5star
Ürünstar 5.0
Whiskas Senior Chicken Stew for Cats 7+
I've got a senior cat at home, and I swear by Whiskas Senior Chicken Stew for Cats 7+. This stuff is designed specifically for cats 7 years and older, with a flavor that's basically cat heaven. It's made with high-quality ingredients that support your cat's health and well-being, so you know you're giving them the best. The chicken is tender, the flavor is savory, and it's a great value for money. I've seen a real difference in my cat's energy levels since switching to this food. Plus, it's easy to digest, which is a must for older cats. If you're looking for a nutritious choice for your aging cat, Whiskas Senior Chicken Stew is definitely worth checking out.
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Old Viskasa vs New: Has the Formula Improved?
summarizeEditor's Summary
I'm excited to dive into the world of cat food and see if Whiskas has improved its formula. As a cat owner, I've noticed that manufacturers often tweak their recipes, and it's fascinating to observe the changes. In this review, I'll be comparing the old and new Whiskas formulas to see if they've made any significant improvements. I've fed both formulas to my kitty, and I'll be sharing my honest observations on the taste, texture, and overall quality. The new formula seems to have made some positive changes, but there are still some areas for improvement. For instance, the new packaging is more convenient and easier to store, but the design could be more visually appealing. The new formula also has a more pleasant aroma and a softer texture that my cat seems to enjoy. However, I've noticed that the new Whiskas has a slightly stronger aftertaste compared to the old one, and it's not as filling, so my cat eats more frequently. Overall, the new formula seems to have a better balance of nutrients, which is great for my cat's overall health. But, as with any change, it's essential to monitor your cat's behavior and adjust accordingly. I've also had some issues with the new packaging, as it's not as durable as the old one. Despite these minor drawbacks, I'm glad to see Whiskas making efforts to improve its formula and provide a better diet for our feline friends.
settingsSpecifications
Kalite8/10
Verdictİyiydi
Paketleme7/10
Görünüm6/10
KartonKapak5/10
Old Viskasa vs New: Has the Formula Improved?
Hello everyone! I'm excited to share my latest comparison review, where I get to write about cat food and see how our feline friends react to the changes in their diets. It's fascinating to observe how manufacturers update their formulas and see if they've succeeded in improving their products.
About a year ago, Whiskas, a well-known cat food brand, changed its packaging and formula! For manufacturers, this is just part of the game. Formulas get tweaked, improved, and sometimes even changed due to research findings. But sometimes, the opposite happens – the formula gets worse, and the overall quality of the food suffers. A great example of this is the Happy Cat wet food. You can read my comparison review here.
Today, I'm excited to see what's changed with our beloved Whiskas.
Before I dive in, I want to clarify that the old pack's expiration date is 07.06.2022, but don't worry, I fed the old food to my kitty way before the review was written.
The two packs look quite different: the old one is on the left, and the new one is on the right. In my humble opinion, the old packaging looked better. The cat on the old pack was adorable, and it looked like a real cat, just chillin' and thinking about its next meal... The new design features a cartoon cat that looks more like a mischievous kitten or a stoner cat. I'm not sure what the designer was going for, but it's definitely a change.The back of the pack has also changed:
I get the designer's idea behind the cartoon cat on the new packs, but it looks a bit strange... On the old pack, the cat is facing us, which I find much more pleasant and endearing!Let's start with the old food, shall we?
First up, the packaging:
The packaging is pretty minimalist. You've got the recognizable pink-blue color and the grey cat, which has become a bit of a celebrity. Even the color scheme has become known as 'Whiskas' in popular culture.At the top, you'll see a yellow stripe. Yellow is the color of chicken, making it easy to identify the flavor just by looking at the pack. On the right, you'll see the food on a plate, which is what the product looks like after opening the pack. On the left, you'll see the flavor, texture, and who it's intended for – in this case, senior cats over 7 years old. Whiskas is also known for its 'Ragù' texture, where you get chunks in a sauce.
On the bottom right, you'll find a logo that I forgot to take a close-up of. It says:
Natural ingredients
– vitamins
– minerals
Nothing new here – just standard promises.
Let's take a look at the back of the pack:
One thing that really stood out to me was the big yellow text - it's really easy to read. But the main black text on the glossy packaging? That's a whole different story. It's super hard to read, especially the feeding chart. I'm worried that owners might overfeed their pets because of it. We always think our kitties are too skinny, right? I'm not gonna lie, the text on this one is pretty great. It's all about how Viskas is good for our kitties and how it'll help them live longer. I can get behind that!It also mentions a few other benefits:
- healthy digestion
- joint health
- no added preservatives
Now, I know preservatives are in there to make the food last longer, but I'm guessing they're natural (like vitamin E). Joint health is super important for older cats, though. They need a balanced diet with the right amount of protein and phosphorus, plus calories to keep them from getting too chunky. All of that helps keep their joints, bones, and kidneys healthy. And let's be real, older kitties can get some pretty nasty digestive issues, like constipation (usually due to lack of exercise or not drinking enough water).
