How to Rate Dry Cat Food

If you love your cat, then you want to be sure your feline is getting healthy food. Nonetheless, with so many different types of dry cat food on the market, how do you make an informed choice? One approach is by creating a rating system for different brands based on the ingredient list. By law, pet food must have ingredient labels just as in processed food for humans. Reading those labels is the first step toward discovering the best dry cat foods for your feline friend.

Things You'll Need

  • Ingredient lists from several different dry cat foods
  • Paper
  • Pen
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Instructions

    • 1

      Gather ingredient labels. You can sometimes find full ingredient lists on-line. These lists save you time and money. Print out several that you find compelling. If you cannot find what you want by surfing the web, buy several small bags of dry food at the market, so you have an accurate ingredient list in hand.

    • 2

      Give each cat food 100 points. You will be adding or subtracting to these points throughout the process.

    • 3

      Compare the ingredients. The most important element for your cat's food is protein---ideally a 30 percent ratio. This means the protein source should be first on the ingredient list. If the food lists chicken, beef, turkey or lamb, give that cat food fifteen points. If it does not, deduct 15 points. Write the name of the cat food on a piece of paper and jot down what each scored for this step.

    • 4

      Continue the comparison process. Deduct 10 points every time you see a bi-product, mill run grain, binders, grain products used repeatedly in the first few lines of the ingredient label, or if it contains BHT/BHA. Less egregious ingredients like corn, excess carbohydrates, artificial preservatives and artificial colors get five point deductions. Finally fish oil, sugar, soybeans, salt, wheat and gluten receive a three point deduction. Note all these deductions adjacent to the name of the cat food on your paper.

    • 5

      Figure the subtotal for negatives, then go on to credits. Give a product a 10 point credit if the label reads, "complete and balanced." This phrase is regulated by law. A product must be tested and meet AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Office) guidelines to use this wording.

      An additional ten points can be awarded if contact information for the manufacturer is clearly noted on the packaging.

    • 6

      Award the cat food five points each for if the product is baked or contains organic components, probiotics, fruits and vegetables, other than corn. Give the brands three more points each if the product is produced without hormones or antibiotics.

      Give two points for use of oatmeal and flax seed or sunflower oil.

    • 7

      Tally up the results. What cat food came out better than the rest?