Whiskas

Whiskas is an international cat-food brand owned by Mars, Incorporated and operated within the company's pet-care business. The brand sells wet and dry food for cats, with product formats including small meat pieces in sauce, gravy, or jelly; dry biscuits; treats; and, in some markets, small bottles of cat milk. Its packaging is strongly associated with a purple color scheme and a stylized cat-head logo, visual assets that help distinguish the brand across many national markets. The business began in 1936 under the Kal Kan name, manufacturing pet food in the United States from operations near Los Angeles, California. Kal Kan expanded across the American market before entering the United Kingdom in 1958 under the Whiskas name. The Whiskas identity was subsequently extended through Europe and other regions, while Kal Kan remained in use in parts of the world for a period of time. Mars acquired the business in 1968, after which it became part of Mars's pet-food structure, later associated with Pedigree Petfoods. A major brand-consolidation decision came in 1989, when Kal Kan was renamed Whiskas in the United States. The change was intended to bring the American business into alignment with the international Whiskas identity, simplify global advertising, and separate the cat-food brand from the company's dog-food naming architecture. The name was also considered more immediately feline and more appealing to consumers. In Japan and certain other markets, Mars has continued to use the Kal Kan or KaiKan identity for related cat-food products rather than applying Whiskas universally. Whiskas competes primarily in the mass-market and mainstream premium segments of packaged cat food. Its range is designed around convenience, variety, palatability, and life-stage or nutritional needs, although the exact portfolio varies by country. Wet food is sold in cans, foil trays, and pouches, while dry food is sold in cartons or pouches. The brand's marketing has frequently used the idea that cats would choose the product themselves, or that owners report a preference for it. In the United Kingdom, one of its best-known advertising claims was commonly remembered as “8 out of 10 cats prefer Whiskas,” although the wording used in advertising was qualified to refer to owners who expressed a preference and to test results. The slogan became a recognizable part of British popular culture and inspired the title of the television panel show 8 Out of 10 Cats. Whiskas has also been used in unusual promotional activity, including a 1999 Australian sports promotion in which Geelong footballer Garry Hocking temporarily changed his name by deed poll to Whiskas. That year the brand also promoted an experimental television commercial aimed at cats, using high-contrast imagery, fish, underwater footage, and other stimuli intended to attract feline attention. Whiskas remains an active Mars pet-care brand with a broad international footprint. Production arrangements, names, formulas, pack sizes, and available product lines differ by market. In the United States, the brand has been associated with production by Pedigree Petfoods in McLean, Virginia, while the wider Mars organization operates manufacturing and commercial activities across multiple countries.

Whiskas traces its origins to the Kal Kan pet-food business, which began manufacturing pet food in 1936 near Los Angeles, California. The company expanded its operations throughout the United States and established a position in packaged cat food before developing a broader international presence. The original Kal Kan identity remained particularly associated with the American market, while the Whiskas name became the principal identity used in international expansion. In 1958, the business entered the United Kingdom using the Whiskas name. The British launch provided a platform for expansion across Europe, where Whiskas developed into a distinct cat-food brand rather than simply an American product label. The brand's international presentation came to rely on consistent visual and verbal cues, including purple packaging, a cat-head logo, and advertising centered on feline preference and owner satisfaction. Mars, Incorporated acquired Kal Kan in 1968. Following the acquisition, the business became part of Mars's pet-food operations and was later associated with Petfoods Ltd, which was renamed Pedigree Petfoods. This placed Whiskas within a larger portfolio that also included other major animal-food brands. The ownership structure enabled Mars to coordinate manufacturing, distribution, research, and marketing across national markets while retaining different brand names where local recognition was strong. The most significant naming change occurred in 1989. Mars changed the Kal Kan cat-food name to Whiskas in the United States, bringing the country into line with the identity already used in the United Kingdom and Europe. The decision served several purposes: it unified international advertising, reduced confusion between cat and dog-food brands, and used a name that consumer research reportedly found more appealing and more clearly associated with cats. Before the change, Kal Kan's dry cat food had also been sold under the Crave name. The American transition therefore represented both a packaging and brand-architecture decision. The global transition was not absolute. In Japan and certain other markets, Mars continued to use Kal Kan or KaiKan for cat-food products. This reflects the way multinational consumer brands often combine global identities with established local names. Product names, recipes, formats, and distribution arrangements have also varied by country. In the United States, Whiskas has been produced in association with Pedigree Petfoods in McLean, Virginia, while Mars operates a wider network of pet-food facilities and commercial organizations. Whiskas's core portfolio consists of wet and dry cat food. Wet products have been sold as small meaty pieces in sauce, gravy, or jelly and packaged in cans, foil trays, or pouches. Dry products take the form of small biscuits sold in cartons or pouches. Some markets have also offered treats and cat milk. The portfolio is intended for routine feeding and is adapted locally to different retail channels, consumer preferences, and regulatory requirements. Marketing has been central to the brand's identity. Its best-known British claim was widely repeated as “8 out of 10 cats prefer Whiskas,” although the advertising wording was qualified to describe the owners who expressed a preference and the conditions of the tests. The claim became sufficiently familiar to enter popular culture, including through the title of the British television programme 8 Out of 10 Cats. Whiskas also used humor, spectacle, and novelty in promotions. In 1999, Australian rules footballer Garry Hocking temporarily changed his name to Whiskas as part of a Geelong Football Club promotion. That same year, Whiskas Singles promoted a commercial constructed around colors, fish, underwater video, and other stimuli intended to appeal to cats. Another documented promotion took place in autumn 2009, when Whiskas offered feeding dishes to the first 1,000 people registering for a menu-planning activity. These initiatives illustrate the brand's recurring strategy: combine practical feeding guidance with memorable advertising and consumer engagement. Today Whiskas remains an active Mars pet-care brand sold across numerous markets, although the precise brand name, product range, and manufacturing source differ by country.

