- Mars
launches new PEDIGREE® and WHISKAS® brand films to
raise awareness on the nutritional needs of dogs and cats in India. - New
Research shows that 9 in 10 vets say Indian pets lack proper nutrition. - The
campaign delivers a simple but powerful message: while pets are family,
their biological and nutritional needs are quite different.
New
Delhi, July 28, 2025 : Despite growing
love and emotional bonding in Indian pet households, pets are still fed like
humans — from the same kitchen, and often the same plate that lacks essential
nutrients pets require. Addressing this gap, Mars, Incorporated, a global
leader in pet care products and services, has launched ‘Feed Them Like Cats and
Dogs,’ a campaign each for the Pedigree® and Whiskas® brands
on raising awareness about the specific nutritional needs of dogs and cats. The
message is simple and universal: pets may be family, but their nutrition
requirements are biologically different.
In the Pedigree®
brand film, a pet parent realises that dogs respond to their own natural
instincts, especially around food. The Whiskas® brand film
captures a quiet bonding moment where the pet parent comes to understand that
while we treat cats as part of the family, their nutritional needs are uniquely
their own. The campaign has been created by BBDO India and BBDO Guerrero,
respectively.
The campaign is
supported by a recent survey conducted among Indian veterinarians, which
captured observations on what pets are being fed and the impact this has on
their health. According to the findings, nutrition gaps are widespread
among pets fed home prepared diets. Most vets recommend complete and balanced
packaged pet food as a safer and more consistent option. Many vets report
visible improvements in digestion, energy, and coat health when pet parents
transition to packaged pet food. Key findings include:
Imbalanced pet
bowls: 9 in 10 vets say Indian pets lack proper nutrition.
- 91% of vets say packaged pet food is the best
way to ensure calorie precision and complete nutrition. - 88% of vets agree that home-cooked food is not
enough to provide adequate nutrition to pets. - 86% of vets are concerned that feeding human
food that lacks essential nutrients, or the right proportion of nutrients
leads to nutritional imbalance, and toxicity. - 79% say pet parents are willing to learn — but
lack awareness.
Stop feeding from
your plate: say Indian vets as pet illnesses surge.
- 69% of vets say a common mistake made by
Indian pet parents is ignoring veterinary recommendations and giving
homemade diets without professional guidance. - 65% of vets recommend feeding packaged pet
food instead of human food and avoiding unsafe foods as the top way to
ensure healthy feeding at home.
Difference is
visible: benefits of switching to packaged pet food.
- 70% of vets noted better weight control in
pets. - 66% saw increased energy in pets.
- 61% observed fewer digestive issues in pets.
Dr.
Umesh Kallahalli, Senior Veterinarian & Small Animal Consultant, Bangalore,
said, “We regularly treat pets affected not by lack of
care, but by habits driven by emotion rather than nutritional understanding.
Pet parents today are more attentive, more involved, and more loving than ever.
However, home-cooked food, no matter how wholesome it seems, does not provide
what pets truly need, unless formulated by a qualified veterinary nutritionist.
We see the effects every day — fatigue, weak immunity, dull coats, and
digestive issues. These are not signs of neglect; they are signs of misinformed
love. That is what makes campaigns like these on feeding the right nutrition to
pets by Mars an imperative for a country like India.”
Salil
Murthy, Managing Director, Mars Petcare India, said,
“We are seeing a generational shift in how India relates to pets. They are
companions at the heart of the family, but this emotional closeness has also
created blind spots especially with respect to pet nutrition. Feeding choices
by pet parents in India are often guided by sentiment, not science. Our
campaign is helping pet parents bring the two together and shift the narrative
from emotional feeding to informed feeding. As market leaders, we believe it is
our responsibility to educate pet parents on what feeding
right truly means and counter the common misconceptions regarding pet
nutrition.”
Ayesha
Huda, Chief Marketing Officer, Mars Petcare India, said, “India
needs a step change in how we think about pet nutrition. Despite rising pet
ownership and growing affection towards pets, over 90% of Indian pet parents
still feed home-cooked food—unaware that it lacks all the essential nutrients
pets need to live a healthy, happy life. It is time to shift from emotional
feeding to evidence-based care. Backed by Mars 90 years of global nutritional
expertise in pet care, the Pedigree® and Whiskas® brands ensure complete and
balanced nutrition when fed as recommended.”
The high decibel
campaign will be visible across pet stores, ecommerce platforms, social media,
digital platforms, veterinary clinics, retail environments and the distribution
network of Mars. It invites Indian pet parents to reflect on what goes into the
bowl — and whether it truly reflects what their pet needs, to lead a healthier
life.
The Pedigree®
and Whiskas® brands are scientifically formulated to provide
complete and balanced nutrition tailored to the unique needs of dogs and cats.
Developed with experts at the Waltham Petcare Science Institute, it ensures
pets receive the right nourishment every day, in every bowl.
ABOUT
MARS, INCORPORATED
Mars, Incorporated
is driven by the belief that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do
business today. As an approximately $55bn family-owned business, our diverse
and expanding portfolio of leading pet care products and veterinary services
support pets all around the world and our quality snacking and food products
delight millions of people every day. We produce some of the world’s best-loved
brands including ROYAL CANIN®, PEDIGREE®, WHISKAS®, CESAR®, DOVE®, EXTRA®,
M&M’s®, SNICKERS® and BEN’S ORIGINAL™. Our international networks of pet
hospitals, including BANFIELD™, BLUEPEARL™, VCA™ and ANICURA™ span preventive,
general, specialty, and emergency veterinary care, and our global veterinary diagnostics
business ANTECH® offers breakthrough capabilities in pet diagnostics. The Mars
Five Principles—Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and
Freedom—inspire our 150,000 Associates to act every day to help create a better
world for people, pets and the planet.
For more
information about Mars, please visit www.mars.com.
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