Brandwave

Hill's vs Whiskas:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Hill's had more branded searches than Whiskas among pet food brands in New Zealand. Hill's had about 2,970 branded searches, while Whiskas had 2,560. Hill's made up 20.7% of all pet food brand searches we track, and Whiskas accounted for 17.9%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about pet food brands, Hill's appeared in four of the five answers and Whiskas in none.

Among pet food brands in New Zealand in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Hill's, about 16% more searches than Whiskas

Hill's 3K searchesWhiskas 2.6K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Hill's, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, Whiskas in 0

Hill's in 4 of 5Whiskas in 0 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

Hill's, the only one of the two named

Hill's first in 4Whiskas never named

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Top pet food brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Hill's was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Whiskas did not appear in any of the five answers.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Royal Canin1st
  2. ZIWI Peak2nd
  3. Black Hawk3rd
  4. Hill's4th
  5. K9 Natural5th
  6. Purina6th
  7. Whiskas–
  8. Pedigree–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Royal Canin5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • ZIWI Peak5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Hill's4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Purina3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Black Hawk3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • K9 Natural3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Whiskas0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Pedigree0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about pet food brands

5 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 21, 2026.

Is Hill's or Whiskas more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Hill's and Whiskas by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight pet food brands we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.

Hill's and Whiskas among pet food brands in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for Hill's, Whiskas. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthRoyal CaninHill'sWhiskasPurinaZIWI PeakBlack HawkPedigreeK9 Natural
Oct 202523.7%20.4%16.7%13.9%12%6.7%4.7%2%
Nov 202521.5%22.8%15.3%13.9%12.5%7.5%4.3%2.2%
Dec 202523.8%17.7%17.3%14.9%11.7%7.8%4.4%2.3%
Jan 202621.5%16%18.9%18.7%11.5%6.8%4.2%2.5%
Feb 202622.1%18.4%18.9%15.8%12.2%6.9%3.3%2.5%
Mar 202623.1%20.7%16.9%16.8%10.2%6.6%3.5%2.1%
Apr 202623.6%18%18%17.8%9.8%6.9%3.7%2.2%
May 202621.8%19.9%18%17.8%9.8%6.5%3.8%2.4%
Jun 202621.5%20.2%18.3%16.8%10.6%6.5%3.8%2.4%
Jul 202621.3%16.9%20.7%16.5%10.8%7.1%4.9%1.8%
Aug 202621.4%18.7%19.8%15.5%11.3%6.9%4.4%1.8%
Sep 202622%20.7%17.9%14.4%9.4%9.1%4.3%2.2%

How has the Hill's and Whiskas comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • The lead changed hands 4 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: Whiskas took it in January 2026, Hill's took it in March 2026, Whiskas took it in July 2026, Hill's took it in September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Hill's’ share of searches among pet food brands in New Zealand moved from 20.4% to 20.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.7K to 3K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Whiskas’ share of searches among pet food brands in New Zealand moved from 16.7% to 17.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.2K to 2.6K.

How did search popularity change for New Zealand pet food brands in September 2026?

2 changes

  1. In September 2026, Hill's overtook Whiskas to rank 2nd among pet food brands in New Zealand, with 20.7% of the searches.

  2. In September 2026, Whiskas lost share of searches among pet food brands in New Zealand, from 19.8% to 17.9%.

How are branded searches counted?

23 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Hill's’ and Whiskas’ names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.

Hill's

17 branded search terms

  • hill's
  • hill's cat food
  • hill's dog food
  • hill's pet food
  • hills
  • hills biome
  • hills cat food
  • hills derm complete
  • hills digestive care
  • hills dog food
  • hills gastrointestinal biome
  • hills metabolic
  • hills metabolic mobility
  • hills pet food
  • hills prescription diet
  • hills puppy food
  • hills science diet

Whiskas

6 branded search terms

  • cat biscuits whiskas
  • cat whiskas food
  • whiskas
  • whiskas dog food
  • whiskas kitten food
  • whiskas pet food

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among pet food brands

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