How to Choose Cat Food
Check for meat based protein., Look for high quality grains in the food., Check the taurine and arachidonic acid content., Confirm there are vitamins and minerals in the food., Check for by-products., Avoid food with chemicals, additives, and...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Check for meat based protein.
Cats are omnivores and they need meat based protein to thrive.
Check the ingredients list on cat food to confirm the first ingredient is a meat like chicken, tuna, beef, or turkey.
Good cat food will list a specific meat as the first ingredient.If the label just says “meat” or “meat product,” it may not be very high quality.
It could also just have meat flavoring instead of actual meat.
Make sure the type of animal protein is specified on the label. -
Step 2: Look for high quality grains in the food.
Many cat foods will contain grains like corn, barley, or wheat.
These grains provide carbohydrates for cats, which will give them energy.
The top five ingredients in the food should be meat first, followed by grains.If your cat is prone to allergies, avoid food that contains grains like corn, soy, or wheat.
These grains can trigger allergies in cats. , These ingredients are animal fats and are essential to maintaining your cat’s health.
If the cat food contains high quality meat content, it should contain taurine and arachidonic acid.If the cat food does not contain taurine or arachidonic acid, it likely does not contain animal sources of protein.
Avoid cat foods that have plant sources of protein instead of animal sources of protein. , Look for vitamins like vitamin A, B vitamins, vitamin C, folic acid, and vitamin B12 in the food.
These vitamins are essential to keeping your cat healthy.Minerals like calcium, phosphorous, iron, magnesium, sodium, and zinc should also be listed as ingredients in the cat food.
These minerals help your cat maintain healthy joints, bones, and teeth. , Most cat foods will contain animal by-products.
If the food is high quality, it may contain animal by-products like liver, and lungs.
These are fine for cats to consume.
Lower quality foods may have animal by-products that are hard for cats to digest.
Avoid lower quality cat foods with lots of by-products.By-products should appear last or close to last in the cat food.
This will ensure the cat food is mostly high quality protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals.
Some cat food brands will list the by-products, such as "animal liver or lungs" while other brands may just say "animal by-products."
Make sure the cat food does not contain chemical preservatives like BHT, BHA, ethoxyquin, and propyl gallate.
Avoid cat food that have preservatives or additives high in the ingredients list.
These foods are often very low quality and not safe for your cat to consume.Be especially careful of dry cat food that contains additives, preservatives, or fillers.
Dry cat food that is low quality is often 50% filler or additives, which will not give your cat much nutrients or energy. , The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) regulates pet food and helps to ensure pet food is to industry standards.
Look at the label on the food to confirm it has been certified by the AAFCO.
This means the food has been independently tested and deemed safe for pets. -
Step 3: Check the taurine and arachidonic acid content.
-
Step 4: Confirm there are vitamins and minerals in the food.
-
Step 5: Check for by-products.
-
Step 6: Avoid food with chemicals
-
Step 7: additives
-
Step 8: and preservatives.
-
Step 9: Check if the food has been certified by the AAFCO.
Detailed Guide
Cats are omnivores and they need meat based protein to thrive.
Check the ingredients list on cat food to confirm the first ingredient is a meat like chicken, tuna, beef, or turkey.
Good cat food will list a specific meat as the first ingredient.If the label just says “meat” or “meat product,” it may not be very high quality.
It could also just have meat flavoring instead of actual meat.
Make sure the type of animal protein is specified on the label.
Many cat foods will contain grains like corn, barley, or wheat.
These grains provide carbohydrates for cats, which will give them energy.
The top five ingredients in the food should be meat first, followed by grains.If your cat is prone to allergies, avoid food that contains grains like corn, soy, or wheat.
These grains can trigger allergies in cats. , These ingredients are animal fats and are essential to maintaining your cat’s health.
If the cat food contains high quality meat content, it should contain taurine and arachidonic acid.If the cat food does not contain taurine or arachidonic acid, it likely does not contain animal sources of protein.
Avoid cat foods that have plant sources of protein instead of animal sources of protein. , Look for vitamins like vitamin A, B vitamins, vitamin C, folic acid, and vitamin B12 in the food.
These vitamins are essential to keeping your cat healthy.Minerals like calcium, phosphorous, iron, magnesium, sodium, and zinc should also be listed as ingredients in the cat food.
These minerals help your cat maintain healthy joints, bones, and teeth. , Most cat foods will contain animal by-products.
If the food is high quality, it may contain animal by-products like liver, and lungs.
These are fine for cats to consume.
Lower quality foods may have animal by-products that are hard for cats to digest.
Avoid lower quality cat foods with lots of by-products.By-products should appear last or close to last in the cat food.
This will ensure the cat food is mostly high quality protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals.
Some cat food brands will list the by-products, such as "animal liver or lungs" while other brands may just say "animal by-products."
Make sure the cat food does not contain chemical preservatives like BHT, BHA, ethoxyquin, and propyl gallate.
Avoid cat food that have preservatives or additives high in the ingredients list.
These foods are often very low quality and not safe for your cat to consume.Be especially careful of dry cat food that contains additives, preservatives, or fillers.
Dry cat food that is low quality is often 50% filler or additives, which will not give your cat much nutrients or energy. , The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) regulates pet food and helps to ensure pet food is to industry standards.
Look at the label on the food to confirm it has been certified by the AAFCO.
This means the food has been independently tested and deemed safe for pets.
About the Author
Cheryl Mitchell
Committed to making hobbies accessible and understandable for everyone.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: