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9 rules
1 Smart Score

How we score cat food

9 evidence-based criteria evaluate quality. Premium proteins and fewer fillers score higher.

Rule 1 / 1
1

Carbs

Cats are built for meat, not starch.
We subtract points for high carbohydrate recipes, especially when carbs come from cheap fillers like corn, wheat, peas, or potatoes. Lower carbs mean a better score, because cats naturally eat very little carbohydrate.
Rule 1 - Carbs
2
Protein Amount
More high-quality protein is good.
Foods with higher total protein, especially on a dry-matter basis, earn more credit.
Protein is the most important part of a cat’s diet and supports muscle, energy, and essential amino acids.
Rule 2 - Protein Amount
3
Plant Protein Boosters
Some brands inflate “protein” with pea protein, potato protein, gluten, soy, etc.
We flag that.
Animal protein is scored higher than plant protein because cats digest and use animal amino acids better.
Rule 3 - Plant Protein Boosters
4
Meat and Fat Sources
Named animal ingredients (e.g. “chicken meal”, “salmon oil”) score higher than vague terms like “meat by-product” or “animal fat”.
Clear, specific sources mean better traceability and usually better quality for the cat.
Rule 4 - Meat and Fat Sources
5
Chemical Additives
Artificial colors, artificial flavors, and certain synthetic preservatives lower the score.
These don’t feed the cat - they just make the food look or smell nicer to humans.
Rule 5 - Chemical Additives
6
Extra Animal Protein Sources
Multiple real animal protein sources - for example, chicken meal, turkey meal, and fish meal - are a plus.
We reward recipes that deliver more than one meaningful animal protein source, not just one meat ingredient listed for show.
Rule 6 - Extra Animal Protein Sources
7
Ingredient Order & Meat Placement
Ingredients are legally listed by weight, from highest to lowest.
We check where the real meat and animal fat actually sit in that list, and whether "fresh meat" is only there for show or truly appears before the starches.
Rule 7 - Ingredient Order & Meat Placement
8
Taurine Support
Cats must get taurine.
We reward foods that clearly provide taurine support from animal sources (muscle meat, organs, fish) and do not rely only on a bare-minimum supplement line.
Rule 8 - Taurine Support
9
Chelated Minerals
We reward formulas that use chelated (a.k.a. “protein-bound”) minerals because they’re typically easier for the cat’s body to absorb and use.
This suggests a more biologically available micronutrient profile, not just “ash.”
Rule 9 - Chelated Minerals
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