that every treat, chew, and oil we produce meets our uncompromising standards. Earning the NASC Quality Seal as a small, independent company validates everything we stand for: transparency, integrity, and a relentless pursuit of better wellness solutions for pets.

3rd Party Testing

We are so proud to make a positive impact on the health and wellness of pets across the country – from our soft chews to our oils and powders, a lot of hard work and care goes into making our products, including rigorous lab-testing at every step!


We spare no expense when it comes to quality assurance and our commitment to small batch manufacturing truly separates us from the pack. We all use and share our formulas with our own canine companions, too - we're all in this together!

Did you know it's still common for pet products to underdeliver on the potency that they advertise? In one recent fourth-party study, too many of the leading products on the shelves missed the mark by over 25%(Austin and Kat, of course, earned an A+ in this independent survey).

Proud PSC Members

We've fully embraced sustainable manufacturing, and we think about the full life cycle of every product we make. That means looking carefully at how ingredients are sourced, how materials are handled during production, and how packaging choices affect the world long after a product leaves our hands.

We believe responsibility does not stop at the formula. It extends to the footprint we leave behind and the standards we hold ourselves to every single day. From raw materials to finished packaging, each step is evaluated with intention. We work to reduce waste where possible, choose materials thoughtfully, and partner with organizations that share our commitment to doing better over time.

Explore our Green Goals

A Hands-on Approach

Did you know that most brands don't even manufacture their own stuff?!? From our supplements to our packaging designs, we proudly do everything in-house. We're one big happy family dedicated to helping pets.

When you make something yourself, you stand behind every decision that goes into it. Every ingredient selected. Every batch prepared. Every label placed on a bottle. Working in-house allows us to move carefully, correct quickly, and maintain the standards we expect for our own pets.

Supply chain is everything 

We start our quality assurance process with a heavy focus on the input materials, testing their safety and purity well before they reach the production floor (actually, we start with a truly draconian investigation of every supplier's core values and standards; learn more in our upcoming section on Qualifying Suppliers). Before testing even begins, we do a deep-dive on the history of every ingredient we purchase:

Every lot of materials that we receive must be backed by a record of lot control and verifiable certificates of analysis (COA's). Before our ingredients are used in-house, they are sampled and third-party tested by ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratories. Lastly, all materials undergo a final-pass by our own expert IQA team. Only then do those ingredients make their way into one of our formulas.

After an extensive materials check we proceed with the manufacturing process using a combination of semi-automated machinery and expert hands. Every single chew, powder, or oil goes through multiple quality checkpoints before reaching a finished goods quarantine. Here, another round of testing ensures our final product is on-point and safe for consumption (we tend to deliver samples to our chief taste-tester, Austin, at this point as well).

When it's time to ship your order we go through yet another expert quality check, making certain every package is in tip-top shape and on the mark. We electronically track all manufacturing runs and match them to your shipments, so we can always trace back every bag of chews or bottle of oil to its component ingredients and the exact day of production.

A detailed look at quality assurance

At Austin and Kat, we’ve always taken pride in doing things differently. From the very beginning, we’ve been committed to crafting the highest-quality wellness solutions for pets —meticulously sourcing our own ingredients, formulating every product ourselves, and handcrafting everything in small batches right here at our Seattle Makery. A major milestone that underscores that dedication was earning the NASC Quality Seal.

The National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) is the gold standard when it comes to quality and safety in the pet supplement industry. Earning their seal isn’t just a box to check—it’s a rigorous process that requires full transparency, adherence to strict manufacturing protocols, and proof that every ingredient is carefully sourced and tested for purity and efficacy.For pet parents, seeing the NASC Quality Seal on a product means you can trust that what’s inside is exactly what it says on the label—nothing more, nothing less. It’s a promise of quality, safety, and consistency, something we’ve always stood by at Austin and Kat."Why This Is a Big Deal for a Small, Independent Company Like UsIn an industry dominated by large-scale manufacturers and mass-produced supplements, Austin and Kat stands apart. Most pet supplement companies rely on third-party manufacturers to produce their products, meaning they have little control over their sourcing, formulation, or production process. That’s not how we operate.Instead, we do it all ourselves—from sourcing every single ingredient to handcrafting each batch in our own facility. This hands-on approach allows us to maintain the highest level of quality, ensuring that every treat, chew, and oil we produce meets our uncompromising standards. Earning the NASC Quality Seal as a small, independent company validates everything we stand for: transparency, integrity, and a relentless pursuit of better wellness solutions for pets.

  • #1. starting material

    It all starts with establishing a traceable chain of custody that tracks and tests the organic material actually used for making extracts. At this stage, pesticides and heavy metals are the biggest focus on our test panels.

  • #2. concentrated extracts

    Extracts are standardized according to specific naturally occurring compounds and we test their concentration to make sure they hit their mark. At this stage we are on the lookout for trace chemicals that are signs of poor extraction.

