mid-day's 42nd anniversary: To paw-some beginnings

Moumita Roy’s concern for her own pets’ wellbeing prompted her to start this venture to offer fresh, home-cooked meals to pet parents across the city. Pic/Satej Shinde

Moumita Roy, 25
Healthy, fresh, package-free eating for pets has led Moumita Roy to become a game changer in this nascent food market

At the height of the lockdown last year, when most people were discovering their culinary skills (more out of necessity than passion), actor Moumita Roy decided to cook her pets' meals from scratch. "I had adopted four cats, and we recently added a beagle, Imli, to our expanding brood. Imli was rescued from a testing lab of a pharmaceutical company - her body had been pumped with so many medicines and chemicals that I refused to feed her packaged foods that contain even more preservatives and additives. I wanted to make sure that everything she ate was fresh, grain-free and contained no artificial chemicals," she shares. Put off by the high costs of gourmet treats that render them unaffordable, especially for pet parents with multiple pets, she began researching how to recreate these in her own Madh Island-based home kitchen.

"My mother and I were feeding many strays during the lockdown. To financially support this endeavour, I baked some cookies for dogs and began selling them," she shares. Supportive friends chipped in to help deliver the orders, with some even contributing to fund the supplies. From there, there was no looking back. Starting on January 1 this year, Roy began her venture, Pookies, which delivers handmade treats across the country, and fresh meals and bone broths in the city. The venture has been so well received - the business has been growing by 25 to 30 per cent every month - that Roy has decided to hang up her acting boots for now to devote more time to it. "We took up another space in the complex where I live, which is dedicated to preparing pet food. I have also hired staff, including a chef, to meet the growing demands. At present, we receive about 100 orders every day," she says.

Considering that hers is the first business to supply fresh food for cats, who are typically raised on kibble and packaged wet food, she shares that many pet parents struggle with getting them used to fresh meals. "Cats are notoriously fussy eaters, so I also offer paid consultations to help them transition to fresh food," she explains.

Roy has big plans for the coming months. She intends to further expand her range of products to include organic skincare, superfood supplements and calming sprays for pets. And as the business grows, so will her team, which is and will remain an all-women crew. "When I started out, I never thought of doing this for economic gains. But now, I see just how much potential there is for this business to make an impact as a community. And that drives me to do more and do better every day," she concludes.

25-30 per cent
Percentage growth Roy's venture witnessed during the lockdown