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.
Last reviewed May 2026All life stagesKibblePartially verified
By the PetScored Editorial Team. Every sub-score below links to the sources and rules behind it - see the full trail under the score.
Kibble (dry): well-established. The most-studied format. Deepest evidence base, lowest cost per calorie. The evidence on this format ›
Strengths
Nutrition Fit 9.0 / 10AAFCO adequacy clears the rubric and dry-matter protein and fat land in the bands we expect.
Low sensitivity risk 9.0 / 10Few of the most-named adverse-reaction trigger ingredients high on the label.
Crude protein 40%High-protein bag on the guaranteed analysis panel.
Watch-outs
Common triggers on the labelSkip if your dog avoids chicken, turkey, fish. We surface this regardless of sub-score.
Partially verified source confidenceSome label or pricing fields rely on retailer-mediated capture rather than the manufacturer source. See evidence notes below.
Value 6.0 / 10Value is reconstructed from package size, price, kcal density, category median, and quality caps.
Data status
Partially verified
Some primary-source fields are verified; unresolved fields remain visible.
Last reviewed
May 2026
Launch readiness
Source-capture hold.
This page is missing the packet or source record needed for beta QA.
Attach product source and verification packet records before promotion.
Lane
Source capture
Packet
missing
Product source
missing
Brand Trust scoring
Brand Trust record missing.
A Brand Trust signal record has not been attached yet. The product keeps its seed Brand Trust value until source-backed signals exist.
Looks promising, with a few checks still worth making.
For FreeStyle Chicken & Cod Recipe Cat, the main watch-outs are: the estimated cost per calorie is high compared with similar foods. This is an evidence read, not a medical recommendation.
9.0
Nutrition FitAAFCO fit, calories, and dry matter protein/fat ranges.
6.5
Brand TrustWSAVA-style signals, recall mapping, and source confidence.
7.0
Ingredient ClarityNamed sources and label specificity.
9.0
Sensitivity RiskPopulation-level common allergen exposure.
6.0
ValueEstimated price per 1,000 kcal within category.
vs. Dry cat food
How this scorecard reads against its category.
Solid bar is this product. Hollow tick mark is the average across 32 peers in the same category. Same rubric for both, no weighting tricks.
Nutrition Fit9.0near avg
Brand Trust6.5near avg
Ingredient Clarity7.0+0.8 vs avg
Sensitivity Risk9.0+0.3 vs avg
Value6.0+1.1 vs avg
Score math
How PetScored got there.
Expand to see the rule-by-rule trail. Useful for checking the rubric; not required to make a buying decision.
Show the trail▾
Nutrition Fit9.0
30% of total score
8 scoring rule(s)0 context item(s)
Nutrition Fit is reconstructed from deterministic dog-food v1 rules using the currently available fixture fields.
RuleInputScoreEvidence
AAFCO statement matches declared life stageA verified AAFCO adequacy statement earns points only when it matches the declared life stage.
Nulo FreeStyle Cat & Kitten Chicken & Cod recipe is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Cat Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages.+3.0A
Feeding trials substantiate adequacyFeeding-trial language receives additional credit because it is stronger evidence than formulated-to-meet language.
Nulo FreeStyle Cat & Kitten Chicken & Cod recipe is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Cat Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages.0.0A
Protein dry matter basis in rangeProtein is compared on dry matter basis against the cat growth/all life stages range of 35-55%.
44.4%+2.0A
Fat dry matter basis in rangeFat is compared on dry matter basis against the cat growth/all life stages range of 9-30%.
22.2%+2.0A
Calcium and phosphorus listedThis can earn credit once the nutrition panel stores calcium and phosphorus fields from a verified source.
not captured in v0 fixture0.0B
Calorie statement presentA calorie statement is needed for value, feeding-cost, and cross-format comparison work.
452 kcal/cup+1.0A
Large-breed puppy statementThis rule is not applicable unless the product is marketed for large-breed puppies.
not applicable0.0A
Taurine declared on label (cat)Cat foods must declare taurine on the GA panel or in the ingredient list. AAFCO requires a minimum 1,000 mg/kg DMB for adult cat diets. PetScored scores the label declaration; failure to declare on adult or all-life-stages diets triggers a hard-fail floor at 4.0.
declared+1.0A
Brand Trust6.5
25% of total score
1 scoring rule(s)2 context item(s)seed in use
Brand Trust is still using the seed subscore while source signals are captured, reviewed, or blocked by conflict.
RuleInputScoreEvidence
Brand Trust signal record missingThe prototype seed score remains in use until a Brand Trust signal record is attached.
not capturedcontextSeed
Brand Trust seed subscorePrototype score imported from the seed fixture. This keeps the public page auditable while verified rule events replace seed values.
