Industrial feed significantly helps owners who do not have the opportunity to prepare natural food from meat, cereals and vegetables, adding vitamins and minerals for a balanced diet. The line of products for animals is the most popular, enjoying the trust of customers from all over the world.
Whiskas cat food
Whiskas is one of the most popular brands of cat food. The trademark is owned by Mars, and the brand representative is Masterfoods. The manufacturer claims that the food formulation was developed based on numerous studies by the Waltham Research Center and approved by the Russian Association of Veterinarians.
Whiskas is one of the leaders in the economy class cat food market
Historical note: Frank S. Mars (Minnesota) was born in 1882. He suffered from polio, so as a child he was educated at home. His mother taught him how to make chocolate, and he spent all his time in the kitchen. In 1902, he married and started his own small business selling molasses chips. After 9 years, he began making and selling chocolate bars. In 1923, Mars began to be considered a successful businessman, as his product, Milky Way chocolate, gained popularity from the first days. After this, other products began to appear, which are now still selling successfully.
In 1934, Mars died, and his eldest son, Forest, had to take over the business. It was he who decided to add pet food to the company's treasury. True, this was only possible after the war. In 1960, Forest and the company merged. The first Russian enterprise from Mars appeared in 1995 (Moscow region). This is how the organization entered the world market. After 3 years, Forest Mars passed away, but once founded, it continued to gain momentum. The products of this manufacturer are in great demand all over the world. Currently, the company has representative offices in every progressive country in the world.
In addition to Whiskas, Mars has other brands:
- Pet products: Pedigree, Royal Canin, Kitecat, Cesar, Nutro, Sheba, Chappi, Catsan, Frolic, Perfect Fit, etc.
- Chocolate brands: M&M'S, Snickers, Dove, Mars, Milky Way, Twix, Balisti, Bounty, Maltesers, Revels, etc.
- Food products: Uncle Ben's, Dolmio, Masterfoods, Seeds Of Change, Ebly, Royco, Kan Tong, Suzi Wan, Paris, etc.
- Confectionery brands: Extra, Orbit, Altoids, DoubleMint, Juicy Fruit, Life Savers, Skittles, Wrigley's Spearmint, Starburst, etc.
What class does Whiskas food belong to?
Rebranding and advertising of food may indicate that it belongs to economy class food
Cat food may fall into one of the following classes:
- economy;
- premium;
- super premium;
- holistic.
Belonging to one of these classes is determined by the quantity and quality of meat. For example, holistic food can contain up to 90% meat. We are not talking about animal proteins (offal, bone meal, etc.), but about meat (for example, fresh lamb in Akana food). Such products cannot contain dyes or flavors; they are natural and, accordingly, have a high price. You can buy such food only in specialized stores. Such a product does not need advertising, so novice cat breeders know little about such food for cats.
Super premium class has less meat content. However, the composition should predominantly contain proteins of animal origin. Some foods in this class contain flavorings and preservatives. In terms of price, they are almost no different from holistic ones.
But the premium class means cheaper products. Premium cat food can be found in a regular pet store; it may contain dyes, preservatives, and flavorings. Meat, as a rule, is about 35% in this food. Moreover, this meat may not be of the highest quality (that’s why flavorings are needed). refer their products to this class. But some veterinarians believe this is just a publicity stunt. The basis for this opinion was the analysis of the composition. In addition, usually only the simplest products need powerful and aggressive advertising, for which PR is the only way to stay in the market.
Food advertising can be very convincing, but this is not due to the high quality of the product
Economy class food contains very little meat. Moreover, these will be derivatives of meat products (animal flour, etc.). The diet will be based on grains and plant ingredients. So that the plants in the composition do not confuse the buyer, they are usually designated by a single inaccurate word - “cereals”, etc. Meat components, on the contrary, are separated in as much detail as possible so that the composition looks as if it contains a lot of products of animal origin and plant origin. There are no components at all.
