With Cat ownership increasing across urban India, a tad faster than the age old preference for dogs as pets, there is growing awareness for cat food among pet owners.
There was a time when people were superstitious about rearing cats. But in modern society cats are becoming popular as pets.
Mumbai is leading among metros in the cat ownership pattern. Growing urbanisation, apartment culture, nuclear families, busy life styles are the reason for households preferring cats. These small pets are easy to maintain, do not take much space and will be, clean and independent. There is no regimen of daily walks and they ease the stress of owners, explains Nitin Kulkarni, Director Mars International India (MII).
A cat unlike a dog can be left alone for two days. Provided with the feed, it can take care of itself even when the family goes out of station unlike dogs, he says.
Keeping up with the trend of cat adoption, MII, a leading pet food manufacturer, caters to five per cent of potential cat pet population in India says Ganesh Ramani, the company’s Managing Director.
Dispelling myths about feed given to cats, Madhu Khanna, brand manager for Whiskas, the cat food, said a kitten would grow 15 times faster than the human infant. It would need specially formulated nutrients in keeping with its growth requirement.
There is general notion that cats like milk and are fed on milk and rice. But, a cat’s ability to digest milk is poor, says K.G. Umesh, MII scientific affairs manager.
A cat’s feed requirements are different and vegetarian and home cooked food does not provide a balanced nutrition. “That’s where the 60-year-old global brand Whiskas fortified with amino acid Taurine scores. With the onset of summer, the company decided to create awareness on cat food to keep the pet fit and healthy,” he said.
A day’s feed costs about ₹ 14 and 1.2-kg pack would last a month. It is more economical than home cooked food, he added.
