New Campaign Highlights the Unique Nutritional Needs of Cats with renowned cat lovers and influencers, Avinash Tiwary, Srishti Dixit and Uorfi Javed
Whiskas, 1 India’s most trusted and preferred cat food brand, is launching its latest influencer campaign, ‘Switch to Whiskas – for The Tiger in Your Cat,’ aimed at educating pet parents about the unique dietary needs of their pet cats. While domestic cats may seem like affectionate and playful companions, they have tiger-like instincts, making species-appropriate nutrition essential for their well-being.
With the rise in cat ownership across India, particularly among urban Gen Z and Millennial pet parents, the campaign addresses a crucial gap, many first-time cat owners are unaware that their pet’s nutritional needs are vastly different from those of humans or other pets like dogs. As obligate carnivores, cats require a diet rich in high-quality animal protein, taurine, and essential nutrients, which generic diets or human food typically fail to provide.
This campaign is in partnership with renowned cat lovers and influencers, Avinash Tiwary, Srishti Dixit & Uorfi Javed & starring along with our adorable cats, Sania and Prince.
Educating India’s Growing Community of Cat Parents
India is experiencing a significant surge in cat ownership, 2with over 70% of kitten owners being first-time pet parents. However, despite this increase, India remains one of the lowest calorie conversion markets globally, with less than 10% of pet parents feeding their cats nutritionally balanced, manufactured pet food.
Salil Murthy, Managing Director of Mars Petcare India, emphasized the urgent need for awareness: “The pet parenting landscape in India is evolving, but awareness about proper cat nutrition remains low. India continues to be one of the lowest pet food adoption markets in the world, 3 with less than 10% of cat parents opting for scientifically formulated pet food. This is concerning because cats, as obligate carnivores, have very specific dietary requirements that typically cannot be met by homemade food or generic diets.
At Mars Petcare, we bring over a century of expertise in pet food and nutrition and a deep scientific understanding of what cats and dogs need to thrive. Our globally recognized research and extensive experience enable us to formulate 100% complete and balanced nutrition, designed to support cats’ natural instincts and physiological needs. This campaign is an important step in driving awareness and empowering pet parents to make informed choices that contribute to their pet’s long-term health.”
Bringing the Message to Life: A Multi-Platform Campaign
At the heart of the campaign is a powerful film that challenges the common misconception that Pets can be fed the same diet as their Pet Parents. The video captures everyday moments where a cat’s primal instincts emerge, reinforcing their connection to their genetics and the need for species-appropriate nutrition.
To further amplify this message, Whiskas has partnered with renowned cat lovers and influencers, including Avinash Tiwary, Srishti Dixit, and Uorfi Javed, whose deep bonds with their pet cats lend authenticity to the campaign. Their involvement ensures that the message resonates with India’s digital-savvy, millennial pet parents.
The campaign will be activated through:
- Influencer collaborations and community engagement to drive awareness and action.
- Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising in key urban centers
- Social media integrations across Instagram, YouTube, and quick commerce platforms
Ayesha Huda, Chief Marketing Officer of Mars Pet Nutrition India, added, “For too long, cat nutrition has been misunderstood, with many pet parents unknowingly feeding their cats diet that lacks essential nutrients. Cats have unique biological and dietary needs, yet awareness about species-appropriate nutrition remains low. Through this campaign, we want to shift the mindset from simply feeding cats to truly nourishing them in alignment with their natural instincts. By bringing science-backed insights into everyday conversations and leveraging the voices of passionate cat lovers, Whiskas is committed to empowering pet parents to make informed choices that support their cat’s long-term health and well-being.
As a brand backed by decades of research in cat nutrition, we champion a holistic approach to cat care, ensuring every meal contributes to their vitality, agility, and happiness. This campaign reinforces our commitment to providing 100% complete and balanced nutrition, helping pet parents unlock the best version of their cat companions because inside every cat, there’s a tiger waiting to thrive.”
Creative Vision: Bringing Out the Instincts of Cats
Speaking about the creative strategy behind the campaign, Vishnu Srivatsav, National Creative Director – 22 Feet Tribal Worldwide explained, “Giving pets the same food we eat has been a deep-rooted habit and something that we needed to address as a pet food brand. But what we realised was, to make cat parents relook at their cat’s nutrition, we needed to make them relook at their cats. When we realised that cats share a significant portion of their genetics with tigers, we knew we had that ammunition. And that’s what we have tried to tell cat parents in the most compelling and provocative manner possible.”
About Mars Petcare
Part of Mars, Incorporated, a family-owned business with more than a century of history making diverse products and offering services for people and the pets people love, the 85,000 Associates across 50+ countries in Mars Petcare are dedicated to one purpose: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS. With 85 years of experience, our portfolio of almost 50 brands serves the health and nutrition needs of the world’s pets – including brands PEDIGREE®, WHISKAS®, ROYALCANIN®, NUTRO™, GREENIES™, SHEBA®, CESAR®, IAMS™ and EUKANUBA™ as well as the Waltham Petcare Science Institute which has advanced research in the nutrition and health of pets for over 50 years. Mars Petcare is also a leading veterinary health provider through an international network of over 2,000 pet hospitals and diagnostic services including BANFIELD™, BLUEPEARL™, VCA™, Linnaeus, AniCura and Antech. We’re also active in exciting new range of production and technology for pets, with WISDOM PANEL™ genetic health screening and DNA testing for dogs and cats, the WHISTLE™ GPS dog tracker, and LEAP VENTURE STUDIO accelerator and COMPANION FUND programs that drive in exciting new range of production and disruption in the pet care industry. We’re also dedicated to providing a safe and fun place for dogs to stay and socialize at over 200 Camp Bow Wow® doggy daycare and boarding facilities. As a family business and guided by our principles, we are privileged with the flexibility to fight for what we believe in – and we choose to fight for: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS.
1 Disclaimer: Study conducted by Mars Petcare India, Oct ‘23
2 & 3 Disclaimer: Study conducted by Mars, Global Pet Parent Survey, Oct 2024