The energy value in this food is achieved thanks to vegetable proteins (corn gluten, etc.). There will also be no special components (for example, fruits or rare herbs) in such a product. There will be a bare minimum of vitamins and mineral components. The food will contain coloring (to give it an appetizing appearance), preservatives (since low-cost production technologies do not allow for long-term storage) and flavorings (otherwise the cat may simply refuse such food). Moreover, the “smallest” components in the form of, for example, dyes may not be indicated (so as not to frighten buyers with the abundance of the letter E in the composition).
One of my friends buys only cheap food for her cat. But at the same time, she studies the label every time for half an hour, claiming that she strictly follows the rules of the diet - how much protein a cat should receive and how much carbohydrates. In fact, cats (and they are natural predators) need animal protein. Even if these are just processed meat products, they are better than vegetable protein. In addition, my friend does not take artificial ingredients into account (I am usually confused by the fact that the percentage of an undesirable ingredient is not indicated).
When choosing food, you should always study the composition of the product (it is always indicated on the packaging - on the back or side)
Veterinarians' opinion
If you listen or read reviews from veterinarians, you can see that almost all of them agree that Whiskas should not be fed not only to kittens, but also to adult cats. No matter what kind of food (wet or crushed dry) a kitten is given, it will not grow up healthy. Sooner or later he will begin to have health problems, because the daily portion of Whiskas contains a tiny amount of protein (only 5%) and harmful chemicals.
Of course, there will be people who are ready to argue with this, and will give more than one example of how cats eat only Whiskas for years and feel great without any health problems. But before drawing any conclusions, it would be a good idea to carefully analyze such cases. Most likely we are talking about non-pedigreed cats, since their bodies are resistant to even the most severe influences. And in fact, such animals can live 5-7 years without illness, eating low-quality food. But then they will still start to get sick and will live no more than 9 years, not reaching the required 15.
Interesting video: Whiskas kills cats
An owner who loves his pet and wants it to grow up active and healthy will never skimp on its food. He will choose expensive ready-made premium food or will feed the animal with good quality natural food, which will be healthier than any ready-made food.
Assortment and features of feed
Whiskas has a truly wide range. Cat food can be presented in several versions:
- Dry food (pads, etc.).
- Wet food (canned food and pouches in the form of jellies, pates and stews).
- Treats and special products.
And also all Whiskas products can be classified as follows:
- food for kittens;
- food for adult cats;
- food for older cats.
Each of these products is produced in several series, and the food in each series can be dry or wet. For example, kitten food from Whiskas is available in two versions:
- pate with chicken or veal;
- jelly with veal, turkey or beef and lamb;
- stew with salmon, lamb or chicken;
- pads with milk, turkey and carrots.
About the kitten breed
The British Shorthair was developed in 1987 in Great Britain. At first cats were only white. Now the breed has about 25 classic colors. The fluffy lump from the Whiskas advertisement is a silver tabby , distinguished by the presence of dark patterns on a light background with a mark on the forehead in the form of the letter “M”. Eyes green or yellow.
Tabby comes in different types:
- Mackerel or tiger
- Spotted
- Marble
If you watch the advertisement carefully, you probably noticed that all the kittens are different colors. The mischievous animals have been appearing in commercials since 2003. But most of all, TV viewers loved the brindle color. When choosing a kitten, be prepared for the fact that only closer to the year the color will take its final form.
Benefits and harms of Whiskas food for cats
Economy class feeds cause a lot of controversy regarding their quality. However, the demand for such products (especially if we are talking about widely advertised products) is not decreasing. Cat owners still buy Whiskas, although this food has plenty of analogues. Those cat owners who have been feeding their pets Whiskas for many years, and people who are just about to make their choice, should objectively evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of this product. After all, store-bought food should be ideal for your cat.
