Whiskas for cats: reviews of veterinarians and consumers about the food. Composition and nutritional value of dry and wet Whiskas food for cats Main components of WHISKAS dry food

Many owners prefer to buy ready-made food for their cats. Now in almost every supermarket you can choose food with any taste. Prices for these foods are usually low. But for some reason, some cat owners choose only expensive food that cannot be found in a regular store. There are a number of reasons for this. To understand why this happens, you need to study the features of the “budget” options. One of them is Whiskas.

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, the Mars company and Forest's enterprise merged. The first Russian enterprise from Mars appeared in 1995 (Moscow region). This is how the organization entered the world market. Three years later, Forest Mars passed away, but the company that was once founded did not “die out”, but 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?

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 proteins of animal origin (offal, bone meal, etc.), but specifically about meat (for example, fresh lamb meat - 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). Manufacturers of Whiskas classify their products specifically in 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.

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)

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.

Photo gallery: some Whiskas food for kittens

Pates, stews and jellies for kittens are sold in the form of pouches. Each type of dish (jelly, pate, etc.) is presented in several flavor options
Dry food for kittens is sold in the form of pads with a soft center.
All spiders and boxes adhere to the same color policy
Previously, special milk for kittens was produced (now temporarily not produced)

Table: type, composition and price of some kitten foods

Name of food	Type of feed	Specified composition	Package volume	Price
Chicken pate	wet	meat, meat by-products (chicken meat - at least 25%), vegetable oil, taurine, vitamins, minerals	pouches 35 g each	from 18 rubles per pouch
Veal jelly		meat, meat by-products (veal at least 4%), vegetable oil, taurine, vitamins, minerals
Salmon stew		meat, offal, fish products (salmon - at least 4%), cereals, vegetable oil, taurine, vitamins, minerals
Pads with milk, turkey and carrots	dry	vegetable flour, animal flour, rice, protein plant extracts, animal fat, vegetable oil, yeast, vegetables, dairy products, vitamins, minerals	boxes 350 g, 800 g, 1900 g and 5 kg	from 80 rubles for 350 g

Whiskas food for adult domestic cats (over 1 year) is available in several series:

pillows with tender pate (with salmon, chicken and turkey, beef and rabbit);
jelly with different flavors;
mini fillet and cream soup (pieces of meat in jelly);
stews with different flavors;
pate with different flavors.

Photo gallery: some foods for cats over 1 year old

Comparison table: Whiskas food for adult cats

Separately, we can say about food for older cats. Older animals need more vitamins (to maintain bones, vision, metabolism, etc.) and fewer calories. After all, an older cat does not “rush” around the house like a kitten, which means it expends less energy. And old animals cannot boast of such an appetite as young ones. Whiskas has a separate line of food for cats over 7 years old. The names of the products in the “7+” line are the same as those of the “1+” food. They are also available in the form of pillows, pates and stews. The only difference between these foods is the calorie content.

Previously, on store shelves you could find Whiskas food for cats over 8 years old. Now the manufacturer has completely abandoned this line, leaving only “7+”.

The packages of the “1+”, “7+” and “8+” lines differ only in number (otherwise they are identical)

And the manufacturer did not forget about treats for cats. The point of special cat treats is that they consist of veins and other dried low-calorie foods that are hard. So the cat needs to chew on this treat for a long time, and the owner can be calm - treats for cats contain practically no calories. Whiskas has several such products. The composition of all treats is almost the same:

cereals and cereal-containing products;
proteins of non-vegetable origin (for example, salmon meal - 4%);
animal fats and sunflower oil;
other products of non-vegetable origin such as cheese - 4%);
mineral supplements and vitamins;
plant components.

