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.

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., known for cereal brands such as Cheerios, made its fifth acquisition in the pet food sector since 2018 by buying the North American unit of Whitebridge Pet Brands in a deal valued at $1.