Last updated Apr 11, 2023
We’ve taken a critical look at this iconic brand, evaluating Whiskas’ manufacturing, safety record, ingredient quality, and more. Get the facts in our unbiased Whiskas cat food review.
The Cats.com Standard—Rating Whiskas on What Matters
We’ve analyzed Whiskas and graded it according to the Cats.com standard, evaluating the brand on species-appropriateness, ingredient quality, product variety, price, customer experience, and recall history. Here’s how it rates in each of these six key areas.
Ratings
- Species-Appropriateness – 7/10
- Ingredient Quality – 4/10
- Product Variety – 3/10
- Price – 8/10
- Customer Experience – 8/10
- Recall History – 9/10
Overall Score: 6.5/10
We give Whiskas cat food a 39 out of 60 rating or a C+ grade.
Whiskas Cat Food Video Review
About Whiskas
The brand that would become Whiskas was created in 1936. Then called Kal Kan, it was one of the first pet food brands in existence. By the time the brand’s name changed to Whiskas in 1988, it was on track to become a staple in pantries around the world.
The brand is owned by Mars Petcare, one of the planet’s top-earning pet food companies which also owns other popular brands such as Iams, Royal Canin, Nutro and more. With international distribution and a presence in almost every grocery and pet food store, Whiskas is one of the most recognizable and well-known brands in the world.
Sourcing And Manufacturing
With Whiskas available in so many countries, it’s hard to pin down exactly where all of their foods are made. It appears that at least some of their products sold in the United States are made in Virginia by a co-packing company, so it’s easy to assume that the company partners with other manufacturers around the world.
If you want detailed information pertinent to Whiskas food sold in your country, contact your local Whiskas customer support team.
Has Whiskas Cat Food Been Recalled?
Yes, but only in Canada. After 60 years in the industry, Whiskas announced its first voluntary recall, which involved several varieties of dry cat food sold in Canada.
While the company attributed the 2021 recall to a raw ingredient not meeting their quality standards, retailer Costco Wholesale revealed that the cause was the potential for mycotoxin contamination.
Mycotoxins are toxic compounds created by certain types of mold. This mold most often develops on rice, corn, and other grains. To our knowledge, there were no reports of illness related to this recall.
What Kinds Of Cat Food Does Whiskas Offer?
Whiskas is a bottom-of-the-line budget brand focusing on old-fashioned, affordable foods. Their selection includes dry food and wet recipes packed into pouches. All of their recipes feature beef, poultry, or fish, either in combination or as standalone main ingredients.
Whiskas Cat Food – Top 3 Recipes Reviewed
| Product Name | Food Type | Price | Our Grade |
| Whiskas Purrfectly Chicken Entreé | Wet | $0.07 per oz | C+ |
| Whiskas Choice Cuts Chicken Dinner | Wet | $0.07 per oz | B- |
| Whiskas Tender Bites Favorite Selections Ocean Whitefish & Tuna in Sauce | Wet | $0.07 per oz | B- |
#1 Whiskas Purrfectly Chicken Entree Cat Food Review
Chicken appears to be the primary protein source in this wet cat food.
At first glance, this popular Whiskas recipe appears to be made from shredded chicken in broth, but the ingredient list tells a more nuanced story. Based on the ingredient list, the food seems to be based on a composite of chicken, liver, corn starch, and wheat gluten formed into shreds and set in a thickened gravy.
With multiple potentially-harmful preservatives and possibly-carcinogenic caramel color, the food contains several of the additives we try to avoid.
Overall, this food is high in protein with moderate fat and very low carbohydrate content.
Though the food’s macronutrient distribution is on point, its use of questionable additives and the fact that it contains wheat gluten in lieu of species-appropriate animal protein make it a less-than-ideal choice.
Ingredients
Sufficient Water For Processing, Chicken, Liver, Soy Oil, Corn Starch-Modified, Wheat Gluten, Natural Flavors, Guar Gum, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Taurine, Salt, Vitamins (Vitamin A Acetate, Dl-Alpha Tocopherol Acetate [Source OF Vitamin E], Thiamine Mononitrate [Vitamin B1], Pyridoxine Hydrochloride [Vitamin B6], Riboflavin Supplement [Vitamin B2], Folic Acid), Disodium EDTA, Caramel Coloring, Sodium Nitrite (For Color Retention), Minerals (Manganese Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate), BHA/BHT (A Preservative).
