Live category
Cats are obligate carnivores. The cat food rubric raises the protein bands, requires taurine declaration on every adult diet, and weights the feline allergen profile differently (fish penalized, wheat unpenalized). Same five sub-scores as dog food, different biology. 48 products scored so far.
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By format
Methodology flag
The cat rubric floors Nutrition Fit at 4.0 when an adult or all-life-stages cat food does not declare taurine on the label. Some recipes use organ meats naturally rich in taurine, but the rubric scores label declarations, not inferred nutritional content. See the cat methodology for the full rule.
Vital Essentials
$36.72 / 1,000 kcal · 332% above median
Strong simple ingredient profile with named chicken organs near the top. Major rubric concern: taurine not explicitly declared on the label, which hard-fails the nutrition score on an all-life-stages cat food.
All scorecards, ranked
Iams
$1.07 / 1,000 kcal · 24% below median
Excellent cost per calorie and a chicken-first formula with taurine declared. The official page did not expose a verbatim AAFCO statement; chicken by-product meal sits very high in the ingredient list.
Purina ONE
$1.13 / 1,000 kcal · 19% below median
Strong value and solid cat-relevant nutrition, including feeding-trial substantiation and explicit taurine. The ingredient panel is busy and sensitivity-heavy, with chicken, beef fat, soy, corn, and legumes prominent.
Solid Gold
$1.84 / 1,000 kcal · 8% below median
An indoor recipe with chicken and chicken meal up front, declared taurine, and a probiotic finish. The high fiber maximum and stacked pea and lentil fractions are typical of indoor weight-control kibble and widen the common-trigger footprint with turkey, fish, and egg alongside chicken.
Rachael Ray Nutrish
$1.27 / 1,000 kcal · 9% below median
Real chicken leads an all-life-stages grocery-premium recipe with declared taurine and no artificial colors. Corn protein concentrate and peas raise the plant-protein contribution, and fish meal adds a second common trigger.
Cat Chow
$0.77 / 1,000 kcal · 45% below median
A mass-market all-life-stages kibble led by chicken by-product meal and corn, with declared taurine at 0.15 percent. Protein is solid for the tier, but the grain and by-product base keeps Ingredient Clarity modest.
Crave
$2.21 / 1,000 kcal · 11% above median
A high-protein grain-free recipe (40% crude protein) led by chicken and chicken meal with declared taurine. Pea protein, split peas, and potato protein carry the carbohydrate load and inflate the plant-protein contribution; fish meal adds a second common feline trigger.
Merrick
$2.15 / 1,000 kcal · 7% above median
A high-protein grain-free recipe (38% crude protein) with chicken and chicken meal first and declared taurine. Cassava root flour, potato protein, and pea fractions carry the carbohydrate base, and beef fat adds a second common feline trigger alongside chicken.
Nulo
$2.40 / 1,000 kcal · 20% above median
A high-protein, low-glycemic-positioned recipe led by deboned chicken with declared taurine. Whole peas and lentils provide the carbohydrate base, and turkey plus cod add common triggers alongside the chicken.
Nutro
$1.98 / 1,000 kcal · 16% above median
Chicken and chicken meal lead a non-GMO-positioned indoor kibble with declared taurine. Pea and potato protein boost the protein figure with plant fractions, and soybean oil is the only soy derivative present.
Purina Pro Plan
$2.09 / 1,000 kcal · 23% above median
Salmon leads a high-protein adult kibble that earns the stronger of the two AAFCO substantiation methods, a feeding trial rather than formulation alone. The recipe still leans on corn protein meal, poultry by-product meal, and wheat, which keeps Ingredient Clarity mid-pack.
Wellness
$2.12 / 1,000 kcal · 6% above median
A clean ingredient list and explicit taurine support make this a well-balanced indoor formula. Chicken and fish exposure remains substantial for sensitive cats.
Wellness CORE
$2.41 / 1,000 kcal · 21% above median
A high-protein grain-free recipe stacking deboned turkey, deboned chicken, and named meals with declared taurine. The 45 percent protein floor is strong for a kibble, though the multiple poultry and fish sources widen the common-trigger footprint.
Blue Buffalo
$1.92 / 1,000 kcal · 13% above median
Deboned chicken leads a recipe with no chicken by-product, corn, wheat, or soy, and taurine is declared. The high fiber maximum and stacked pea fractions are typical of indoor weight-control formulas and add some sensitivity complexity.
Blue Buffalo
$2.05 / 1,000 kcal
Excellent protein content and clearly declared taurine match the carnivore brief. The formula leans heavily on peas and stacks multiple poultry proteins, which raises sensitivity complexity.
Hill's Prescription Diet
$4.75 / 1,000 kcal · 179% above median
A solid prescription dry food on paper: feeding-trial substantiated, adult maintenance adequacy, taurine declared. Like most vet diets, the weakest dimension is price rather than basic nutrition.