6.5 / 10+6.5Seed
Source confidence visibleConfidence is shown beside the score so prototype, single-source, verified, stale, and conflict records are not treated the same.
Partially verifiedcontextSeed
Ingredient Clarity7.0
15% of total score
8 scoring rule(s)0 context item(s)
Ingredient Clarity is reconstructed from named-source and label-specificity rules.
RuleInputScoreEvidence
Animal protein sources named in top 10Named species such as chicken meal or salmon count as clearer than generic terms such as meat meal or poultry by-product meal.
Fat sources named in top 10Named fats, such as chicken fat or salmon oil, are clearer than generic animal fat.
chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols & citric acid)+2.0B
Grain sources are specificSpecific grains such as rice, barley, oatmeal, or sorghum earn clarity credit. Generic grain terms do not.
no grain source detected+1.0B
Preservatives explicitly namedExplicit preservative language earns clarity credit because the label tells readers what is preserving the fat or formula.
chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols & citric acid)+1.0A
Country of manufacture statedThis can earn credit once the product source record stores a verified made-in or country-of-manufacture statement.
not captured in v0 fixture0.0C
Manufacturer identifiableThis can earn credit once the source record identifies the manufacturer from a verified product page or label.
not captured in v0 fixture0.0C
Co-packer or facility disclosedThis can earn credit once the product or brand source record publicly discloses the facility or co-packer.
not captured in v0 fixture0.0C
Ingredient splitting high on labelRelated starch or pulse ingredients high on the label are flagged for transparency. This is not treated as proof of harm.
not detected0.0C
Sensitivity Risk9.0
15% of total score
9 scoring rule(s)0 context item(s)
Sensitivity Risk is reconstructed from common allergen exposure patterns in the ingredient list.
RuleInputScoreEvidence
Sensitivity baselineSensitivity Risk starts at 10 and adjusts for common exposure patterns. It is not a prediction for an individual dog.
10 / 10 before ingredient exposure adjustments+10.0A
Beef or beef-derived ingredient in top 5Beef exposure in the top five ingredients lowers the score because beef is commonly reported in canine food-reaction studies.
These flags reflect population-level prevalence of commonly reported canine food allergens in the published literature (Mueller and Olivry 2016), not a prediction that this dog will react. Read how we score this in the dog food rubric and the medical disclaimer.
Source record
Confidence is visible by design.
Captured
May 21, 2026
Confidence
Partially verified
Sources
Nulo official product page captured May 21, 2026 retailer 12 lb price captured May 21, 2026
Adequacy
Nulo FreeStyle Cat & Kitten Chicken & Cod recipe is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Cat Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages.
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What is the PetScored rating for Nulo FreeStyle Chicken & Cod Recipe Cat?
Nulo FreeStyle Chicken & Cod Recipe Cat scores 7.6 out of 10 on the PetScored deterministic rubric. Strongest sub-score: Nutrition Fit. Weakest sub-score: Value. See the full sub-score breakdown and rule-event trail on the scorecard.
Is Nulo FreeStyle Chicken & Cod Recipe Cat good for dogs with food sensitivities?
Skip this food if your dog avoids chicken, turkey, fish, legumes. These are common adverse-reaction trigger ingredients in published case series. If your dog tolerates these proteins, the sub-score reflects the population-level risk; individual dogs vary.
Is Nulo FreeStyle Chicken & Cod Recipe Cat AAFCO complete and balanced?
Nulo FreeStyle Chicken & Cod Recipe Cat carries this AAFCO adequacy statement: "Nulo FreeStyle Cat & Kitten Chicken & Cod recipe is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Cat Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages." The all-life-stages designation covers growth and maintenance.
What life stage is Nulo FreeStyle Chicken & Cod Recipe Cat for?
Per the bag, Nulo FreeStyle Chicken & Cod Recipe Cat is intended for All life stages (format: Kibble). Always cross-check the AAFCO statement on your actual bag, since recipes and life-stage designations can change between production runs.
How much does Nulo FreeStyle Chicken & Cod Recipe Cat cost per calorie?
Captured retailer price: $47.99 for a 12 lb bag bag, at 3672 kcal/kg. PetScored Value sub-score benchmarks cost per 1,000 kcal against the category median rather than the sticker price - see the Value detail on the scorecard.
This score is our opinion, formed by applying a published rubric to label and public source records, not a statement of objective fact and not veterinary advice. Label fields we cannot verify are marked by source confidence rather than assumed. See the methodology and medical disclaimer.