Photo gallery: Whiskas delicacies

Most cat treats are made from hard foods, which help clean plaque from teeth and strengthen them. The most common form of cat treats is sticks.
All Whiskas delicacies are enriched with vitamins A, E, D3 and group B. Lacomsto from the Duo series contains two flavors at once, however, there is practically no meat in it

Sometimes Whiskas produces separate limited edition cat food series. For example, before some holiday or experimentally to test the reaction of customers to a new product. Most often, such exclusive food is part of an advertising campaign. The composition of these foods is indicated in the same form as before (except that the aroma or taste of the food may be brighter or newer).

The price for such a product can be either overpriced (for example, some elite holiday treat) or underestimated (for example, a special series at a special price). Some types of products may even be free (for example, a bonus bag of cat food).

A good friend of mine teaches economics at a non-state university. I was able to talk to him about cheap food. So he explained two points to me:

There is a stereotypical opinion among people that “cheaper is worse”; this often scares away potential buyers. This is not always justified. For example, cat food should not consist of pure cut meat (the main thing is that the cat receives animal protein).
If the manufacturer lowers the price (and Whiskas is one of the cheapest feeds), it means that he will “take” this money in a different way. For example, organizing promotions, etc. After all, no businessman would want to give away goods for pennies.

Photo gallery: special lines of cat food

A special New Year's series of food - "Beef Stroganoff" Often the "taste" of an exclusive line is some unusual product (for example, mackerel) Two separate series of food - "Purr-fish" and "Meow-meat" Experimental small series of food are produced for adults cats For kittens you can buy food on special offer

Every more or less large manufacturer of animal feed is trying to develop a line of special medicinal feed. Of course, such foods cannot cure a cat, because they do not contain drugs. But there are products created taking into account the health characteristics of animals. Whiskas also has the following food:

for cats that are constantly in the house;
Hairball Control for long-haired cats;
for animals with capricious tastes;
Sensitiv for cats with sensitive digestion;
for sterilized male and female cats.

Table: features of medicinal feeds

The product's name	Type of feed	Specified composition	Packing	Price
Pads for sterilized cats and cats with chicken	dry	wheat flour, chicken flour - 4%, vegetable proteins, rice, fats, dried liver (chicken and pork), yeast, vitamins and minerals	350 g, 1.9 and 5 kg	from 90 rubles for 350 g
Hairball Control for long-haired cats	dry and wet	corn gluten, rice, wheat flour, chicken and fish meal, yeast, fats, plant fibers, vegetables, minerals, vitamins	350 g, 1.9 and 5 kg
Sensitiv for cats with sensitive digestion	dry and wet	meat and offal, vegetable fats, cereals and their products, minerals, vitamins	350 g in boxes and packs of 35 g
Indoor for housebound cats	wet	corn gluten, flour, cereals, animal meal, yeast, fats, vegetables, chicory, minerals and vitamins, antioxidants	pouchi 35 g	from 95 rubles for 350 g

Photo gallery: food for cats with special needs

Indoor is created for low-active cats that do not have access to the street Long-haired cats “clog” their gastrointestinal tract with hairballs, Hairball Control is created to prevent this (it contains a lot of fiber) Capricious cats refuse regular food, so an “appetizing option” has been created for them
Sensitiv is a food for animals with a gentle digestive system
Food for sterilized cats controls the pH balance and regulates the excretory system (prevention of urolithiasis)

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

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

Whiskas is an economy class food, which appeared first onRussian market several decades ago. Over the years of sales in Russia, this food has acquired various myths and prejudices. It's time to find out if the rumors about this food are real., and is it possible to feed whiskey to your cat? Let's try to answer this important question for most pet owners.

Is it possible to feed whiskey to a cat? The benefits and harms of food

This is perhaps the question most often asked by cat owners. AND although the forums are filled with a variety of reviews, from positive experiences to blatant negativity, interest in these products among cat owners and breeders does not disappear. What is the reason?

This is cat food that is affordable.
Cats love him.

At the same time, all owners love to pamper their pets with treats. Kittens, they are like children, who will not fail to give their furry pet something tasty. So the cat owners look at the display cases with Whiskas. But in order to correctly understand whether it is possible to feed whiskey, it is necessary to find out what benefit it gives to the cat and what harm it does. You can read about what products a cat needs from special literature.

