However, some vets are more specific in their recommendations. “There is a range within which cats can thrive, and individual cats all have slightly different needs,” he says, adding that “nearly all commercial diets fall within these ranges.” For the most part, McKenzie says that’s okay since all food that meets AAFCO standards will provide a sufficient amount of all macronutrients. Nutritional breakdown: Unlike with human food, you generally won’t find a nutrition label on your cat’s food breaking down the specific quantities of carbohydrates, fat, and protein it contains. All pet food should have a nutritional-adequacy statement from the Association of American Feed Control Officials noting whether it meets the standards for growth (good for kittens), adult maintenance (for maintaining a healthy weight), or all life stages (any age). Cline, a certified veterinary nutritionist at Red Bank Veterinary Hospital in New Jersey.
Life stage: “The most important part when you’re buying food for your pet is looking for the nutritional-adequacy statement and making sure it’s for the appropriate life stage for your pet,” says Martha G. Read on for the criteria we considered, or click on any of the links below to jump straight to our top cat food picks.īest overall | Best meat-in-gravy | Best (less expensive) meat-in-gravy | Best shredded | Best for sensitive stomachs | Best for purebred cats | Best human-grade | Best raw | Best for senior cats | Best for kittens | Best (less expensive) for kittens As explained in the criteria below, some of the determining factors will depend on your cat’s specific needs (often determined by their age), while others are more subjective (as cat owners know, picky felines often have their own unexplainable preferences). “Compared to the haphazard diet of whatever prey and scavenged dead things that feral cats can find, our pets have an excellent source of nutrition in conventional commercial cat foods.”īut even with that comforting guidance, there are still hundreds of cat food formulas to choose from, so I asked McKenzie and 11 other experts to guide me through the different options and explain why a cat owner might choose one brand or type of food over another. If you’re like me - overwhelmed by the options out there from grain-free and raw to human-grade and freeze-dried - veterinarian Brennen McKenzie, who blogs about science-based pet care at the SkeptVet, may help put your mind at ease: “The reality is that there is no one ‘right’ food, and most cats can thrive on a broad variety of available diets,” he says. Choosing the right food is a major part of that equation, and wading through a sea of marketing claims can make it a surprisingly difficult task.
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As the owner of a 10-year-old cat, I’m constantly thinking about how to keep her happy and healthy.
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