Whiskas for kittens and cats: is it possible to feed this food to your pet?

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Due to the lack of time among owners and their stereotype that the kitten does not get everything it needs from natural products, ready-made dry and soft food has gained popularity. Almost everyone who has a kitten for the first time is interested in whether Whiskas is good for kittens as a permanent diet. This food belongs to the economy category, and this makes it clear that you cannot count on high quality. Not all components of this food are indicated on the packaging, and therefore the owner has little idea what the kitten, which is completely dependent on his care, is eating.

Line “Appetizing mix”

These products are intended for feeding adult animals. The food is complete, it contains all the components important for animals, so it can be used every day. Appetizing Mix is a wet food that is fundamentally different from other Whiskas products. It contains three main flavor-forming ingredients:

shrimp, salmon, cream sauce;
duck, chicken, cheese sauce;
poultry, beef, tomato jelly;
beef, lamb, cream sauce.

The combination of three flavors in one package makes the food more attractive. However, this is not the only feature of the line. Experts and cat owners note the following advantages of the Appetizing Mix diets:

high percentage of protein components (spiders contain at least 80% meat, poultry or seafood);
correct balance of nutrients;
the presence of vitamins E, A, omega-6 fatty acids, taurine, calcium, zinc, phosphorus, which are responsible for the condition of the skin, coat, bone strength and provide the cat with good vision;
unique texture of the pieces;
absence of flavorings, preservatives and substances that enhance the taste of food.

Product range

Whiskas is available in dry and wet forms (portioned bags). The main components of the composition are: chicken, rabbit, lamb or other ingredients.

All offers are divided according to age. There are separate lines for kittens, adults and elderly pets (over 7 years old). Filtering allows you to take into account all the features in different age periods.

For kittens

Whiskas offers several food options for kittens. A dry product is produced in pillows, as well as wet types - pate and stew in portioned bags. You can feed a kitten from 1 month of age. Up to 4 weeks, you cannot feed your baby this food, giving preference to mother's milk or special milk formulas.

Whiskas for kittens is represented by the following assortment:

Turkey flavored jelly.
Salmon flavored stew.
Veal jelly.
Chicken flavored pate.
Pads with milk and turkey.

For adult pets

Whiskas also has a wide range of dry and wet food for adult cats.

This line is intended for feeding animals after 1 year.

All products can be divided into several main categories:

Wet food in the form of a stew with different flavors. The main ingredients can be salmon, rabbit, turkey, beef. One bag can contain several flavors (for example, beef and lamb).
Mini fillets with different flavors. Pieces of fillet are combined with jelly here. The meat base is chicken, beef or rabbit.
Cream soup with beef or chicken. The liquid consistency helps improve digestion and prevents constipation.
Jelly with fish, chicken, rabbit and vegetables.
Pate with fish or poultry, beef, veal.
The manufacturer produces pillows with pate in the form of a dry product.
There is a separate line for spayed and neutered pets. These animals have special needs and require a special diet. Therefore, before castration or deciding to sterilize a pet, you need to take care of changing its menu.

Another type of food is treats, which are not recommended to be given daily.

Brand history

The Whiskas brand has been on the market since 1958. Now every developed country has a representative office of this brand, and you can buy finished products in almost any store. The same cannot be said about some other brands for cats, which are sold only in specialized pet stores.

Cat whiskey

Note! Cat owners began to call food from other manufacturers “Whiskas.” The name has become a common noun.

This is interesting: Symptoms of an allergy to cat fur

Composition information

There is an opinion that economy class food contains only harmful products.

However, the pets themselves love Whiskas and eat it with pleasure.

A detailed analysis of the composition will allow you to determine whether Whiskas is healthy.

Let's look at the composition of Whiskas Kitten Chicken Stew:

The total amount of protein is 8.3 grams (per 100 grams), which is insufficient for normal growth and development of a kitten. The source of protein is chicken, however, there is no more than 4% meat, the rest is by-products.
Cereals are indicated as the source of carbohydrates, but there is no indication of which ones or their percentage.
The source of fat is vegetable oil without a specified exact amount.
The manufacturer lists taurine as an additional substance. This is an essential amino acid that is not produced independently in the pet’s body. It also contains vitamins and minerals.
The composition turned out to be blurry, which indicates the low quality of the product.

Herbivores (cows, horses, sheep, antelopes and others)

Their body is maximally adapted to digest carbohydrates and other nutrients obtained from plants.

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All herbivores are characterized by common anatomical features:

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the structure of molars (flat and rectangular), ideally suited for grinding and crushing coarse plant stems. The lateral mobility of the lower jaw (from side to side) is clearly expressed, facilitating chewing movements that promote chewing of plants
long digestive tract - the length of the intestines can be almost 10 times the length of your own body, which ensures better absorption of indigestible fiber, which is rich in plant foods
Saliva contains the enzyme amylase, which helps digest carbohydrates. Therefore, herbivores chew vegetation thoroughly to ensure that it is mixed with amylase.