I and Love and You
$1.83 / 1,000 kcal · 8% above median
A grain-free all-life-stages kibble that stacks chicken, chicken meal, and turkey meal with declared taurine, priced unusually low for the format. Garbanzo beans and peas carry the carbohydrate load and the recipe layers several common feline triggers, but the named-meat lead and clean label score well.
Instinct
$2.10 / 1,000 kcal
A raw-coated, grain-free kibble with chicken first and a 41 percent protein floor, taurine declared. The dense animal lineup is species-appropriate, but turkey, two fish sources, and peas stack several common triggers.
Made by Nacho
$2.64 / 1,000 kcal · 32% above median
A grain-friendly cat kibble that clears the higher all-life-stages protein bar and declares taurine. The tradeoff, in our view, is a chicken-meal-and-rice base with a plant-protein assist rather than an all-meat formula.
Hill's Science Diet
$2.65 / 1,000 kcal · 56% above median
Strong label transparency on calories, taurine, and feeding-trial substantiation. Weak spot is value: it prices like a premium dry food while leaning on wheat and corn structure after chicken.
Purina Pro Plan
$1.69 / 1,000 kcal · 21% above median
Strongest nutrition-to-value balance in this set: high protein, feeding-trial substantiated, taurine declared, calorie-dense. Ingredient quality is held back by poultry by-product meal and multiple common sensitivity triggers.
Open Farm
$3.53 / 1,000 kcal · 76% above median
One of the most transparent sourcing stories in the tier, with humanely raised turkey and chicken named first and traceable suppliers, taurine declared. The price per calorie is steep, and chickpeas, lentils, and two fish meals widen the trigger profile.
Stella & Chewy's
$30.46 / 1,000 kcal · 258% above median
Very strong sensitivity profile: rabbit as the primary animal protein and taurine explicitly added. Drawbacks are typical freeze-dried ones: high cost and a raw-style format that demands careful handling.
Iams
$1.61 / 1,000 kcal · 15% above median
An indoor weight-and-hairball kibble with chicken first and declared taurine, but a corn-heavy base (corn grits, corn gluten meal, whole corn) plus chicken by-product meal, powdered cellulose, and caramel color keep Ingredient Clarity low. The high fiber maximum is typical of the hairball positioning.
Natural Balance
$2.64 / 1,000 kcal · 32% above median
A limited-ingredient grain-free recipe with a single named animal protein (chicken) up front and declared taurine, aimed at simpler diets. Peas, chickpeas, and lentils carry the carbohydrate load; the price per calorie runs high for the tier.
Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets
$4.68 / 1,000 kcal · 234% above median
Strongest nutrition panel in the vet-diet set: 40% protein, ash and magnesium disclosed, taurine declared, feeding-trial substantiated. Ingredient optics are less flattering - corn protein meal first, poultry by-product meal second.
Royal Canin Veterinary Diet
$5.36 / 1,000 kcal · 215% above median
Clear label data with taurine declaration and a fiber-forward design matching the prescription purpose. Tradeoff: brewers rice leads the ingredient list while price sits deep in premium territory.
Royal Canin Veterinary Diet
$4.18 / 1,000 kcal · 146% above median
Taurine, magnesium, calories, and a urinary-specific mineral profile clearly disclosed. AAFCO statement was not exposed verbatim on the page reviewed; formula is expensive for a chicken-by-product-and-grain dry food.
9Lives
$0.73 / 1,000 kcal · 19% below median
A budget maintenance kibble with guaranteed taurine at 0.1 percent, built on corn, soybean meal, and unspecified meat and bone meal. BHA preservation and three artificial dyes are the kind of label choices our Ingredient Clarity dimension marks down.
Hill's Prescription Diet
$5.94 / 1,000 kcal · 249% above median
Strong therapeutic transparency: feeding trials, calories, magnesium, and taurine all declared. The weak spot is value - a kidney diet price far above the premium dry benchmark.
Sheba
$13.17 / 1,000 kcal · 998% above median
A single-serve wet entree with chicken named first and taurine declared, useful for portion control. Poultry by-products and animal plasma sit high on the panel, and caramel color is a cosmetic additive our clarity scoring does not credit.
Tiny Tiger
$10.98 / 1,000 kcal · 815% above median
A budget pate where declared taurine and an all-life-stages statement are the strongest points. The tradeoff, in our view, is meat by-products and fish high in the formula and modest ingredient transparency.
Orijen
$2.83 / 1,000 kcal · 41% above median
Most species-appropriate recipe of the group, with a dense lineup of named animal ingredients and declared taurine. The tradeoff is high price and multiple common fish triggers.