Cat food must be balanced and close to the food they eat in natural conditions. Thus, cats require fat and protein, which are found in meat, as well as a certain amount of carbohydrates. It is very easy to find out whether Whiskas meets these indicators if you get acquainted with the composition of this food.

Composition of economy class cat food

The manufacturer of the most popular brands of budget cat food Whiskas, Kitekat and dog food Pedigree, Chappie is mars corporation, which operates in almost all countries of the former Union. This “monster” of the industry has good advertising of its products in the media, a huge selection of different tastes, therefore ordinary cat breeders trust this manufacturer when feeding their pets a product from such a big brand. At the same time, the manufacturer offers a huge range of diets for dry and wet Whiskas food:

for cats over 7 years old;
for adult cats;
for kittens up to one year;
for treats;
for sterilized cats.

In America, the manufacturer must publish the composition of the food on the packaging. In our country, this obligation is not legally enshrined, so full information about the composition can be found only on the website of the manufacturer Whiskas in the USA. Let's look at the example of a food such as Whiskas Meaty Selections.

Fat minimum 14.0%, protein minimum 36.0%, moisture maximum 13.0%, fiber maximum 5.0%, chondroitin sulfate minimum 310 mg/kg, calcium minimum 2.0%, linoleic acid minimum 1.5%, zinc minimum 160 mg/kg, phosphorus minimum 0.9% , vitamin E at least 160 U/kg, vitamin A at least 12,000 U/kg, glucose at least 410 mg/kg, taurine at least 0.2%.

X good composition that contains:

chondroitin and glucose to prevent diseases of bones, cartilage surfaces, as well as strengthen joints and ligaments. These elements are especially required by British cats during their growth.
taurine, this element is responsible for vision, cardiovascular function of the body, normal functioning of the immune and nervous systems.
vitamins, their benefits probably don’t need to be reminded.

Main components of dry food WHISKAS

Corn gluten and corn, poultry by-products, ground wheat, animal fat, wheat flour, natural turkey and chicken flavors, brewer's yeast, rice, salt, potassium chloride, taurine, choline chloride, calcium carbonate, DL-methionine, potassium iodide, zinc sulfate, DL-alphatocopherol acetate (source of vitamin E), niacin, Yucca schidigera extract, Vitamin A, copper sulfate, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), vitamin B12, magnesium sulfate, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), D-calcium pantothenate, folic acid, biotin, vitamin D 3.

In other words, during the production of economy-class feed, they add various by-products: such as: horns, heads, beaks, hooves, esophaguses, intestines, spleen, kidneys, blood, lungs, parts of carcasses, tendons and fat. That is, products that are rejected during the production of food for people (they may contain tumors, including malignant ones, these may be places where antibiotics and hormones accumulate, etc.).

Overall, Whiskas is a quality food and worth the money. Its composition is 13% protein, obtained from meat, offal and bone meal. People who do not understand the basics of proper pet nutrition may say that offal is bad. But if you read the recommendations for feeding cats natural food, it will say that feeding offal is MANDATORY. Since it is the liver or rumen that contains the largest amount of useful and nutrients.

What does the manufacturer add to economy class food (Kiticat, Whiskas, etc.)?

There are always exceptions to any rule. This also applies to the health of cats that eat Whiskas. Some have such a strong body that they can accept a wide variety of foods, while others show alarming symptoms after just a few feedings of the “wrong” food. If you buy industrial feed, it should be high-quality feed, at least “premium class”. You can feed natural food if you choose the right combination of meat, dairy products, vegetables and cereals.

Lera, Voronezh

I am a categorical opponent of such cat food and write only negative reviews. At least I used to feed them periodically, because what’s even simpler and more convenient is to pour some pillows into a basin and no worries.