  • #3. finished product

    The finished product needs to be right on the money for active ingredients relative to what's on our label (it's the only way to deliver consistent results). On this panel we also put a big focus on safety markers around microbial contamination.

pesticide residues

Is that organically grown and processed material truly pesticide-free? Did it violate any safety thresholds for heavy metals? Certifications and labels mean nothing in comparison to objective analysis and testing.

heavy metals

Are naturally occurring compounds truly beneficial if they come with collateral damage? Did they violate any safety thresholds for heavy metals? Certifications and labels mean nothing in comparison to objective analysis and testing.

potency testing

The naturally occurring compounds in botanical extracts can vary over time, but using standardized extracts and double-checking ingredient potency before manufacturing is key to delivering a consistent and effective product.

microbial analysis

A safe and effective shelf-life is a top focus for us, especially as we avoid powerful synthetic preservatives. We make certain inputs are free of bacterial contamination and that our products maintain top integrity.

cannabinoid profiling

It's incredibly important to us to provide CBD with specific minor cannabinoids that work together in each formula. A full profile ensures we are delivering the full benefits of our premium hemp extract every time.

trace solvent testing

The best way to be sure our natural inputs are created with the safest and cleanest extraction methods available is to test for trace amounts of unwanted chemical solvents that are often used to make cheap extracts.

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Pesticides are designed to disrupt biological systems. That is their job. And that same property is why they require careful monitoring when used anywhere near food or supplement ingredients.

Pesticides come in several categories, each built to control a specific biological target. Herbicides are used to eliminate weeds, insecticides interfere with insect nervous systems, fungicides prevent the growth of molds and mildew, and disinfectants suppress bacteria. These tools are essential in modern agriculture and sanitation, but residues can remain on raw materials long after their intended use.

When even small amounts of these compounds make their way into ingredients, they can pose risks to dogs and cats. Exposure may occur through ingestion or skin contact, and in severe cases pesticide toxicity can lead to neurological damage or life-threatening symptoms. Because low-level exposure is often difficult to detect without laboratory analysis, routine screening becomes a critical part of responsible manufacturing.

Heavy metals occur naturally in the environment, but industrial activity has increased their presence in soil and water systems over time. Responsible sourcing means recognizing that reality and actively measuring for it.

Mining operations, industrial manufacturing, waste disposal, and fertilizer use have gradually introduced metals into the environment. Plants absorb these elements through their root systems, and animals can ingest them as part of the normal food chain. Over time, this process can lead to bioaccumulation, where trace environmental contaminants become concentrated in biological tissues.

While nearly all natural materials contain small amounts of heavy metals, problems arise when concentrations exceed safe thresholds. Low-quality ingredients or poorly controlled supply chains are more likely to carry elevated levels, making routine testing an essential safeguard.

At high levels, heavy metals are associated with long-term neurological damage, organ stress, and increased health risks in both humans and animals. Because these contaminants cannot be removed once they are fully incorporated into a product, prevention depends on identifying them early in the sourcing process.

When it comes to making effective supplements, the potency of our active ingredients is important for ensuring that every chew or dropper is the same every time you reach for it. When a bottle of oil or chew says it has exactly 2.5 mg of CBD, this is the process that allows us to be sure of that. We measure the concentration of active compounds in a given sample using a technique known as high performance liquid chromatography (or HPLC), which involves separating molecules based on their size and charge. Once the desired compounds have been isolated, they can be quantified using tools like mass spectrophotometers (say that 5 times fast!). With these techniques we can easily determine how much of a given compound is present in each input extract along with each finished product.

Most people are familiar with the health and safety risks of bacterial contamination due to the numerous news stories of food-borne illnesses from outbreaks of bacteria like E. coli and Listeria. In addition to foods, microbial contaminants can be present in many active ingredients used in supplements, especially from companies that use ingredients that are highly processed. These contaminants can come from a variety of sources, including water, soil, and even the air. While most microbial contaminants are harmless, some can cause food poisoning or other illnesses. Since it is so easy to cross contaminate ingredients and supplies, it's important to consistently test ingredients for the following:

Bacillus cereus, Clostridium, perfringens, E. coli O157:H, Enterobacter, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Listeria, Staphylococcus aureus, STEC, Aspergillus/Penicillium, yeasts & molds

There are thousands of cheap extracts out there that contain little more than highly distilled CBD, but our premium broad-spectrum hemp extracts are never ultra-processed. They contain all sorts of important naturally occurring minor cannabinoids that are critical for delivering the full benefits of our each formula through the entourage effect. The ratio of minor cannabinoids in every oil is carefully controlled and chosen by design. So how do we know they're there in each bottle at their desired concentrations? We test every input extract for the potency of a full panel of cannabinoids, identifying and quantitating concentrations of all sorts of hemp-based compounds that are making a splash in research settings across the country (from CBD, to CBG, to CBN, to CBL, to CB you fill in the blank!). You'd be surprised at how many other companies are simply using CBD isolate or other less than desirable options, so always be sure to check for the full cannabinoid profile of any company's extract.

While we prefer supercritical extractions using a clean solvent like carbon dioxide, many natural compounds are extracted with the use of alcohols. Basic extraction using ethanol (like grain alcohol) has been around for thousands of years, and this method can yield completely safe extracts when performed correctly. Without proper controls in place, there is risk of leaving trace amounts of solvent in the final product. This is where rigorous testing comes into play, and the wrong results can be a clear sign a supplier is working with inferior methods or cutting corners.

Some ingredient manufacturers will perform extractions with even stronger alcohols like methanol and hexane, but it's extremely important to avoid allowing these materials to make their way into your dog's system. Trace amounts of residual alcohols can effect your dog's cognition and long-term health, while acute ethanol poisoning occurs when dogs consume much larger doses all at once. While it's easier to avoid these extraction methods altogether, it's incredibly important to always test all ingredients and supplies for the following trace solvents just in case: acetone, butane, ethanol, heptane, hexane, isopropanol, and propane.
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