What are the consequences

Feeding your pet with ready-made food is quite simple, quick and inexpensive. However, few owners think about the possible consequences of such a diet for their pet.

Veterinarians point to the following diseases and pathological conditions that develop in cats whose menu is based on Whiskas and other economy-class foods:

gastritis;
ulcerative lesions of the gastrointestinal tract;
bouts of vomiting;
liver pathologies;
development of dependence on food, refusal of other foods;
kidney diseases;
sand and stone formations localized in the kidney area;
hair loss;
skin, dermatological diseases;
lethargy, passivity;
development of obesity;
the appearance of dandruff and skin rashes;
pancreatitis.

Clinical studies have shown that cats fed Whiskas require more water. Thus, when eating 100 g of food, an animal must consume at least 250 ml of liquid, which is virtually unrealistic. Lack of proper drinking regime leads to serious problems with the kidneys and urination, increased urine concentration, and the formation of sand and stones.

If you constantly feed Whiskas to a small kitten, you can provoke delays in its development, a weakened immune system and an increased susceptibility to various kinds of diseases. Possible unwanted side effects include allergic reactions.

The results of the studies have proven that domestic cats that feed exclusively on Whiskas and often consume this food live on average no more than 5 years. At the same time, the average life expectancy of cats whose owners provide an optimally balanced menu is at least 10-15 years.

Scottish Straight cats

much lighter, more graceful and more agile than the British
. The average weight of an adult male is 4−5 kg, and that of a cat is 3 kg;
round muzzle with large expressive eyes. The upper eyelid is almond-shaped. The ears are medium-sized, with rounded ends, but the ear cartilage is thinner than that of the British brothers;
The body of these cats is of medium length, muscular, with a prominent chest. The paw bones are heavy, but the legs are slender. The tail is long and flexible;
The color of the Scottish Straight is as varied as that of the British Shorthair breed. They also come in plain colors (white, blue, lilac, black) and in colors that combine several shades (including striped, temple-colored).

Cons of Whiskas for kittens

The disadvantages of Whiskas food directly relate to the condition of the animal. If you feed it such food, the kitten’s health will deteriorate quickly. A cat raised on Whiskas will not be able to live a full life, even if in the future it is transferred to high-quality feeding with natural food. The main disadvantages of Whiskas food, which the kitten will not tolerate without consequences, are the following :

poor-quality composition that does not satisfy all the cat’s needs for vitamins, microelements and proteins - with such a diet the animal cannot fully develop. Even if, at first glance, the kitten grows well, receiving only Whiskas as the main food, its internal organs are not formed correctly, because of this, serious health problems will soon begin;
provoking the development of urolithiasis due to an increase in the concentration of mineral salts in the urine - this phenomenon is due to the fact that normally for every 100g of food eaten, the kitten should drink 1 glass of water immediately after eating, which is impossible for him to do completely. Thus, a kitten gradually becomes ill with urolithiasis from childhood;
addictive chemical components - the kitten becomes addicted to the substances included in Whiskas, from which it is very difficult to transfer it to normal nutrition, which is necessary to maintain health.

Having studied the disadvantages that Whiskas kitten food has, any owner will understand that, of course, you should not choose such a diet for your pet. A kitten will grow healthy only with adequate nutrition.

When he was born

Feeding a newborn kitten is perhaps the only topic in nutrition that does not concern you at all.

His mother knows the answer to this question. But it happens that people also have to feed babies, for example, foundlings.

So what do you need to know if a baby is dropped at your door, or for some other reason, feeding a kitty falls on your shoulders.

A newborn cannot drink on his own, so you need to stock up on an ordinary medical syringe.
Formulas for newborns are sold especially for refuseniks. Just like people. This mixture has a composition as close as possible to the composition of milk from a nursing cat. You can buy it at a pet store
If you can’t buy the mixture, the food can be prepared at home. Goat and cow's milk are mixed in equal proportions, then egg white is added. The resulting mixture is filtered and heated to 30 degrees
In order for the baby to be full, he needs to be fed every 2 hours, day and night.

A signal that the baby is completely full will be his quiet sleep. If after feeding the baby squeals, then eating should be continued.

How much food to give a cat per day with a mixed diet?

With a mixed diet (is it possible, in principle, to feed a cat dry and wet food at the same time?) it is better to feed cats products from the same manufacturer or even the same line. Firstly, such a recommendation is given by veterinarians, and secondly, in this case you will always know exactly how much and what kind of food the animal should eat, since all the recommendations are given on the manufacturer’s labels.

When the manufacturers of wet and dry food are different, you will have to calculate the volume of food yourself and experiment. The starting point could be, for example, half the daily value of wet and the same amount of dry product. Next, you should monitor your pet. If he loses weight, then the portions need to be increased; if he gains weight, then, on the contrary, he should reduce them.