Situations often occur when the owner carefully studies the packaging before purchasing food, chooses the best option, making sure that the chosen food meets all the pet’s requirements. And after some time it becomes clear that something has gone wrong - either the cat is not feeling well, or diarrhea has begun, or even completely - the animal has developed an allergy.
There is such a thing as individual intolerance. The food may be the best in the world, but it was not suitable for this particular animal. It’s like, for example, someone drinks milk and it’s normal, but someone has a complete intolerance, but you must agree that milk, in fact, does not make it bad.
KLEO-One, forum visitor
https://www.zoovet.ru/forum/?tem=803227&tid=35
Before purchasing cat food, weigh its pros and cons.
Advantages and disadvantages
The advantages of Whiskas food include the following factors:
- affordable price;
- satiety (you can choose a food option that is higher in calories);
- wide range (you can choose cat food taking into account taste preferences);
- availability of special food (for sterilized, long-haired cats, etc.);
- Whiskas is aromatic, so cats eat it with great appetite.
However, in addition to the advantages, Whiskas also has disadvantages:
- presence of artificial additives;
- cats may become “addicted”;
- unclear wording of the ingredients in the composition;
- Some components are not listed at all.
It turns out that this food has approximately the same number of pros and cons. Veterinarians believe that chemical additives provoke the formation of cancer, have a bad effect on the kidneys, etc. But this can also be looked at from the other side: preservatives do not allow the product to spoil as long as possible, dyes and flavors increase appetite, etc. Therefore whether to choose such food or not is a purely personal matter for each cat owner.
“Your pussy would buy whiskey” - this slogan is the basis of food advertising, but owners and veterinarians sometimes disagree with this
In our family, we treat this issue leniently. After all, it also happens that the most expensive food causes, for example, allergies. And some cats eat cheap food all their lives and live a long time. If a husband goes to the store, he can call and ask, “Should the cat take glutamate?” Of course, all this is a joke. It's just that Whiskas really enjoys controversial fame. Its name alone is almost synonymous with all feeds. For example, when making a shopping list, my sister writes “whiskey,” although her cat only eats Pro Plan.
At first glance, the composition of Whiskas food is bad only because it contains low protein and high fat content. But Whiskas added a lot of taurine and even glucosamine and chondroitin - an important component for maintaining joints and connective tissue. True, this is relevant for humans, but a cat does not need such supplements. But it's not the pussy that buys Whiskas!
braу, forum visitor
https://www.zoovet.ru/forum/?tem=803227&tid=35
Reviews from veterinarians
Not all veterinarians say that food is disgusting. I am a veterinary DOCTOR (not a veterinarian). Whiskas is disgusting. But there are high-quality dry food that can provide your pet with everything he needs. I have 6 cats and 2 dogs. Proper feeding from the table is difficult - many nuances must be taken into account and the animal’s needs for proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals must be known.
anna spiridonova, forum user
https://otzovik.com/review_1220448.html
Video: veterinarian’s opinion on Whiskas food
There are also veterinarians who have nothing against Whiskas. True, there are very few such veterinarians.
Some people live happily ever after on Whiskas. In general, besides Whiskas and Friskas (which are economy class), there are a lot of more worthy and healthy foods, try giving the kitten something else to choose from.
Chirota, active forum participant, veterinarian
https://www.veterinarka.ru/forum/t173.html
Reviews
As a rule, the number of detractors of Whiskas food does not greatly exceed the number of those who fed and continue to feed their cats with these diets.
Having looked at the reviews on various resources about the products of this brand, it is clear that there is a lot of negativity, and there are often comments and expressions in an extremely harsh form. However, it is worth considering the fact that people tend to leave feedback when they are full of indignation, and much less often when they are satisfied with everything.
Feedback from cat owners
For your reference, here are some of them:
Martha, pet - neutered cat:
“I’ve been giving Whiskas to my mustachioed one for several years now, he especially likes the different spiders. When he was a kitten, he ate for little ones, now they switched to diets for “1+” years. He himself is terribly picky, he refuses even expensive super-premium food, but Whiskas is always lame and begs for more. I don’t see any health problems, the cat is always playful and happy, and looks good. I don’t see the point in bothering and changing his diet.”