Fancy Feast
$9.89 / 1,000 kcal · 724% above median
A budget pâté with salmon named first and taurine declared, useful as a high-moisture option. The label leans on liver and meat by-products, artificial color including Red 3, and sodium nitrite, which our Ingredient Clarity dimension marks down even as the protein source reads well.
Halo
$3.37 / 1,000 kcal · 68% above median
An indoor healthy-weight recipe led by deboned chicken with declared taurine and whole-food inclusions like cranberries and probiotics. Sweet potatoes, peas, chickpeas, and lentils stack high, and the price per calorie is steep, which pulls Value down.
Smalls
$25.00 / 1,000 kcal · 285% above median
Strong fresh-food nutrition profile, high moisture, explicit taurine. The formula is still chicken-led, so not a low-trigger option for sensitive cats, and expensive per calorie.
ZIWI Peak
$22.15 / 1,000 kcal · 691% above median
One of the most species-appropriate wet recipes in the catalog: whole chicken with named organs, bone, and cartilage in a high-moisture can, with green mussel and declared taurine. A single primary protein keeps the trigger count low; the steep price per calorie is the only real tradeoff.
Dr. Elsey's
$5.57 / 1,000 kcal · 179% above median
An ultra-high-protein recipe (59% crude protein, positioned as ~95% animal-based) led by chicken with declared taurine and a notably short, low-carb label. The protein comes partly from processed sources (hydrolyzed pork, pork plasma, gelatin); the small 2 lb bag is expensive per calorie, which pulls Value down.
Friskies
$4.85 / 1,000 kcal · 304% above median
Taurine declared and cost-per-calorie is unusually good for canned food. Ingredient quality is basic, with generic by-products and multiple unnamed animal inputs.
Made by Nacho
$21.39 / 1,000 kcal · 664% above median
A chicken-and-organ kitten pâté with declared taurine and high moisture. The tradeoff, in our view, is premium per-calorie pricing and salmon oil placing fish among the listed ingredients.
Meow Mix
$0.53 / 1,000 kcal · 41% below median
A grocery-aisle kibble built on ground corn, soybean meal, and poultry by-product meal, with taurine declared. The label leans on artificial dyes and an ethoxyquin-preserved fish meal, which raise clarity and source-confidence questions even though the protein figure looks adequate.
Fancy Feast
$10.77 / 1,000 kcal · 285% above median
A surprisingly efficient canned option with declared taurine and a simple ingredient panel led by chicken. Generic meat by-products and added fish keep it from reading cleaner.
Tiki Cat
$32.63 / 1,000 kcal · 1065% above median
Meat-forward structure with organ meats up front and taurine explicitly declared. Weaker dimension is value - small-can premium wet format gets expensive per calorie.
Weruva
$34.61 / 1,000 kcal · 1136% above median
Good label transparency, declared taurine, very high moisture. Catch is calorie density: premium price for a fairly low-calorie can.
Weruva
$34.21 / 1,000 kcal · 1122% above median
One of the cleanest labels in the catalog: boneless skinless chicken breast in broth with a single named protein and declared taurine. The very low fat figure and high price per calorie make it a topper or rotational food more than a sole diet for many cats.
Royal Canin
$2.83 / 1,000 kcal · 66% above median
Complete label presentation with named chicken meal first and taurine explicitly declared. The tradeoff is modest protein density for an obligate carnivore dry food and a high cost per calorie.
Tiki Cat
$22.33 / 1,000 kcal · 697% above median
A very low-carbohydrate wet food built on tuna and chicken in broth with declared taurine, close to the high-moisture, high-protein profile cats evolved to eat. Tuna and chicken together cover two common triggers, and the price per calorie is high.
I and Love and You
$10.41 / 1,000 kcal · 272% above median
A clean single-protein pâté: chicken, chicken broth, and chicken liver lead a short label with declared taurine and high moisture. One named animal protein keeps the trigger count low; salmon oil is the only secondary trigger and the price per calorie is premium-wet.
Vital Essentials
$36.72 / 1,000 kcal · 332% above median
Strong simple ingredient profile with named chicken organs near the top. Major rubric concern: taurine not explicitly declared on the label, which hard-fails the nutrition score on an all-life-stages cat food.
What's next on cat
The cat rubric is at v1.0 as of 2026-05-18. The four open editorial decisions from v0.1 are resolved (see /methodology/cat-food): therapeutic cat diets split from dog Rx, dual-species brands inherit dog-verified Brand Trust signals with caveat, VOHC dental acceptance noted but not scored, Verlinden 2006 canonical for sensitivity.
Next on the cat workstream: more products, more editorials. The launch QA set proved the rubric and the catalog now sits at 48 scored products. You can already filter the full set at /cat-food/browse, narrow by need at /cat-best-for, or size a portion with the feeding calculator. Coverage expansion continues toward boutique brands, additional veterinary therapeutic recipes, and broader fresh / freeze-dried representation. Next category expansion is on the category roadmap.
