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.
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.”