Everyone knows about Whiskas food for kittens, even children. It has been produced for a very long time - since the 50s of the last century and throughout this time this brand has not lost popularity. This is not surprising, because a memorable advertisement for Whiskas food with a cute gray cat and the slogan “Your pussy would buy Whiskas” are constantly flashing on TV screens.
The products of this manufacturer can be purchased in any store at a very affordable price, and from a wide range of diets, every kitten owner will be able to choose food with a suitable taste for their pet. But whether this food is as good as it is presented in advertising should be found out.
Is it possible to give Whiskas to kittens?
Many people have a stereotype that it is impossible for a kitten to get all the substances necessary for full development from natural food. That’s why ready-made food in dry or wet form is so popular today. Every person who has a small fluffy ball in their home remembers the advertisement about Whiskas and wonders: is it possible to make it a permanent diet for their pets? This food, as you know, belongs to the economy class, which means there can be no talk of any high quality. Therefore, when giving food to a kitten, it is impossible to predict how its body will react to such food.
But if, nevertheless, the owner of a kitten decides to feed his pet Whiskas, it must be done correctly.
Reviews and recommendations
Reviews of Whiskas food for kittens vary widely: some owners say that the animal eats with pleasure, is always in a playful mood, and examinations by the veterinarian always go without any complaints.
Here are some reviews about these foods:
Ruslana, Yekaterinburg: “ We were looking for inexpensive but high-quality food for our British kitten. We've been buying food for him for some time now - he eats on both cheeks. Of course, when our Brunik grows up, we will again look for some options for mixtures, but now Whiskas is quite happy with him.”
Alexander, Stavropol: “ At first, my wife and I didn’t really believe that the advertised Whiskas was a really good food, but the pet store convinced us otherwise. The cat eats with pleasure, and it’s not hard for us financially, so it’s a big plus for the manufacturer for budget-friendly and good food.”
Marina, Kiev: “ We have a Persian cat in our family, Monya, who has been very picky about food since she was a little girl. Of course, now she eats “adult food”, but when she was still a kitten, she was very picky about food, and only Whiskas accepted it. As for the quality of the food, there are no complaints about the cat’s health.”
Reviews from veterinarians indicate that for normal development, both dry and wet food for Whiskas kittens are needed.
Important! Alternating dry and wet food ensures the achievement of an optimal nutritional pattern for the full development and good health of your pet.
Which one to choose? Although, why bother? You have to eat both!
It is optimal that accustoming to alternating changes of feed occurs from childhood.
Manufacturers of Whiskas kitten food recommend following a dry diet during the day, and giving jelly, stew or pate in the morning and evening.
Regardless of what breed your pet is, be it a bohemian Persian , a bald Don Sphynx , or a huge Maine Coon , the main thing for him in the first year of life is a balanced diet.
In the first month of life, babies are not separated from their mother. Their only food is mother's milk.
In the period from 1 to 3 months, they try to feed babies and completely switch them to ready-made food.
During this period of life, Whiskas wet food for kittens is better for them.
From 4-5 months until they reach the age of one year, the diet can be diversified with dry food.
Whatever breed of purr you have, you should take care of its balanced diet. After all, this is the key to health
How to give
If a kitten eats Whiskas no more than once a month, then there should be no consequences for its body. It happens that a kitten has to be left at home alone for more than half a day, then Whiskas is suitable as a one-time meal. It’s just important not to forget to leave him enough water. For such a case, Whiskas will be very useful.
Interesting video:
But it is not recommended to purchase it for a kitten as a treat, even occasionally. It is better to give him a natural treat that will benefit the small, vulnerable organism.
The benefits and harms of Whiskas
Low cost and widespread distribution, complemented by a strong advertising campaign, make cat owners think about purchasing a diet for their pets. The cats featured in the advertisement beam at us with health and energy from the TV screen; looking at them you want to try the magic food. However, it is important to understand that an economy class product cannot ensure the presence of natural ingredients and the absence of preservatives and dyes.
Undoubtedly, Whiskas is loved by cats, which makes us think about the flavorings and flavor enhancers included in the composition, and this is not good for the animals.
On the packaging of Russian products, the composition is so vague that it is impossible to understand what was really included in the recipe and what preservatives were used for storage. There are data on the packages of the American manufacturer, and they are disappointing. One of the preservatives E250 causes poisoning at high concentrations. Since the percentage of components is unknown, it is difficult to talk about the benefits of Whiskas for cats of any age.