• 2009

  Menu-planner feeding-dish promotion

  [1]Whiskasen.wikipedia.org

  Whiskas distributed feeding dishes to the first 1,000 registrations for a menu-planning promotion.

• 1999

  Whiskas promotes a commercial aimed at cats

  [1]Whiskasen.wikipedia.org

  Whiskas Singles was associated with an experimental advertisement using imagery and sounds intended to stimulate feline interest.

• 1989

  The United States adopts the Whiskas name

  [1]Whiskasen.wikipedia.org

  Kal Kan was renamed Whiskas in the United States to support a unified international brand identity and separate cat and dog-food naming.

• 1968

  Mars acquires the business

  [1]Whiskasen.wikipedia.org

  Mars, Incorporated acquired Kal Kan, incorporating the business into its pet-food operations.

• 1958

  Whiskas launches in the United Kingdom

  [1]Whiskasen.wikipedia.org

  The Whiskas name was introduced in the UK and subsequently expanded through European markets.

• 1936

  Kal Kan begins pet-food manufacturing

  [1]Whiskasen.wikipedia.org

  The business that later developed the Whiskas brand began manufacturing pet food near Los Angeles, California.

A widely distributed, accessible cat-food brand emphasizing feline palatability, everyday nutrition, product variety, and recognizable purple packaging.

• Wet cat food

  Whiskas wet cat food

  The brand's wet-food portfolio consists of small meat pieces or other prepared cat-food portions served in sauce, gravy, or jelly. Depending on the market, products are packaged in cans, foil trays, or flexible pouches. Wet food is positioned as a convenient everyday feeding option and is commonly offered in multiple flavors, textures, and portion sizes.

• Dry cat food

  Whiskas dry cat food

  Whiskas dry food is sold as small biscuit-like pieces in cartons or pouches. The range forms the shelf-stable part of the brand's cat-food portfolio and is offered in market-specific recipes and pack formats. Before the United States adopted the Whiskas identity, Kal Kan dry cat food had also been sold under the Crave name.

• Cat treats

  Whiskas cat treats

  Treat products extend the brand beyond complete daily food and are intended for supplemental feeding or reward occasions. Availability, product names, and formats vary by country, and the documented international portfolio includes small snack-style products sold through the same retail channels as the main cat-food range.

• Cat milk

  Whiskas cat milk

  In some markets, Whiskas has offered milk in small bottles as part of its broader cat-care range. This is a localized product category rather than a universally available item, illustrating the variation in Whiskas assortments between countries.

• 2009Menu planner and feeding-dish promotion

  United Kingdom

  Whiskas offered feeding dishes to the first 1,000 people who registered for a menu-planning activity.

  Outcome. The promotion linked consumer participation with feeding guidance and branded household merchandise.

  Source
• 1999Whiskas Singles cat-directed television commercial

  United States · United Kingdom

  Whiskas Singles promoted a commercial designed with cats as an intended audience. The advertisement used contrasting colors, fish imagery, underwater footage, and related visual material, and was accompanied by footage showing cats' reactions.

  Outcome. The promotion was presented as an unusual advertising experiment and became a notable example of marketing directed beyond the human purchaser.

  Source
• 1999Garry Hocking Whiskas name-change promotion

  Australia

  Australian rules footballer Garry Hocking changed his name by deed poll to Whiskas as part of a promotional activity connected with the Geelong Football Club and the brand.

  Outcome. The stunt generated publicity for the brand and is documented as an early example of a sports promotion using a temporary commercial name change.

  Source

• 1989

  United States rebranding from Kal Kan to WhiskasStrategy

  Background

  Different names were being used across markets, and the company sought to distinguish cat-food branding from its dog-food architecture.

  Action taken

  Mars changed the Kal Kan cat-food name in the United States to Whiskas, aligning it with the international brand.

  Aftermath

  The rebranding supported more consistent international advertising and made Whiskas the unified name in the United States, while Kal Kan or KaiKan remained in use in selected markets.

  Source

• 1968

  Mars acquisition of Kal KanM&A

  Background

  Kal Kan was an established American pet-food business with expanding operations.

  Action taken

  Mars, Incorporated acquired the business and integrated it into its pet-food organization.

  Aftermath

  The brand became part of Mars's larger pet-care portfolio and later operated in association with Pedigree Petfoods.

  Source

• 1958

  International expansion under the Whiskas identityStrategy

  Background

  The Kal Kan business had developed in the United States and was seeking to expand beyond its domestic base.

  Action taken

  The company entered the United Kingdom using the Whiskas name and later extended that identity across Europe.

  Aftermath

  Whiskas became the principal international-facing identity for the cat-food business, although local names continued in some markets.

  Source

1. 1Whiskasen.wikipedia.org