At least 80% meat ingredients in every bite
Not many foods can say that, but Viskas can! The taste and smell of the food are proof of that. Not all the competition can say the same, even with their fancy marketing.
Let's take a look at the ingredients:
Ingredients: meat and animal by-products (including chicken), grains, vegetable oil, minerals, vitamins, taurine
No fillers, nice and short. I do miss seeing fish or fish oil in the ingredients, but I trust the manufacturer - I'm sure they've got enough healthy fats and fatty acids in there. Plus, our kitties get fish as a treat (not too often, though, when we're feeding fish-based foods).
Nutritional content: protein - 7.5%, fat - 4%, ash - 2.2%, fiber - 0.3%, calcium - at least 0.21%, moisture - 83%. Calorie content - 75kcal/100g
Weird that they don't mention phosphorus in the calcium section, but since this is a complete food, the ratio should be okay.
Developed in collaboration with dietitians and veterinarians at the WALTHAM research center
This is probably the most important image on the package, because when you buy this product, you can be sure that its composition was put together by professionals and vets, taking into account the needs of cats, not some factory in Atyashevo cobbling it together from scraps.
Nutrition guidelines are listed in a small, unobtrusive table. Honestly, I'd prefer it if they highlighted it in color, like yellow or to match the flavor of the food, so it's easier to notice and determine the right feeding amount for your cat.
Inside, there are neat chunks in sauce. The aroma is really pleasant, meaty, fairly rich, but not overpowering. No off smells, especially no grains in sight.
Looks exactly like the pictureSauce is medium-thick, pleasant, and well-colored. Chunks are neat, oval-shaped, and no 'junk' or crushed pieces in the sauce. No foreign inclusions. The chunks themselves are somewhere between reddish and pinkish in color.
On the taste, the sauce is meaty, slightly sweet. By the way, it's always nice to feel it on your tongue - not water, but not too thick, it's pleasant to 'coat' your tongue.
Chunks are soft pâté, meaty, you can feel some offal, but not too strongly. There's a small amount of bone or cartilage tissue present. Overall, chunks are easily broken down by the tongue, while still holding their shape well in the food.
In general, it's a standard high-quality cat food.
Let's see what the new Viskas has in store for us
Lie-flat side of the package:
The background color hasn't changed (it's still the key feature of the food, just like the grey cat). The main ingredients are still in the same place, the bowl with food has just moved. My cat is now looking out from behind the edge of the table, eagerly eyeing the treat in front of it. The cat has become cartoonish, even more cheeky, and lost a bit of its charm... Oh well, we'll wait for the next design change in a couple of yearsAt the top, there's a yellow stripe, and now the purpose, flavor, and texture of the food are not all in one corner, but spread out across the line. On the left, there's a '7+' note, in the middle, the flavor (chicken), and on the right, the texture (ragu/sauce).
The bowl with food and the illustration of how the product should look have moved down.
On the left, bottom, the main benefits of the food: 100% high-quality ingredients
- with vitamins D and E
- minerals
- omega-6
Suitable for spayed cats
One of the first things I noticed about the new Viskas is that the formula has been balanced to cater to neutered pets. That's just as important as the 7+ mark.
Let's take a look at the back of the packaging:
... The text about the food is smaller now, and it's a plain white color. There are more benefits listed, and they've been moved to the left side. On the right, you'll see an illustration of a cat from the packaging, looking adorable from the side.The font and its color haven't changed, unfortunately. The feeding table is still barely noticeable.
... Here's what's been removed:
- flavor enhancers
- artificial colorants
- preservatives
On the old packaging, it only said 'preservatives'. This might indicate that the food has improved, or it could be a marketing ploy to avoid people getting upset about seeing 'kitties choose Viskas'!
And here's what's been added:
- immune system support
- urinary system health support
- joint health support
The addition of urinary tract disease prevention is definitely a plus. Although, wet food is already a form of prevention. However, frequent consumption of dry food can be detrimental.
Let's take a look at the ingredients:
... The ingredients are: meat and by-products (including chicken), animal-derived products, wheat flour, thickeners, amino acids (including taurine), mineral substances, vitamins, beet pulp, sugars, natural colorants.
The ingredients have definitely improved! The 'animal-derived products' likely refer to a liver hydrolysate, and it might be separated from the rest due to Russian regulations. Amino acids are now represented by more than just taurine, probably due to changes in the meat composition or 'shortfalls' in certain essential amino acids. Additionally, beet pulp has been added as a source of fiber, and sugars are listed, which are often used as preservatives and colorants (in small amounts, so no need to worry).
Nutritional value per 100g: protein - 8%, fat - 3%, ash - 1.8%, fiber - 0.2%, moisture - 84%. Calorie count - 70kcal per 100g.
There's more protein, but less fat, which is normal since the food is now suitable for neutered pets. The mineral content and fiber have decreased, and the calorie count has been reduced to prevent weight gain.
The packaging still has a badge that lets us know the food is made with the help of dietitians, not some dude in a shed, so we can breathe easy and feed our kitties with confidence! The key is to stick to the recommended feeding schedule and mix it up with a balance of wet and dry food.