Looking at the reviews on the manufacturer’s domestic website, doubts arise about their natural origin. If only because the life expectancy of a cat is on average 12-15 years, animals aged 22 years are rare. The chances of owners of cats of such advanced age writing 2 reviews in a row are negligible.
In general, positive and negative user responses were divided; it is difficult to say which is more. Therefore, it is worth considering the diet individually, at first regularly checking the animal with a veterinarian. There are cases when pets choose only Whiskas and do not want to eat any other product.
Whiskas diets for kittens from 1 to 12 months
The food rations of this manufacturer are distinguished by a variety of tastes. The assortment includes:
- Delicious pillows with milk, turkey and carrots . This is a dry food, sold in packages of 350 g and 1.9 kg. It is produced in the form of crispy pillows containing milk inside.
The composition contains wheat flour, as well as poultry and turkey flour (minimum 4% in brown, yellow and red granules), meat and bone meal, protein plant extracts, rice, animal fat, brewer's yeast, sunflower oil, at least 4% carrots (in brown, yellow and red granules), dairy products (minimum 4% milk solids in the pads), taurine, minerals and vitamins.
- Stew with lamb . Wet food, which is complete and essential for a growing body. Your little one will definitely love the little pieces of tender lamb in a delicious sauce.
The stew contains meat with offal (including at least 4% lamb), vegetable oil, minerals with vitamins and taurine.
- Stew with chicken. Wet food, which is complete and essential for a growing body. Your little one will definitely love the small pieces of tender chicken in a delicious sauce.
The stew contains meat with by-products (minimum 4% chicken), vegetable oil, cereals, minerals with vitamins and taurine.
- Stew with salmon . Wet food, which is a balanced diet, so necessary for the full development of a kitten. He will definitely love the tender little pieces with salmon that has a pleasant aroma.
The food contains meat and by-products (minimum 4% salmon), vegetable oil, cereals, minerals, vitamins, and taurine.
- Veal jelly . Wet food, which is a balanced diet, so necessary for the full development of a kitten. He will definitely love the tasty meat pieces with veal in aromatic jelly.
The food contains meat and offal (minimum 4% veal), vegetable oil, minerals, vitamins, and taurine.
- Turkey jelly . Wet food, which is a balanced diet, so necessary for the full development of a kitten. He will definitely love the delicious meat pieces with turkey in aromatic jelly.
The food contains meat and offal (at least 4% turkey), vegetable oil, minerals, vitamins, and taurine.
- Chicken pate . Wet food, which is a balanced diet, so necessary for the full development of a kitten. He will definitely love the tender meat pate with chicken.
The food contains meat and offal (minimum 25% chicken), vegetable oil, minerals, vitamins, and taurine.
What does the manufacturer put in economical varieties of food (Whiskas, Friskis, Kitekat and the like)?
Dry food with Whiskas chicken: to preserve nutrients in the diet, manufacturers often add special components. For example, the preservative ethoxykin has the task of increasing the shelf life and preserving micronutrients. This component has not been found to have any harmful effects on animals, which is why it is not prohibited by the FDA (USA).
Sodium nitrite (trade name E250) is a food preservative for adding to industrial products for indoor animals. The concentrate does not affect the body, but its pure form in large dosages can cause poisoning. Absorbed into the blood from the stomach, nitrites do not allow oxygen to move and bind hemoglobin. But this reaction is possible only with the absorption of a concentrated dose of the preservative.
Reviews from veterinarians describe diseases caused in cats by immune weakening, which occurs due to improperly selected food for the pet.
There is more information on the American Whiskas packaging (this is established at the legislative level). Let's get acquainted with the composition of Meaty Selections (Whiskas meat selection): protein - up to 36%, animal fat - 14%, fiber - up to 5%, moisture - 13%, phosphorus - 1%, calcium - about 2%, zinc -160 mg per 1 kg, chondroitin sulfate – 310 mg per 1 kg, linoleic acid – 1.5%. Responsible for the nervous state, vision and function of the heart and blood vessels, immunity taurine -0.2%. Vitamins A - 12000 units per 1 kg, E - 160 units. per 1 kg. Glucose (410 mg per 1 kg), like chondroitin, is needed to prevent diseases of cartilage surfaces and bones, to strengthen ligaments and joints. First of all, such components are recommended for representatives of the British breed for development and growth.
