Whiskas
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Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
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| Defunct | Script error: No such module "WikidataIB". |
| Fate | Acquired by Mars Inc. in 1968 |
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| Headquarters | , U.S. |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Cat food |
| Revenue | Script error: No such module "WikidataIB". |
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| Owner | Mars Inc. (1968–present) |
Number of employees | Script error: No such module "WikidataIB". |
| Parent | Petfoods Ltd (1968–present) |
| Website | whiskas.me Japanese Kaikan page |
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Whiskas (also known as Kal Kan in Japan and other regions) is a brand of cat food sold internationally. It is owned by the American company Mars Inc. It is available either as small meaty pieces in sauce, gravy or jelly packaged in tins, foil trays or pouches, as well as in the form of small biscuits sold in cartons or pouches and milk sold in small bottles. Its packaging has a recognizable purple colour, and its logo consists of a stylized silhouette of a cat's head.
History
Whiskas, originally known as "Kal Kan",[1] started manufacturing pet foods in 1936 from its headquarters near Los Angeles, California. It eventually grew its operations across the United States. In 1958, it entered the UK market under the "Whiskas" brand,[2] which was later expanded throughout Europe.
The company was bought by Mars Inc. in 1968,[3] and became a subsidiary of Petfoods Ltd (later re‐named Pedigree Petfoods).
In 1989, Kal Kan changed its name in the U.S. to Whiskas, to bring it under a single international brand (in line with their European operations) and to help unify advertising campaigns globally, along with removing any confusion between its cat and dog food brands (the dog food line had become Pedigree the year before). Prior to 1989, Kal Kan's dry cat food had been sold under the Crave brand.[4] Although Kal Kan had more brand equity in the United States, "Whiskas" was also found to be perceived by consumers a more likeable and "feline-sounding" name.[5]
In some markets, like Japan, the KaiKan name is still used for MARS´s cat food line.
In the United States, Whiskas is made in McLean, Virginia, by Pedigree Petfoods.[6]
Marketing and slogan
In the United Kingdom, a well-known advertising slogan for Whiskas was "8 out of 10 cats prefer Whiskas",[7][2] which later became "eight out of 10 owners said their cat prefers it". After a complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority, this was changed to "eight out of 10 owners who expressed a preference said their cat prefers it".[8] The British panel show 8 Out of 10 Cats takes its name from the slogan.[9] The slogan has been much imitated – in the 1980s, Red Stripe Lager was advertised with the slogan "9 out of 10 cats prefer it", a play on "cat" meaning "a trendy person". Similarly, a 1987 TV advertisement for Pretty Polly in which a nylon stocking was used to replace the fan belt in a Jaguar car used the slogan "So smooth, 9 out of 10 cats prefer them"; "cat" this time is a reference to the make of car featured.[citation needed]
In 1999, Australian rules footballer Garry Hocking changed his name by deed poll to "Whiskas" as part of the Geelong Football Club promotion with the company. It was the first such publicity stunt of its kind.[10]
On June 3, 1999, Whiskas singles aired "the very first commercial for cats" on American television, which was originally broadcast in Britain in January.[11] The VHS release featured a small segment on how the advert worked and showed several cats' "reactions". The advert was a collection of clips with contrasting colours, fish and video captured from underwater. The end of the video (before fading out and then running again) claimed that "In our tests, 8 out of 10 preferred it".
In Hungary, the Whiskas advertising slogan is "Script error: No such module "Lang".", which means "Cats would buy Whiskas (if they could)". Slogans with the same meaning are used in Serbia, Germany, Austria, Finland, Estonia, France, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Russia, Romania, Poland, the Netherlands, and Slovenia. In Denmark, there once was an advertising slogan "Script error: No such module "Lang".", which means "Cats would choose Whiskas." In Sweden, a similar slogan is used: "Script error: No such module "Lang".", which means "Whiskas – If the cat itself gets to choose". In Russia, the slogan was "Script error: No such module "Lang".", which means "Your kitty would buy Whiskas", where the phrase is rhymed, since one of the words for "kitty" and "Whiskas" rhyme in Russian. In Italian-speaking countries, the slogan i gatti comprerebbero Whiskas – "cats would buy Whiskas" has long been in use.[12]
In Autumn of 2009, Whiskas handed out feeding dishes to the earliest 1,000 registrations to their menu planner.[13]
References
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- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Whiskas Vietnam new logo and visual identity". brand Coat. June 8, 2025. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
- ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Stephen Brook (24 January 2006). "Whiskas waxes lyrical with new slogan". The Guardian.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Joanne Mattern (1 January 2011). Mars Family: M&M Mars Candy Makers. ABDO Publishing Company. pp. 21–. ISBN 978-1-61784-165-1.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.""Kal Kan Foods, Inc. History"". Funding Universe. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.David A. Aaker (1 December 2009). Managing Brand Equity. Simon and Schuster. p. 298. ISBN 978-1-4391-8838-5.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Master Candymaker Forrest Mars Sr. Dies". The Washington Post. July 3, 1999. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."8 OUT OF 10 CATS PREFER WHISKAS United Kingdom Trademark Information". Trademark Elite. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Chris Hackley; Rungpaka Amy Hackley (10 November 2014). Advertising and Promotion. SAGE Publications. pp. 256–. ISBN 978-1-4739-0900-7.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."8 Out Of 10 Cats Trivia". www.comedy.co.uk. British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Barbara, Alysen (2002). The electronic reporter: broadcast journalism in Australia. University of New South Wales Press Ltd. ISBN 0-86840-685-6.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Chura, Hillary (May 24, 1999). "Whiskas Woos Finicky Feline with Offbeat Ad: Spot Imported from London Is Designed to Grab Attention of Cats". Advertising Age. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Pronto" (PDF) (in italiano). Retrieved 2023-10-19.
- ^ div. Produktproben & Aktionen - Seite 12 – Geizkragen.com
External links
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