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Soy Oil, Corn Starch-Modified, Wheat Gluten, Guar Gum, Caramel Coloring, BHA/BHT
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Appears to be low in carbohydrates
- Cats love the way the food tastes
- One of the most affordable wet foods on the market
- Primarily made from species-appropriate chicken
Cons
- Contains potentially-harmful artificial dye and preservatives
- Contains a meat composite rather than shredded meat
- Only available in plastic pouches
- Some reviewers say the food’s quality has changed recently
#2 Whiskas Choice Cuts Chicken Dinner in Gravy Review
Chicken appears to be the primary protein source in this wet cat food.
Like the food above, this food is not just made up of cuts of chicken. Instead, the food chunks appear to be extruded hunks of chicken, meat by-products, wheat gluten, and other additives.
Whiskas explains that the meat by-products in this recipe are derived from cows, pigs, and sheep. Though by-products aren’t necessarily bad—they sometimes contain some of the most nutritious parts of the animal—they’re not necessarily good, either. Animal by-products may consist of minimally-nutritious animal parts like noses, ribs, and skin, or they could focus on highly-digestible organs and muscle meat. We just don’t know.
And for cats with food sensitivities, this vaguely-named ingredient introduces too many variables for successful intolerance management.
Unlike the first cat food on this list, this Whiskas recipe doesn’t contain any BHA or BHT, but it does contain added colors.
Overall, this food has high protein content with moderate fat and low carbohydrate content.
With a mix of named and nameless meats, the inclusion of wheat gluten and corn starch, and its use of added colors, this food is not a top choice. That said, its macronutrient distribution is in the carnivore-appropriate zone and sets it apart from other foods that are loaded with starchy, plant-sourced ingredients. If you need an affordable food that delivers species-appropriate, meat-based nutrition, this might be one to consider.
Ingredients
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken, Fish Oil
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Meat By-Products, Wheat Gluten, Corn Starch, Added Colors, Guar Gum
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Low carbohydrate content
- Cats like the way the food tastes
- Affordable for almost any budget
Cons
- Contains meat by-products—may not be a highly-digestible or high-quality food
- Comes in small plastic pouches
#3 Whiskas Tender Bites Favorite Selections Ocean Whitefish & Tuna in Sauce Review
Chicken and meat by-products appear to be the primary protein sources in this wet cat food.
Though ocean whitefish and tuna appear in this product’s name, chicken and meat by-products take center stage on the ingredient list. The tender bites seem to consist of a restructured slurry of chicken, meat by-products, wheat gluten, ocean whitefish, tuna, and other additives.
The food contains “added colors” and is fortified with a variety of synthetic vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.
Overall, this food is rich in protein with moderate fat content and is low in carbohydrates.
Like many economy brands, Whiskas delivers high protein content and a good dose of fat while leaving out many of the most common carbohydrate sources. That said, the food isn’t perfect. The inclusion of meat by-products suggests poor protein digestibility and makes it impossible to know exactly which meats are going into your cat’s body. Ocean whitefish and tuna may be contaminated with heavy metals and other toxins.
Again, this food may be a good option if budget is your top priority, but it’s not among our top recommendations.
Ingredients
Sufficient Water For Processing, Chicken, Meat By-Products, Wheat Gluten, Ocean Whitefish, Tuna, Corn Starch, Glycine, Salt, Added Colors, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Guar Gum, Minerals (Potassium Chloride, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Magnesium Sulfate, Potassium Iodide), Taurine, Vitamins (Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Calcium Pantothenate, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source Of Vitamin K Activity), Dl-Methionine.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Meat By-Products, Wheat Gluten, Corn Starch, Added Colors, Guar Gum
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Primarily made from animal ingredients
- Low carbohydrate content
- Cats like the way this food tastes
Cons
- Contains meat by-products
- Only available in small plastic pouches
What Do Customers Think Of Whiskas Cat Food?
Whiskas is a popular brand. People around the world buy and rely on it every day—and cats like it, too. While most customers feed their cats Whiskas without ever writing a review, most of those who do have good things to say.
Whiskas gets some negative feedback, too. Reviewers on ConsumerAffairs, for example, give it an overall satisfaction rating of 2.5 out of 5 stars. Some say their cats got sick after eating Whiskas. Some say the food wasn’t fresh. Others found foreign objects in the food.
What, exactly, are real customers saying about Whiskas cat food? Let’s read a few customer reviews.
Positive Reviews
“Whiskas Tender Bites has been a “god send” for our thirteen year old domestic shorthair orange tabby Fireball. Poor thing went through a bout of depression after her bonded sister passed away. She lost any and all desire for food and treats. We didn’t want to give up on her because she had been diagnosed and treated for lymphoma a few years prior. So we felt like if she could get through that, she could get through this. She dropped down to a very alarming 4lbs, before we made the decision to start force feeding her. After several nights of baby food, kmr, broths, etc. she finally started to come back around to eating on her own.