About the negative aspects of using Whiskas, they also note the lack of specific indications and numerical quantities of meat components, preservatives and organic dyes. Commonly found additives in cat foods are butylated hydroxyanisole and butylated hydroxytoluene, which are not used in human foods. Their use is necessary for quality and shelf life extension.
Pros: low price, wide distribution in all stores (retail chains and very small stores), availability of a vitamin-mineral complex, rich assortment - wet food, pate, dry food and treats.
Feed composition
As an example to analyze the composition of Whiskas for kittens, you can take “pads with milk filling, turkey and carrots.”
- The first ingredient on the package is wheat flour, which is a source of carbohydrates; rice is the same source. The amount of flour present in the feed is unknown, as is the percentage of other feed components. But since flour comes first, we can assume that there is more than half of it in the feed.
- The second ingredient is flour of animal origin, that is, from turkey, poultry and meat and bone. But there is no information on the packaging about what parts of turkey and poultry were used in the production of the food and the exact percentage.
- Next come protein plant extracts, but their percentage is again unknown.
- Since poultry meal, meat-and-bone and wheat flour, as well as rice contain a small amount of protein, most likely of the 34% of protein present in the food, a significant part belongs to vegetable protein, which is more difficult for the cat’s body to digest.
- The feed contains sunflower oil and animal fat as sources of fatty acids, but it is not known which animals it comes from.
- The source of B vitamins is brewer's yeast, and the source of fiber is carrots.
- The remaining ingredients are various additives.
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.
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.
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.
Pros and cons of Whiskas food
As mentioned above, Whiskas food is produced in dry and wet form, giving kitten owners a choice. But only the owner, and not his pet, can discover any advantages in food that belongs to the economy class. And the statement “your pussy would buy Whiskas” has nothing to do with the truth. A kitten who eats budget food with great appetite does so only because of the presence of various chemicals in it, which cause gradual addiction to this food and a desire to eat it. It's similar to how people get addicted to drugs.
According to kitten owners, the advantages of Whiskas include:
- Ease of feeding . If you don’t have enough time, feeding your kitten with ready-made food is very convenient; you only need to spend a couple of minutes on the whole process. Since the food is already ready, all you need to do is open the pack and put it in a bowl. Even a child can cope with feeding a kitten.
- Avoiding food spoilage . Those who have a kitten left alone for the whole day put a portion of dry food in a bowl designed for this time, and can rest assured that the food will not spoil and the kitten will not be poisoned after eating it.
- Eating food with appetite . A kitten may adore Whiskas, but not for its quality composition, but for the chemical components contained in the food in large quantities.
- Low cost of feed . The kitten owner may like this because he won't have to spend a lot of money on his pet. But this is only an appearance, but in fact, having carefully calculated the funds spent on the purchase of ready-made food, it will become clear that natural food will be much cheaper.
As for the disadvantages of Whiskas, they are associated with the condition of the kitten. If he feeds only on it, his health will be undermined in a short time. An animal that grew up on such food will no longer be able to live a full life, even if the owner later switches it to feeding high-quality natural food.
So, the main disadvantages are:
- Bad composition . He will not be able to saturate the kitten with the required amount of proteins, microelements and vitamins, so with such a diet there will be no full development. And if the kitten grows well outwardly, then its insides are still not formed correctly. Sooner or later, problems will begin with the baby's health.
- Presence of addictive chemical components . Eating only Whiskas, the kitten gets used to these substances, and then it will be very difficult to switch it to nutritious food.
- Development of urolithiasis . This is due to an increase in the level of mineral salts in the urine. Normally, a kitten should drink a glass of water after eating 100 g of food. But it is clear that this is impossible, and the baby gradually begins to develop this disease from childhood.
Important author's addition
My outbred cat is eight years old, seven of which she eats Whiskas economy food, during which time she went to the vet only once - when she developed a severe allergy that caused her pet to go bald. The analysis showed that the allergic reaction was caused by a change in diet (I will not indicate which diet, but of a different type). The rest of the blood parameters were within normal limits, so everything is individual.
Sources:
https://gafki.ru/koshki/viskas-dlya-kotyat.html https://prohvost.club/koshki/kormlenie-koshek/korm-dlya-koshek-viskas.html https://porodakoshek.ru/korma/ korm-dlya-koshek-viskas-otzyvy-veterinarov.html
