General Mills said it had agreed to acquire a North American cat feeding and pet treating business from European private-equity firm NXMH in a deal worth $1.45 billion.

General Mills Inc. has made a name for itself with kitchen-table staples ranging from Honey Nut Cheerios cereal to Betty Crocker cake mix. Now the packaged-food giant is looking to tap into fast U.S.

Whitebridge, which includes the Tiki Pets and Cloud Star brands, is General Mills' fifth pet brand acquisition, building on its 2018 purchase of pet food company Blue Buffalo for $8 billion to strengthen its pet business.