We wanted her food to be as appetizing as possible, but didn’t have the money or resources to spend an arm and a leg on cream of the crop, better than human food cat food. She we tried Whiskas and she went CRAZY over it. She started out just lapping the gravy/juices but progressed into eating the meat bits. Once her appetite returned to normal, she couldn’t get enough! At one point, we were feeding her three packets a day to help her put on weight. And it worked… in less than four month she was back up to 6lbs.
I appreciate Wiskas Tender Bites as they are affordable (Amazon’s Subscribe and Save has the best deal), come in easy to open pouches and are apparently quite delicious. And while the ingredients may not be super duper organic and premium, real meat is the second ingredient next to water for processing. Plus… I mean… this food basically saved my kitty’s life and helped her get back into a much healthier weight range!” – Shaigirl, reviewing Whiskas Tender Bites
My cats just love it. Great product. It is convenient, fresh and tasty. The cats lick their plates and the kittens just love it too. I would recommend it in fact I do. When I sell a kitten I always suggest they feed the whiskas purrfectly chicken.” – Henri, reviewing Whiskas Purrfectly Chicken Entree
Negative Reviews
“I agree with some of the other reviews regarding this product. The last several cases I have purchased have all dark meat and the gravy is dark. The feral cats I feed leave the meat. It is a waste. I will order it one or two more times, but if it continues to look like this, I will stop buying it.” – maggie, reviewing Whiskas Purrfectly Chicken Entree
“I’ve got two kittens that don’t seem to mind this food. My 9 year old cat, at first sniff she walked away. But later on when she was too hungry, she’ll eat it. The two times that she has eaten, she has gotten ill. The first time, she threw up afterwards. Second time, she threw it up again, however, she remained sick for two days. She ended up with bloody diarrhea for a day and then less bloody soft but solid stool the second day. Honestly, I would not risk your furry loved ones health for a cheap cat food option.” – J W, reviewing Whiskas Tender Bites Favorite Selections
How Much Does Whiskas Cat Food Cost?
Whiskas cat food is one of the cheapest brands on the market. Their wet foods cost about $0.07 per ounce or roughly $0.63 per day for the average 10-lb cat. Whiskas dry cat food costs half as much per ounce and, if you’re feeding the same 10-lb cat, it would cost about $0.08 per day.
This makes Whiskas cat food some of the cheapest you can buy.
Overall, Is Whiskas A Good Choice?
Whiskas may be a good option if you’re looking for a flavorful, affordable, meat-based food, but their recipes aren’t the best.
Read the label closely to make sure you’re choosing one of their BHA and BHT-free recipes and avoid those that contain caramel color. If your cat seems to have a sensitive stomach, consider trying another brand that uses only named meats. Whiskas’ use of meat by-products makes it difficult to identify and eliminate problem ingredients.
Where To Buy Whiskas Cat Food?
Whiskas cat food is sold in groceries, big box stores, and pet food stores around the world. You can also find it online on Amazon, Chewy, Walmart, and other online retailers that sell pet food.
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Thank you so much for your detailed review. I’ve been feeding my Persian whiskas and now considering to switching to perhaps better quality wet food.
Just wanted to share Whiskas did recall their batch in Canada last month due to quality issues found in their raw meat and sources: https://www.whiskas.ca/en/update
I do wonder how it is everywhere else other than Canada.
Only last week on opening a pouch of whiskas did we find it full of live maggots.
Absolutely disgusting, if my cats didn’t love the taste I would certainly not purchase this product again unfortunately there is not much else my cats will eat.
They are all healthy so I don’t think there’s to much to be concerned about.
The live maggots make me wonder how on earth this could happen in one pouch out of a dozen.
That’s very concerning, Louise. I would contact the company and make a complaint to the FDA.
https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/report-problem/how-report-pet-food-complaint
I always bought Whiskas for my cat as I thought it was a better quality, but of late, particularly since Covid outbreak he walks away and it gets wasted. I did start buying him the fish varieties in jelly but then he only eats the jelly and leaves the rest. As for reading the ingredients, not possible as they are in a foreign language (purchased from Tesco supermarket).
It is costing me twice as much as it ought due to my cats wastage.
I have at present found one (I think) that he likes but won’t name names.