Julia:
“I’ll say right away, beware of cheap food! Our first cat lived for 12 years, and ate Whiskas-Kitiket all her life, she never had any health problems. Then we got a second cat, loved him and spoiled him with delicious jellies from bags, and he was generally ready to do anything for dry food. This went on for about 2.5 years, and I had no idea that this was unhealthy food. In the end, it all ended very sadly - we noticed that something was wrong with him and went to the vet. The diagnosis is acute renal failure. It was not possible to save him. The doctor said it was all due to bad food. Don't repeat my mistake if you love your pets."
Reviews from veterinarians
In contrast to the conflicting opinions of cat owners about Whiskas, reviews from veterinarians are more specific and leave no doubt. Most of them believe that this is a low quality product that belongs to the economy class of food for cats. Veterinarians do not recommend it as a daily diet, emphasizing that the composition of Whiskas food cannot satisfy the nutritional needs of cats and is not a balanced, complete diet. In addition, experts note that regular feeding of such food can lead to metabolic disorders and negatively affect the health of your pet.
Feed to replace Whiskas
If you believe most veterinarians, you can replace Whiskas with almost any food. Moreover, you can choose a new food in any class (economy, premium, super premium and even holistic). Naturally, after economy class it is very difficult to switch to holistic food financially, so let’s consider more economical food:
- economy class: Kitekat, Sheba, etc.;
- premium class: Royal canin, Iams, Pro Plan, etc.;
- super premium: Hills, Monge, 1st Choice, etc.
Photo gallery: feed to replace Whiskas
Expensive foods contain more useful ingredients, but such products are difficult to find in a regular store
Hills has a line that is close to holistic people, and also has a series of products for the prevention of various diseases
“Kitekat” is one of the cheapest and most popular feeds, although its composition does not have a high content of animal proteins
Veterinarians often recommend Pro Plan to their clients.
Royal Canin is one of the most common foods among cat breeders
Table: comparison of feeds of different classes
| Name | Class | Distinctive features | approximate price |
| Kitekat | economy | low price, many different tastes, but the composition of the food is approximately the same (contains dyes and flavors) | from 13 rubles per 35 g pouch, from 55 rubles per 350 g dry food |
| Sheba | the composition is close to the premium class (few dyes, a lot of protein), of the minuses: only wet food, no options for kittens, as well as for cats with health problems) | from 30 rubles for 85 g | |
| Royal canin | premium | a wide range, there is a medicinal line, the composition contains 12% protein, but it also contains yeast (they can cause allergies) | from 65 rubles - 85 g pouch, from 250 rubles - 400 g pack |
| Iams | The source of protein in the composition is meat and offal, but there are also corn processing products (this is a powerful allergen), low in potassium, magnesium and phosphorus | from 180 rubles per package of dry food 300 g | |
| Pro Plan | contains up to 40% protein, there is veterinary food, and also contains brewer's yeast and cellulose powder (may cause allergies) | from 200 rubles for 400 g of dry food | |
| Hills | super premium | a large selection of food for all ages of cats, there is a veterinary line, it contains meat, vegetables, herbal supplements, but there are also soy proteins (veterinarians do not approve of this component) | from 68 rubles per pouch, from 350 rubles per box of 350 g |
| Monge | high-quality composition, no dyes, flavors or preservatives (there are different flavors: chicken, tuna, seafood, etc.) | from 910 rubles per package of dry food 1.5 kg | |
| 1st Choice | contains up to 20% fresh meat, cereals and vegetables, but also contains preservatives (and their names and percentages are not indicated) | from 1500 rubles 2.4 kg of dry food |
Is it worth exchanging Whiskas for another economy class food?
