History
Friskies was first introduced as a dry dog food brand in 1934.[4][8] It introduced "Friskies Cubes" that year, which was followed by pellets called "Friskies Meal," eight years later.[4] Friskies sold well as a dry dog food on the west coast of the United States, then was increasingly distributed on the east coast.[2][8] Only dry food was initially produced, because consumers preferred less expensive products during the Great Depression and World War II led to the rationing of tin for canned pet foods, in order to preserve metal for the war effort.[3][8] The rationing of tin led to a growth in sales of Friskies dry food products, as competitors that sold canned foods were forced to limit production.[4][8] The first Friskies brand canned dog food was released in 1951[4] and nine Friskies products were released from 1958 to 1963.[4]
When Friskies cat food was introduced in the 1950s, cats were becoming more popular as pets, but dry food for cats had not been introduced yet.[3] In the early 1950s, a series of specialty dog food products were introduced under the Friskies brand, including one for puppies and cats. According to The Encyclopedia of Consumer Brands, "it was soon discovered that cats disliked the new 'puppy food'."[3] A sales manager named Henry Arnest was considered "eccentric" for advocating that Friskies make a pet food specifically for cats.[3][4] According to Arnest, the company thought it was "a nutty idea."[4] He convinced Friskies executives to do a market trial for cat food, which was conducted on the west coast of the United States in 1956.[3][2][8]
The cat food product was named "Little Friskies for Cats."[9][4][10] A cartoon cat was used as its mascot. It was advertised on television, newspapers, and through Friskies Research Digest, a publication for veterinarians and animal breeders published by Friskies.[3] Canned "treats" for cats were first test-marketed in 1958. They were initially popular on the west coast of the United States, but not in the east.[3] In 1959, Carnation executives considered withdrawing from the east coast market, because its cat food products were not popular there, but decided to stay.[4] A Carnation report found that consumers preferred more upscale, single-serving food products,[8] so the treats were rebranded as single-serving, canned foods called "Friskies Buffet" in 1967.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Friskies-brand food products were introduced in the "gourmet" industry category, such as Bright Eyes and Chef's Blend.[3] A sister brand Mighty Dog was introduced in 1973,[4][10] and another sister brand Fancy Feast was produced in 1982.[10] By 1985, Friskies' producer was the largest manufacturer of pet food with a 14.5 percent market-share.[11] Dry and wet food products specifically for kittens were introduced in 1988 and 1989 respectively. Fresh Catch, which contained only fish, was introduced in the early 1990s.[3] According to industry analysts, competition in the pet food industry heightened by 1990.[12]