My cat experienced a serious allergic reaction to whiskas food after years of eating it. We determined it was the “new and improved” wet food after weeks of investigation removing exposures from his environment – the reaction stopped immediately after switching food brands. I contacted the company to tell them what we had experienced and I got an angry email back threatening litigation if we asked any questions of them or made our concerns public. They didn’t respond to any further emails. I can’t prove it was the whiskas but their response tells me everything I need to know about their respect for pets.
That’s very concerning…thank you for sharing your experience. That doesn’t sound right at all.
Please can you do review of uk wiskas? my cat used to eat it but swiched to lilys kichen and blink!. im in the uk by the way.
That’s an interesting idea! We’ll consider it.
also do another review of lilys kitchen as they updated the entire menu
A few months that I am observing my cat having liquid and smelly pooh after eating Whiskas wet food in Sauce or in Jelly. Firstly, and because I was giving other types of food, I had to find out which one was making my cat sick. Once I discover which one was creating the problems I did stop giving it to my cat, the pooh became normal and after weeks I did try to give her a pooch and again the problems started straight away. Lucky that I have a reserve on Cat probiotics, so that she can get better, but what worries me this time is that she had blood with her pooh.
I think that a petition has to be signed online I am not the only one complaining here, Whiskas should be able to make some changes in their food so that our beloved pets won’t get sick!
Thanks for sharing your experience with Whiskas, Sylvie.
My kitten hot blood with his pooh , and now I think it’s from whiskas, I only give him the ocean fish dry food , he is 4 months old
Going right off Whiskas cat food it seems you are paying the same for less now 85g in a pouch and NOT clearly marked for all to see i.e people eith sight problems. Info should be on front in larger print so oeople know EXACTLY what they are getting. Beginning ti thing Butchers is a better option you get what you pay for not less and pay the same.
Mystery meat…Meat By Products…i wouldnt feed a killing cat Whiskas.
Lots of fur parents really hate whiskas especially the dry one. I saw a lot of fur parents on internet had an anger with this whiskas, they often said whiskas is very much salty and doesn’t have a good recipe.
I recently read one facebook post which is his cat died because of kidney problem, and his food, whiskas for almost 3 years.
I’m using powerkitten right now for my kitten, dry food and It’s good for my kitten
Hi Lei, it’s great that you’re doing your research to find a healthy food for your cat. It’s true that Whiskas has had some customer complaints in the past and the quality of their foods leaves something to be desired. I’m glad Powerkitten is working for you!
I fed one plastic container of this food to my 9 year old Maine Coon
3 days later she was gone
Started vomiting the next day and unable to void
Death was undetermined, but this was the only difference in the routine.
My older (17) Maine Coon developed a tooth issue and in the past he has enjoyed Fancy feast Salmon pare, so I looked for a similar product
He snubbed it but the 9 year old ate it
We can’t be sure but we suspect that this food had something to do with it
A wonderful healthy cat gone so quickly
I’ll never buy this stuff again
I’m sorry to hear about the sudden death of your Maine Coon, Bill. I understand why you wouldn’t want to feed Whiskas again after this. Thank you for sharing.
My cat 5 year old main coon vomits almost every time she eats ehiskas portions beef flavour pate!, when I adopted her a yr and half ago, she was the pickiest cat ever, I tried every single cat foood on the shelf from science diet to Ian’s royal canin and so on! She would not eat any of it and she was loosing weight fast! I took her to the vet they said go next door and buy duck or chicken only frozen natural food! She would have nothing to do with that neither! The only good she liked was the whiskasoortions beef flavour pate! So I give it to her! I try other wet foods, fancy feast , I have tried every kind on the market and it just goes to waste! What the hell is in this whiskas shit that makes her puke so often? I finally found a grain free kibble that she actually eats, so I gove her that also, but for the most part she will starve herself and wait for the damn whiskas beef!
Yikes! Sorry to hear you’re having trouble finding a good option for your kitty, Denise. Sensitive stomachs are common in cats, but with brands like Whiskas and Fancy Feast there are also artificial additives and fillers like corn, wheat, and soy to consider. High-carb cat foods can be pretty difficult for cats to digest in general since cats are carnivores – their bodies simply aren’t designed to process plant foods efficiently. I’ve heard other cat owners comment about their cats refusing to eat anything but one of these brands too, so you’re not alone!
I would recommend maybe trying to transition your cat onto a cat food that doesn’t contain as many artificial additives. The more natural the food, the easier it is to digest and the less likely to upset your cat’s tummy. It might be a challenge given that your cat is already refusing other foods, but you might try something that has a very strong aroma – a fish-flavored food like Tiki Cat, maybe – to appeal to his senses.