Having heard negative reviews about their usual food, owners often rush to replace it with another food, albeit in the same price category.
From the point of view of economy, of course, it is not easy to immediately switch to more expensive food. After all, the owners made their choice in favor of Whiskas for a reason. But on the other hand, if you feel that you no longer trust purple bags, then you can choose the cheapest food in the class, for example, premium. If you buy large packages (from 1 kg), then in the end the difference in price will not be so big.
Nowadays there are plenty of offers of seemingly expensive food (Royal Canin, First Choice, Advance, Hills and others) in large packages from 3 to 10 kg. In terms of daily expenses for feeding, it will be cheaper than Whiskas and the like, but the quality is much higher.
Vetathome, forum user
https://ipc.kiev.ua/kormlenie-kotov/2180-zamena-viskasu-i-kitiketu-predlojeniya.html
And if you listen only to the opinion of veterinarians, then they are the ones who do not recommend “jumping” from one food to another. No matter how questionable the composition of the feed may be, it is in any case already balanced. In addition, all food undergoes many checks before entering the market, including compliance with international standards. Therefore, whether to replace Whiskas with another cheap food or not is up to you to decide.
Feed reviews from cat owners
The cat is 1.5 years old. Well, we accustomed her to Whiskas food. The cat didn’t want to eat anything other than this food (like a drug addict). She ate until she became severely poisoned and almost died.
Alissa111, forum visitor
https://spasibovsem.ru/responses/etot-korm-chut-ne-ubil-mou-lubimuu-koshechku.html
Video: cat eats Whiskas
What’s good about it for me personally is that you don’t have to wash dishes, like with other foods. In general, if the cat likes it, what should I wish for? If only the pussy ate Whiskas. And Filya eats.
Eliza Dulitl, forum user
https://otzovik.com/review_1527451.html
Video: cat eats Whiskas with hands
I read that cats supposedly start to feel bad if you only feed them whiskey. I don’t know, I haven’t noticed this with my cat. Feels normal. Recently he goes outside to go to the toilet more often, so I can’t control it. But the cat looks quite well-fed and happy with life. So I recommend this food.
ms.M.Ko, forum user
https://irecommend.ru/content/dovolno-taki-prilichnyi-korm-za-svoi-dengi
Whiskas is one of the most popular cat foods among Russians. It is inexpensive, but its composition is not ideal. At least that's what veterinarians think. But cats simply love Whiskas, and this brand also has special lines and a series of food for kittens and adult cats. Reviews about this product are extremely contradictory, but this does not make it less popular.
Is Whiskas suitable for kittens?
Despite the fact that on the modern market you can find a line of products called “Whiskas for kittens,” experts categorically do not recommend using this food for babies.
Regular feeding of a kitten with Whiskas has an extremely negative effect on its health and ability to fully form a growing organism, and suppresses the immune system.
The kitten's diet should be varied and complete, including natural meat, dairy products and fish. In Whiskas, all these components are absent.
Compound
The first place most often comes from grain crops: corn, corn gluten, ground wheat, wheat flour. Next - flour of animal origin: turkey, meat and bone, poultry, rabbit, lamb. The percentage is often indicated, but what parts of the animal or bird are used is hidden.
Protein plant extracts are listed as a separate item. By-products are added, but in addition to kidneys, spleen, lungs and other things, they also include hooves, horns, whole heads, fat, i.e. not the most useful ingredients. Animal fat is often unspecified. There is a minimal amount of vegetables, yeast, vitamins and minerals, there are no fruits and berries at all, all preservatives are synthetic.
Wet food includes residues from meat production that cannot be used for human consumption. These are tendons, ligaments, internal organs, etc. The amount of grains is not indicated (and corn often causes food allergies). There is taurine, individual vitamins and minerals.
Unlike other countries, in Russia there is no legal act obliging the publication of the full composition of food on the packaging (for example, such a law is in force in the USA). Therefore, it would be a good idea to check the information on the official website.
