Felix (cat food)

Felix is a European brand of cat food currently owned by Nestlé Purina PetCare. It produces wet food in both pouches and tins as well as dry cat biscuits and treats. The brand's mascot, since 1989, is a black and white cat named "Felix".[1]

Felix
IndustryCat food
Area served
Europe
ParentNestlé Purina PetCare Company
WebsiteOfficial website

History

Felix Catfood Ltd was manufacturing dry cat biscuits since before the outbreak of the Second World War.[2] It had a single manufacturing plant in the English town of Biggleswade, Bedfordshire. The Quaker Oats Company acquired the firm in 1970 as part of its expansion into the English pet food market.[3] Production was subsequently moved to the Quaker's factory in Southall, west London and a new formulation and product range (including tinned wet food) were introduced.[4]

During the 1980s, the Felix brand was struggling with only a six per cent share of the cat food market in the UK, whereas Whiskas lead with a share of over 50 per cent. Felix was facing a potential de-listing by retailers due to competition with their own-label cat foods. In 1989 the Felix brand was re-launched with its iconic black-and-white "Felix" mascot and a new product range. After a large newspaper, and later TV, advertising campaign it dramatically increased its market share and increased the brand share across Europe.[5][6] During 1996 Felix overtook Whiskas as the brand leader in the UK reducing Whiskas market share to 24 per cent;[7] though Whiskas subsequently regained its title as the brand leader.[8]

Quakers sold Felix to Spillers (owned by Dalgety plc) alongside its whole European pet food division in 1995.[9] It was subsequently sold to Nestlé in 1997.[10]

Distribution

It is owned by Purina, and sold in Australia, Russia, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Slovenia, the Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Chile, as well as France, Italy, Greece, Sweden and Denmark (both under the name Pussi), and Finland (under the name Latz). The brand also sells milk.

Since 2018, Felix only produces its wet food, for UK market, in plastic sachets due to a decline in demand for tins.[11]

References
  1. "Felix Cat Food". Purina. Archived from the original on 2017-12-01. Retrieved 2018-10-27.
  2. Adrian Room (1983). Dictionary of trade name origins. Routledge & Kegan Paul. p. 76.
  3. "Quaker Oats". www.gracesguide.co.uk. Grace's Guides to British Industrial History. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  4. "Cat and dog foods: a report on the supply in the United Kingdom of cat and dog foods". www.gov.uk. Monopolies and Mergers Commission. 19 July 1977. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  5. APG Ltd (12 July 2018). How not to Plan: 66 ways to screw it up. Troubador Publishing Limited. pp. 264–. ISBN 978-1-78901-185-2.
  6. "Felix Catfood: 1989-95. How the cat that crept got the cream". ipa.co.uk. IPA. 1996.
  7. Alain Jolibert; Hans Mühlbacher; Laurent Flores; Pierre-Louis Dubois (31 July 2012). Marketing Management: A Value-Creation Process. Macmillan International Higher Education. p. 254. ISBN 978-0-230-36367-0.
  8. "CASE STUDY 2: Felix cat care". www.campaignlive.co.uk. Campaign. 4 October 2002.
  9. Dalgety snaps up Felix Independent, 4 February 1995
  10. Sale of Spillers Petfoods for £715m PR Newswire, 1997
  11. "Cat food maker in the dog house as it ditches tins for plastic packs". Metro. 8 May 2018.

See also
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