Start with the nutritional adequacy statement
This is the sentence that says what the food is complete and balanced for. The FDA explains the two routes to that claim: the recipe meets an AAFCO cat food nutrient profile, or the food passes a feeding trial run to AAFCO procedures. Many labels say which one applies, and our cat food calorie list shows it for every food.
If the label says the food is for intermittent or supplemental feeding, it is a treat or topper, not a meal. WSAVA's guidelines suggest these make up no more than 10% of the diet unless your vet has prescribed otherwise.
Kitten or adult
AAFCO profiles cover growth and reproduction (kittens, pregnant and nursing cats) and adult maintenance. All life stages means the food meets the growth profile. A kitten needs a growth or all-life-stages food, and an adult cat can eat either.
What the name is allowed to mean
According to the AAFCO naming rules summarized by Virginia Cooperative Extension:
- "Salmon Cat Food" means salmon is at least 95% of the product, leaving out water.
- "Salmon Dinner" (or entree, platter, formula) means at least 25%.
- "With Salmon" means at least 3%.
- "Salmon Flavor" has no minimum, as long as the flavor can be detected.
Premium, holistic and similar words carry no nutritional meaning, the WSAVA guidelines point out.
Calories decide portions
US cat food labels list calories, per cup for dry food and per can for wet, so you can measure portions instead of guessing. Use the cat food calculator, which can fill in the calories for any food on our list.
Questions worth asking the maker
The WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee recommends asking a company whether it employs a qualified nutritionist, who writes its recipes, what quality control it does, whether its foods are analysed or only calculated to meet AAFCO profiles, whether it makes the food itself, and for the calories and full nutrient analysis. If those answers are hard to get, WSAVA advises caution.
Look at the recall log before you switch
Search the brand in our cat food recall log. Most of the entries so far are raw, frozen or freeze-dried products, for bacteria such as Salmonella and Listeria or for thiamine (vitamin B1) levels that were too low.
Sources
- FDA, "Complete and Balanced" Pet Food. Checked October 25, 2026.
- WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee, Selecting a pet food for your pet (2021). Checked October 25, 2026.
- Virginia Cooperative Extension, A Consumer's Guide: Overview of Pet Food Labels. Checked October 25, 2026.
- FDA, Animal and veterinary recalls and withdrawals. Checked October 25, 2026.
- FDA, Outbreaks and advisories. Checked October 25, 2026.
