How we score cat food

The same method, every product — no opinions, no paid placement.

Every food gets a score out of 100, worked out the same way for every product. The numbers come straight from the label — we don't guess, and no brand can pay for a better score. Here's exactly what goes into it.

One honest caveat: labels differ. US-style labels state guaranteed analysis (minimums and maximums), EU-style labels state typical analysis (measured values). We use each label's numbers exactly as printed — so scores built on guaranteed values are close approximations, not lab measurements. Most labels also don't print carbohydrates at all: we calculate them as what remains after protein, fat, fiber, moisture and ash (and say so wherever the number appears). EU labels also list fewer additives (only those with a legal maximum must be declared) and may omit water used only in processing — so an EU ingredient list can be shorter than what the product actually contains. Every product page says which kind of label it uses.

The 100 points

Cats are obligate carnivores — they're built to eat meat. The score rewards foods that match that, and the three parts below add up to 100.

🥩 Ingredients

60 pts

The biggest factor, because what's in the food matters most. Of the 60 points, 30 ask whether the first ingredients are quality animal protein (not plant fillers), 15 how few concerning ingredients there are, and 15 whether there are genuinely healthy extras — the same three subtotals the app shows under every rating.

⚡ Energy balance

30 pts

Where the calories actually come from — protein, fat, and carbs. Cats thrive on plenty of protein, moderate fat, and little carbohydrate, so foods closer to that balance score higher.

🐭 Carbs vs a mouse

10 pts

A cat's natural prey — a mouse — is only about 2–5% carbs. The closer a food is to that, the better it scores here.

From score to grade

The 0–100 score maps to a letter grade so it's easy to read at a glance:

A+95–100A85–94B75–84C60–74D45–59E30–44Fbelow 30

What we don't do

We don't let an AI invent a rating — the score is calculated, the same way, every time.
No brand can pay to rank higher or be flagged as healthier.
We don't make up numbers — we calculate what can be calculated (like carbs, from the other label values) and mark it as calculated; anything else missing, we say so rather than guess.

Why do some vet-recommended foods score low?

Because we measure one specific thing: how closely the label's ingredients and nutrient profile match what an obligate carnivore evolved to eat. Veterinarians weigh different things — feeding trials, manufacturing quality control, formulation research, and whether a diet manages a specific medical condition — and those factors are real, they just aren't on the label, so our score can't see them. A grain-heavy food from a research-driven brand can score low here and still be a diet your vet has good reasons to recommend, especially a therapeutic one (we tag those VET DIET and say clearly that the decision belongs to your vet). The two views answer different questions — ours is "what's in the bowl, by the label"; your vet's is "what does this particular cat need". When they disagree about your cat, your vet wins.

The score is a helpful starting point, not the whole story — every cat is an individual. For health concerns or a diagnosed condition, your veterinarian always knows your cat best.

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