Cat Food 101: How to Pick the Perfect Cat Food For Any Palate

Cats are notoriously picky eaters, often leaving pet parents scratching their heads when it comes to selecting the right food. With endless options available and a picky feline friend to boot, finding the ideal cat food can be a real challenge. Additionally, it’s essential to understand your cat’s unique nutritional needs and preferences to make an informed choice.

Here's what to keep in mind when choosing the right food for your cat.

Factors to Consider When Choosing Cat Food

You’re going to want to choose a cat food that your feline friend loves and gets excited about, but there is so much more to choosing your cat’s food than simple palatability. You’ll want to make sure you’re picking a food that’s nutritionally complete, healthy, and appropriate for your cat’s age.

AAFCO Nutritional Adequacy Statement

First things first, you need to look for the AAFCO Nutritional Adequacy Statement on any potential cat food contenders.

AAFCO is the Association of American Feed Control Officials, and they set the nutritional requirements for cats and dogs. The AAFCO statement should state that the food is complete and balanced for a specific life stage or all life stages. It will include whether the food was formulated to meet the dietary requirements for that life stage or whether the food underwent animal feeding trials. 

Cat parents should not pick cat food to feed to their cats if it does not contain an AAFCO Nutritional Adequacy Statement. Foods without these statements are only appropriate for treats or supplemental feeding. 90% of a cat’s caloric intake should come from a diet that meets AAFCO’s standards.

An exception to the rule of requiring an AAFCO Statement is a homemade diet that has been balanced by a veterinary nutritionist.

Nutritional Requirements

Cats have species-specific nutrient requirements. They need specific levels of fatty acids, amino acids, minerals, and vitamins to remain healthy. Most often, these are in the form of minimum requirements that must be met by the cat’s diet. However, more isn’t always better! Some nutrients, like vitamin D, can be harmful when fed in excessive amounts. 

Perhaps the most important nutritional requirement for cat parents to know is that cats are obligate carnivores. This means cats have nutritional requirements, such as taurine or arachidonic acid, that must be met by eating animal products. A cat requires significantly more protein than a dog does.

Ingredients

The most important ingredient you should be looking for on a nutrition label is a protein source. The protein source should be one of the first ingredients listed on the food label. The protein source should be specifically named, such as “chicken”.

Contrary to what pet parents may hear from various sources, grains are not bad for cats. When placed in cat food, items like corn are altered to be more digestible and can provide a quick source of energy for the cat. Cats do not require grain-free diets. However, grains and other carbohydrates should not overtake the protein in the diet. An exception to this may be a restricted protein diet, such as a diet for a cat with kidney disease.

 Life Stage

A cat’s nutritional requirements also change during life, so you need to ensure the diet you choose is appropriate for their specific life stage. 

A diet should state whether the food is complete and balanced for growth and reproduction (pregnancy or nursing), adult maintenance, or all life stages. A diet intended for adults that is fed to kittens will not meet their needs for growth. On the other hand, a diet intended for a growing kitten that’s fed to an adult may promote obesity.

When it comes to senior cats, there aren’t established guidelines for a senior cat’s nutritional needs. However, senior cats often have decreases in activity levels and metabolism that increase their risk of obesity. Some senior foods may come with higher protein content to help maintain muscle mass. However, keep in mind that required levels specific to seniors are not established. Senior cats should be fed food that meets the needs of adult cats or all life stages.

Health Considerations

Your cat’s health conditions impact their dietary needs. Some chronic health conditions are usually partially managed through nutrition! 

Here are several examples of health conditions that require special cat food formulations:

• Food allergies: Pet parents should be aware that most cat food allergies occur due to the proteins in the food, not grains. Cats with food allergies may benefit from a novel protein or hydrolyzed protein diet to reduce reactivity to allergens, which you can speak to your veterinarian about.
• Kidney disease: Cats with kidney disease are often fed diets with higher moisture content, are restricted in protein, and have restricted phosphorus.
• Urinary tract disease: Cats with a history of urinary tract disease, such as feline lower urinary tract disease or FLUTD, often benefit from diets that are formulated to increase moisture content, reduce the formation of bladder stones, and make urine acidic.
• Diabetes: Diets for cats with diabetes may have restricted carbohydrate content. Diabetic cats can often go into diabetic remission with strict dietary management, meaning they won’t need insulin.

Diets that cater to specific health needs are often prescription diets. Your veterinarian can help you pick a good prescription diet to meet your cat’s needs.

Types of Cat Food to Choose From

Pet parents have several options for food types. Generally speaking, it's best to pick one food type as the primary food in the diet. Sticking to one food type for at least 90% of your cat's caloric intake helps ensure they receive a nutritionally complete diet.

Dry Food

Dry food (kibble) is a good option for a lot of pet parents. Dry food is generally the most affordable and has the longest shelf life. It can also be left out for longer than most canned foods and can easily be placed in automatic feeders.

Wet Food

Canned food increases the moisture content that your cat takes in, so it’s a good option for cats who have health conditions that respond to increased water intake or for chronically dehydrated cats.

Wet food may also be more palatable to some cats. Cats rely primarily on scent when eating, so the increased smelliness of wet food may be enticing to some cats.

Canned food may also be less painful to chew for cats with dental disease.

Raw

Raw diets can be purchased over the counter or made at home. These diets consist of raw ingredients, including raw animal products. Generally, veterinary nutritionists do not recommend raw foods due to the risk of bacterial infection both for the pet and for the humans in the family. Pet parents who make raw diets at home should consult with a veterinary nutritionist to ensure the diet is nutritionally complete.

Homemade

Homemade diets can be appropriate for cats as long as they’re properly balanced. A boarded veterinary nutritionist can help you design a homemade diet that meets all of your cat’s nutritional needs.

When in Doubt, Consult Your Vet

Your veterinarian is the best source for ensuring you select a diet that’s appropriate for your cat. They will keep in mind your cat’s individual health needs, dietary requirements, and life stages. They also have access to prescription diets for cats who need them. If you have any questions about what you’re feeding your cat or if you’re considering changing your cat’s diet, speaking with your veterinarian should be the first step!