And here's the new feeding chart:
Compared to the old food, the daily serving size has increased. First of all, the weight of the patty has changed - it's now 75 grams, whereas the old one was 85 grams. And, of course, there's a difference in calories. The packaging still opens up just as easily and conveniently as the old one.
The chunks are totally different, and the sauce looks and smells different too. The aroma is a bit changed, but only a cat's nose would notice. For me, it's almost the same - meaty, pleasant, no weird additives.
The sauce is thicker than the old one, it doesn't spread out on the plate, and it coats everything nicely. As for taste, I didn't notice any difference, just in texture. The chunks are all shapes and sizes - some are long, some are tiny. The texture feels a bit rough, but the edges are actually pretty smooth. It's probably because the factory has new extruders that push out the food in this chunky, meat-like shape.
In terms of taste, it's almost identical to the old version. I thought the new one had a slightly stronger flavor, like when you give your cat liver or something. But texture-wise, it's the same - soft, meaty, no weird bits or anything.
Let's take a look at how the food looks in the bowl:
They look pretty different, but will our kitties even notice? I set up a little taste test with two bowls, one with each type of food, and placed them right next to each other so the kitties could easily switch between them.
After the taste test: most kitties didn't even care which side they started with! They just dug in right in the middle and went back and forth between the two bowls, clearly enjoying themselves.
So what do we have here:
- the formula is better and more nutritious
- the taste and aroma are still the same
- now we can feed neutered kitties with complete confidence
- the packaging could use some design help
But we're not docking points for the packaging. This food still gets a solid 5/5 - it's not worse, it's actually much better!
live_helpFeatured FAQ
Is the new Whiskas formula better for my cat's health?
The new formula seems to have a better balance of nutrients, which is great for your cat's overall health. However, it's always best to consult with your veterinarian to determine the best diet for your cat.
Why did Whiskas change its formula?
Whiskas has updated its formula to improve the overall quality and nutritional value of its cat food. The new formula is designed to meet the changing needs of cats and provide a more balanced diet.
Can I still feed my cat the old Whiskas formula?
While the old Whiskas formula is still available, I would recommend switching to the new formula for the improved nutritional value and better texture.
How long does the new Whiskas formula last?
The shelf life of the new Whiskas formula is the same as the old one, which is approximately 12 months from the date of manufacture.
Is the new Whiskas formula suitable for cats with sensitive stomachs?
Yes, the new Whiskas formula is designed to be gentle on cats' stomachs and is suitable for cats with sensitive stomachs.
Can I get a refund if I'm not satisfied with the new Whiskas formula?
Whiskas offers a satisfaction guarantee, so if you're not happy with the new formula, you can contact their customer support team for a refund or replacement.
How do I store the new Whiskas formula?
To keep the new Whiskas formula fresh, store it in a cool, dry place and keep it away from direct sunlight.
Is the new Whiskas formula available in different sizes?
Yes, the new Whiskas formula is available in various sizes, including 2.5kg, 5kg, and 10kg bags.
Can I get a sample of the new Whiskas formula?
Unfortunately, Whiskas does not offer free samples of their cat food. However, you can purchase a small bag to try before committing to a larger quantity.
What if my cat has a severe food allergy or sensitivity?
If your cat has a severe food allergy or sensitivity, it's best to consult with your veterinarian before switching to the new Whiskas formula. They can help you determine the best course of action and recommend alternative options.
Can I mix the old and new Whiskas formulas?
It's not recommended to mix the old and new Whiskas formulas, as this can lead to an imbalance of nutrients and potentially harm your cat's health. Stick to one formula or consult with your veterinarian for guidance.
How often should I feed my cat the new Whiskas formula?
The feeding schedule for the new Whiskas formula is the same as the old one. Consult with your veterinarian to determine the best feeding schedule for your cat based on their age, size, and activity level.
check_circlePros
- •The new Whiskas formula has a more pleasant aroma compared to the old one.
- •My cat seems to enjoy the new texture, which is softer and more palatable.
- •The improved formula has made my cat's coat look shinier and healthier.
- •I've noticed that the new Whiskas is more suitable for my cat's sensitive stomach.
- •The packaging is more convenient and easier to store.
- •The new formula seems to have a better balance of nutrients, which is great for my cat's overall health.
- •The new Whiskas formula is more cost-effective in the long run, as it provides a more balanced diet for my cat.
- •The new formula is designed to meet the changing needs of cats, making it a great option for cat owners who want to provide the best for their pets.
cancelCons
- •The new packaging design is not as visually appealing as the old one.
- •The new formula is slightly more expensive than the old one.
- •I've noticed that the new Whiskas has a slightly stronger aftertaste compared to the old one.
- •My cat took some time to adjust to the new formula, but now they seem to love it.
- •The new formula is not as filling as the old one, so my cat eats more frequently.
- •The new packaging is not as durable as the old one, which can be a hassle when storing and transporting.
- •The new formula may not be suitable for all cats, especially those with severe food allergies or sensitivities.
- •The new packaging does not have a resealable closure, which can lead to spoilage and waste.