If you’re shopping on a budget it’s tempting to stick with cheaper brands like Whiskas but you may be able to find something that’s a little higher in quality for a similar price. Check out our cheap cat food recommendations to see if something on this list might fit into your budget:
https://cats.com/best-cheap-cat-food
Hello Kate, thanks for your reply on my comment regarding Bella and whiskas protons beef flavour., It’s not the budget I’m concerned about , I tried every food on the market starting with most expensive, and she is one stubborn kitty. Her original owner was elderly and passed away which is how I ended up adopting her, I m assuming that maybe she was on a budget being elderly and the fact that Bella is super stubborn, this kitty of mine will run circles around me as I walk from one room the the other , and if I don’t respond by giving her that shit whiskas food right away, she is hissing and swatting her claws at my legs!, It’s brutal that she is addicted to this horrible food., There wasn’t any kibbles that I could get her to eat neither until I found the grain free oh rina cat food kibbles and it’s decently priced, she eats it and doesn’t complain!, but is never content without stupid whiskas., So I’m cutting her off of it slowly, she now gets half of a half portion twice a day., sometimes only once a day, she’s pissed off at me and she lets me know it that’s forsure. I want her to be happy but I also want her to be healthy ., I believe I have tried that kiwi brand you mentioned already, but I will try it again, I even added fish oil to her food to entice her but she still sticks her nose up to it and looks at me with her ears back and a pissed of glare!. It’s comical at times but more frustrating than anything. Thanks again for your reply
Cats sure can be finicky! It sounds like you’re doing the right thing, though. It’s always great if you can get your cat to eat something healthy but if the alternative is not eating at all then you sometimes just have to give them what they’ll eat. Maybe weaning her off the Whiskas will work but, if not, there’s no harm in using it as a food topper to get her to eat!
My first cat (2014-2018) had Whiskas (dry, wet and milk) all his life, got diagnosed with lymph cancer at the age of 3. No history of cancer in his family, was a tabby and I raised him from 2 months old.
He was very healthy and physically fit until he got cancer. I did notice he seems to dislike Whiskas and ate as much as he could at every chance he got if he could eat other food (I occasionally makes fresh food for him)
Should’ve been more careful with his food, Whiskas was the most accessible cat food in my area (Sydney) and I thought if it can go on the shelves, there shouldn’t be any problem.
Hi CYN, thank you for commenting. I’m so sorry about your cat’s untimely death of cancer. It’s always hard to determine exactly what causes cancer, but I can understand that you would consider that the Whiskas may have contributed. A good diet can always help, so I agree that something other than Whiskas would be ideal for any future cats. Take care.
Another company out there rpping off there customers . Wet food with more liquid and less substance. Crooks . I must thank you after all . Gonna actually change brands and go with a better quality food . If your doing that to customers I can imagine what your actually putting in there. BAD ,BAD ,BAD…
Why do you think that most of us are from the US? Can’t we be from other countries?
I initially fed my two cats whiskas, after about six months they both turned their noses up at it, obviously they have far more sense than i do. whiskas, is cheap, nasty and basically grain. since when do cats eat grain, i am now much more interested in what my cats eat. and they are far more interested in the food they now get. whiskas is simply made for a price, namely, cheap and nasty ok. so good cat food costs a little more, but i prefer my cats well fed, and happy
I have a 26 week old kitten he is a very playful energetic Bengal/Siamese Cross. He entertained himself daily. I trained him to sit on command, play fetch, to walk on a harness and lead.
Then one morning he wouldn’t get out of his bed all day and he looked sad and depressed. Wouldn’t /didn’t eat or drink for over 48 hours + so I took him to the vets (expensive). He was very lethargic and diagnosed with a small blockage in his bladder/penis and he was overweight for his age .He was given antibiotics/anti-inflamatory injections and oral medication for home. The vet asked what he was fed on and it was whiskas kitten dry food. She told me this wasn’t good for kittens due to some added ingredients in this food. I thought I was going to loose Rafiki at 26 weeks and was devastated. Why is this food still allowed to be sold in the UK ? I now have to find a good replacement dry food for him. Luckily 3 days on he seems to.be pulling through, but he is not the same ,he is not my toy mouse chasing, toe nipping , playful naughty cat anymore all because of this awful food which I researched and came up one of the best on the market. You and my vet has proven differently today. 😔
Hey, I’m so sorry to hear that this happened to your kitty. Is he feeling any better now?
As soon as I started giving food to my cat, I noticed that there was a fungal like thing from the Vishkas Kitten Jelly packet and its. Expiry is also 2025
Concerning—thanks for sharing this. I’d recommend reporting this to Whiskas as well.