[4]: 145  At the time Carnation was known for dry milk products, but also had operations processing animal feed for farms.

[2] It experimented with dry food products for 3.5 years at Carnation Farms, initially with stray dogs in improvised cages, and later with pure-breds in a formal kennel.

[3][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.

[2] In the early 1950s, a series of specialty dog food products were introduced under the Friskies brand, including one for puppies and cats.

"[2] A sales manager named Henry Arnest was considered "eccentric" for advocating that Friskies make a pet food specifically for cats.

"[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.

[2] In 1959, Carnation executives considered withdrawing from the east coast market, because its cat food products weren't popular there, but decided to stay.

[2][8] In the 1970s and 1980s, Friskies-brand food products were introduced in the "gourmet" industry category, such as Bright Eyes and Chef's Blend.

[2] Starting in 2011, Friskies has been developing digital games for cats on mobile devices that are played using touch-screens.

Some of its early games included Cat Fishing, JitterBug and Pull 'n Play, which each focused on chasing moving targets on the screen.

[26] In 2016, Friskies worked with BuzzFeed to create "Dear Kitten" videos, where an older cat teaches a younger one how to be a house-cat.

There are five dry food flavors sold in bags, including "Seafood Sensations" and "Grillers.

"[29] Wet foods are sold in various flavors, such as chicken or seafood, and in vacuum bags or cans.