Whiskas

Whiskas (formerly known as Kal Kan) is a brand of cat food sold throughout the world. It is owned by the American company Mars, Incorporated. It is available either as meat-like pieces in cans, pouches, or dry biscuits. Most packaging is a recognisable purple colour with a stylised silhouette of a cat's head.

History

Whiskas was originally known as Kal Kan when it started in 1936. In 1988, the company changed its name to Whiskas in order to promote its cat food internationally.

Whiskas is made in McLean, Virginia in the USA by the company formerly known as Pedigree Pet Foods.

Marketing

The well-known advertising slogan for Whiskas was "eight out of ten owners said their cat prefers it". After a complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority, this had to be changed to "eight out of ten owners who expressed a preference said their cat prefers it". The British panel show 8 out of 10 Cats took its name from the slogan. 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 being a reference to the make of car featured.