Choosing the right food for your cat may seem impossible. There are many different types and brands. Marketing and buzzwords can be misleading or outright false. Labels are hard to understand.

Don’t worry. With a little knowledge and insight, you can make confident food choices to support your cat’s health and well-being.  

What to Look for on Cat Food Labels

Cat food labels may seem complicated, with their marketing jargon, long ingredient lists, and confusing language. Here are the key things to look for when identifying a high-quality diet that fits your cat’s needs.

Guaranteed Analysis

The American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) sets minimum and maximum guidelines for protein, fat, fiber, and moisture in pet food. The guaranteed analysis lists the percentages for each, confirming for regulators that the manufacturer has met the AAFCO parameters.

Life Stage

Your cat’s nutritional needs vary by life stage. It’s not just the “adult,” “kitten,” or “senior” designation that you might see on the front of the package. The nutrition statement on the back should specify one of the following:

• Growth/reproduction. This diet has higher calories, protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and fat to support rapid growth in kittens or pregnant and nursing queens. 
• Maintenance. These diets keep young adult cats healthy. 
• All life stages. These diets are formulated similarly to growth formulas and should not be fed to most adult cats.¹ They are best for feral/stray cats because you’re feeding a mix of life stages and pregnancy status.
• Senior. These formulas are generally easy to digest and help older cats with weight management.² They may contain antioxidants to reduce cellular damage. 

Ingredient List

It’s often suggested that the “best” cat food ingredients, like protein, should be at the top of the ingredient list because the higher up, the more of that ingredient. It’s not quite that simple. 

Since ingredients appear in order of their percentage by weight before processing, the actual nutrients in the final product may not be what you expect. For more guidance, talk with your veterinarian or the manufacturer.

Marketing and misinformation can lead to confusion about the healthiness of certain ingredients. One of these is “by-products,” which some consider a bad word when it comes to pet food. In actuality, they’re the most nutrient-rich cuts of meat, such as liver and kidney. 

“Human-grade” and “holistic” are also misleading. They’re just marketing terms with no regulation. 

On the other hand, the term “natural” is regulated by AAFCO, meaning that the ingredient comes from plant, animal, or mined sources.¹ Also, cat foods that contain at least 95% organic ingredients will display the USDA organic seal on the label.³

AAFCO Nutrition Statement

In the United States, pet food can be sold even if it doesn’t adequately meet your cat’s nutritional needs. To ensure you’re choosing a cat food that does, look for a statement containing the acronym “AAFCO” near the Guaranteed Analysis. 

If it states that the diet is “formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO,” the company used AAFCO’s published nutrient values for a cat’s specific life stage to create the diet. 

“Complete and balanced” means the diet has all the nutrients your cat needs for that life stage. If you see this phrase without an AAFCO statement, it’s meaningless because AAFCO sets those standards.

“This product is intended for intermittent or supplemental feeding only,” means the food you’ve selected isn’t meant for daily feeding unless recommended by a veterinarian. It’s found on treats, toppers, and prescription diets.

If you see “Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures” on the label, you know that this diet has undergone the highest level of scrutiny to ensure quality and safety.³

Nutrients Your Cat Needs in Their Diet 

While there are standard nutrient guidelines for “healthy cats,” your cat may need adjustments based on their condition. This is known as their nutrient profile. Ask your veterinarian whether your cat’s nutrient profile matches one of AAFCO’s established life stages, or if your cat has different needs. Remember, it’s the nutrients, such as those listed below, not the overall ingredients, that you should focus on. 

Protein

Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they can make all the energy they need from protein and fat if no carbohydrates are available in their diet.⁴ In addition to meat, added soy and gluten meals can provide extra protein, particularly in dry kibble.⁵

Fats

Fats are a critical part of a cat’s diet. They are an important source of energy and help in the absorption of certain vitamins. Fats can come from different sources, like beef or chicken. You may also see fats listed as a separate ingredient, such as fish oil.   

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are optional but can be an important part of many cat diets, in part because they contain fiber. Prebiotic fiber is important for intestinal health. Insoluble fiber is a common additive to hairball diets to help hair pass easily. 

Vitamins and Minerals

Cats have a unique metabolism that makes them very susceptible to amino acid, fatty acid, and vitamin deficiencies.⁶ They require more taurine, purified arachidonic acid, and preformed vitamin A than you might see in a dog’s diet.That’s why cats shouldn’t eat dog food. It can lead to fatal consequences over time. 

Your veterinarian may suggest other supplements based on medical need.  

Wet Versus Dry Cat Food

While there has been debate for years about which is better, both are appropriate for most healthy cats. 

Although wet food is more expensive, it can be helpful for picky eaters or cats who don’t drink much. 

For cats prone to obesity, diabetes, urinary tract disease, or dehydration, your veterinarian may recommend a wet food diet.

Dry food is easier on the budget and can be left out all day for cats who like to graze. 

Specialty/Prescription Diets

Some diets are specially formulated to support cats with medical issues. You’ve probably seen food labeled as urinary care, kidney care, hydrolyzed protein, and more. 

For example, a urinary care diet produces lower levels of minerals in the urine, adjusts the urine pH, and promotes water consumption to decrease future urinary crystals. A kidney disease diet offers support with decreased protein and/or phosphorus. Cats with food allergies need diets that avoid specific proteins. These prescription diets are produced in facilities free of contamination from other proteins.  

You can find some specialty diets over the counter, without a prescription. It’s still best to consult with your veterinarian before using them. They may work for mild or occasional issues, like dry skin or upset stomach, but aren’t as targeted or effective as prescription diets. 

In the case of allergies, an over-the-counter diet would be produced in facilities with other allergens. This would be comparable to a peanut-allergic person unknowingly eating a plain chocolate bar made in a factory that also made peanut butter cups.

Do Your Research

Doing a little research can help inform your cat food choices. Consider things like:

• Quality control and inspection processes
• Manufacturer recalls in recent years
• How easy it is to contact the manufacturer with questions
• Whether a PhD-trained nutritionist or board-certified nutritionist was involved in formulating the diet

There are also a few helpful online resources you can use. 

• The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) published The Savvy Cat Owner’s Guide to Nutrition on the Internet 
• WSAVA has also published Guidelines on Selecting Pet Foods 
• Pet Nutrition Alliance (PNA) has questioned manufacturers and published the results in the 2023 Pet Food Manufacturer Evaluation Report 

Risky Cat Food Choices

The internet and social media are full of people claiming to be experts, even though their knowledge may be inaccurate or based on anecdotal evidence rather than scientific evidence. 

For example, there are lots of homemade cat food recipes online that may not have been developed by a nutrition expert. This is risky. The consequences of an unbalanced diet can be devastating in the long run.  

Veterinary nutrition knowledge is constantly evolving. Your best partners for accurate, up-to-date information and choosing quality cat food are your veterinarian and veterinary nutritionists.