How does your cat food compare?

Finding the best dry food for your cat can be challenging because every brand of food uses colorful bags, attractive names, and the promise to provide "complete and balanced nutrition". However, a careful review of the primary ingredients in each brand of food yields a more accurate assessment of the true nutritional value of each product.

This comprehensive list of cat foods compares every major brand of dry cat food sold at PetSmart, Petco, Walmart, and through PetFoodDirect.com. For consistency, the adult chicken formula of each food was used to compare ingredients.

Within each category, cat food brands are listed in price order, from least expensive to most expensive. This was determined by finding the average price of the largest available bag in each brand and dividing the price by the number of pounds to get the price per pound. Even if you only own one cat, the most affordable option is to purchase the largest bag of your cat food and store it in an airtight storage bin.

Choosing a Cat Food

Cats are notoriously picky eaters, so it is a challenge for the owner to find a food that has both good nutritional value and a taste that pleases the finicky feline. Fortunately there are many affordable options that provide excellent nutrition and tasty ingredients. If you are looking for a new cat food, look for a food that is similar in price to what you have been paying. The best place to shop for mainline brands like Nutro or Purina is at PetSmart. If you're looking for a variety of grain-free and natural cat foods, Petco.com or PetFoodDirect.com offer the best prices.

Quality Nutrition

There are three main types of ingredients present in many cat foods that are not beneficial to your pet’s health: grains, by-products and meat and bone meal. Corn is the lowest grade quality grain and used as a filler in many lower-priced cat foods. Cats are by nature carnivores, so a corn-based diet is not filling and leads to weight gain because the cat has to eat more food in order to feel full.

Meat “by-products” is a vague term used by pet food manufacturers to disguise the true content of their product. According to a recent article, when food animals such as cows, pigs, chicken or lambs are slaughtered, the choicest cuts of meat are removed for human consumption. “However, about 50% of every food animal does not get used in human foods. Whatever remains of the carcass — heads, feet, bones, blood, intestines, lungs, spleens, livers, ligaments, fat trimmings, unborn babies, and other parts not generally consumed by humans — is used in pet food”.

These meat “waste products” are put through a rendering process where the ingredients are ground and cooked at very high temperatures. While it is clearly undesirable to feed your pet by-products, of far greater concern is the ingredient “meat and bone meal”.

Pet food manufacturers have been accused of using euthanized cats and dogs as inexpensive meat to add to the rendered mix listed as “meat and bone meal”. The FDA conducted a study where the chemical used in euthanasia was found in dry pet food that contained meat and bone meal. Recently the former president of AAFCO, the American Association of Feed Control Officials admitted on camera that euthanized cats and dogs from shelters and veterinary clinics are commonly used in rendered pet food.

While AAFCO creates guidelines for pet food manufacturers, enforcement is up to each individual state. And if AAFCO considers using euthanized pets in pet food to be acceptable, of what worth are their guidelines to begin with?

When it comes to choosing the right food for your cat, the most important considerations should be affordability and the nutritional value of the ingredients. Providing your cat with a high quality grain-free diet may not be as expensive as you might think. Many grain-free foods are similar in price to the Good or Average quality foods and some are even cheaper.

Petfooddirect.com offers a wide variety of grain-free foods starting as low as $1.22/lb. Since it is an online company, Petfooddirect offers a discount of 15% to 20% on top of their sale price, which typically compensates for the cost of shipping.

Many grain-free foods contain similar ingredients. The more expensive brands contain a higher proportion of real meat such as chicken or salmon. It may take several tries to find a brand that your cat enjoys. Fortunately for cat owners, there are many affordable brands available.

Level 1- Poor Quality - contains corn and meat and bone meal as primary ingredients