And, of course, when a little kitten appeared at our house, he was also given Whiskas, the cat was not purebred, we picked him up in the yard, and he was happy with any food. He ate almost everything that was offered until he tried the food, changes appeared almost immediately, the cat became much more aggressive, he did not accept any other food at all, he did not even eat fish and meat. Attempts to retrain him were unsuccessful, he simply began to starve. The result wasgenitourinary system disease , its cause was dry food.

Quite an excellent food for daily feeding. But as they say, everything needs to be approached responsibly. It is important to feed with a diet, and at least several times a day to feed with natural food or wet food, and also be sure to take the kitten to the doctor once a year. And if you feed only dry food 24/7 and do not monitor his health, then naturally various sores may arise. Guys, this food is sold in 20 countries around the world, and the composition is approximately the same everywhere. So you need to start with yourself. Good luck to everyone and attention to our smaller brothers.

Whiskas dry and wet food is produced in Russia by Mars LLC. The official website is, it contains basic information about the ingredients, as well as a lot of advertising text about how healthy this food is. But let's take a closer look at its composition and benefits.

This food belongs to the economy class. In addition to Whiskas, the Mars Corporation also produces such foods as Sheba, KiteKat, Chappi, Pedigree, Cesar.

Whiskas feed composition

Let's look at the composition of Whiskas food using the example of the option “for kittens, delicious pads with milk, turkey and carrots.” You can see the composition below, left-click on the image to enlarge it for easier reading:

On the left is a photo of the composition from the food packaging, and on the right is a screenshot from the official website.

The first ingredient, wheat flour, is mainly a source of carbohydrates, as is rice, which is located a little further down in composition. The percentage of wheat flour is not indicated, and since it comes first, and the percentages of the other ingredients are also not indicated, then this flour may contain a large part.

In second place is flour of animal origin, it is clarified that it includes: poultry meal, turkey meal, meat and bone meal. Neither the exact percentage nor which parts of poultry and turkey this flour includes is specified. Further in the composition (through 1 position) there are “protein plant extracts”, the percentage of which is again not indicated.

Poultry meal is certainly not all meat, and neither is meat and bone meal. However, there are no ingredients very rich in plant protein, so most of the protein must come from animal sources.

Animal fat (which animals are not specified) and sunflower oil are sources of fatty acids. Brewer's yeast is a source of B-group vitamins. Vegetables (carrots for sure) are a source of fiber. The remaining three ingredients are beneficial additives.

Advantages and disadvantages

The benefits of the food include:

very common, sold in most supermarkets;
low price;
eat dry food, pouches and pates, treats;
good vitamin and mineral supplement;
Widely distributed, even sold in regular supermarkets.

Disadvantages of Whiskas food:

the percentages of the main ingredients are not specified, so it is impossible to say exactly how many meat ingredients are in the food and how many are plant ingredients;
contains dyes (therefore the granules are multi-colored), but the manufacturer’s website states that they are organic;
Preservatives/antioxidants used are not specified.

Whiskas cat food - reviews

This food has long been present on the shelves of Russian supermarkets and pet stores, and is also actively advertised on TV and beyond. Therefore, many people managed to try it and there are a lot of reviews about Whiskas on the Internet. Below we publish a few of the ones we found.

Reviews from veterinarians

Writes Evgenia Valerievna, a doctor from the Zoovet clinic, in response to a question about Whiskas:

Good afternoon Whiskas is certainly not the best food for cats. It is believed that the high content of flavors in economy class food makes it so attractive to animals, so try to switch your cat to a higher quality food. Taking into account the history of urolithiasis, medicinal food is most likely also needed. To prescribe a suitable diet, I recommend taking a urine test.

Customer Reviews

Alya writes:

Hi all! Today I’m writing a review about food for our little brothers, for cats! I feed my cat natural food, but I always keep dry food in stock. Sometimes I’m not at home for a long time and in such cases you can add dry food for the whole day in advance so that the cat doesn’t go hungry.