How to Read Cat Food Ingredient Labels — All You Need to Know
Have you ever flipped over a food bag only to put it back down because the text was so dense?
I did the same at first.
I didn't even know what to look for—"what percentage of protein is good," "what this ingredient is."
However, if you know just three key points, you can judge for yourself which food is good for your cat. Today, I will highlight the essentials for you. 🐾
First, check the order of the ingredients.
Feed ingredient lists are listed in order of highest content.
In other words, the ingredient listed first is the one with the most ingredients.
If it is good food, the first ingredient must be animal protein.
Cats are carnivores, so it is difficult for them to obtain sufficient necessary nutrients from plant-based protein alone.
✅ It is good if these expressions come first
Chicken, salmon, tuna, turkey, duck, raw chicken, raw salmon
❌ If these expressions come first, take another look
Corn, wheat, soybeans, rice — grains or plant-based ingredients
Second, look at the Crude Protein level
The most important number on the ingredient analysis table is Crude Protein.
Simply put, it is a figure indicating how much protein is contained in the food.
Veterinarians generally recommend the following standards for cat food:
Dry food: Crude Protein 30% or more recommended
Wet food (Cans/Pouches): Crude Protein 8–10% or more (The figure is indicated as lower due to high moisture content)
However, the appropriate level may vary depending on age and health condition.
In some cases, cats with kidney disease may actually need to reduce their protein intake. Since there are, please be sure to consult with a veterinarian for the exact standards. Third, be aware of the ingredients you should avoid. Not all additives are bad. However, it is known that it is best to choose food that contains as little of the following ingredients as possible. BHA / BHT: Synthetic antioxidants. Products using natural preservatives (Vitamin E, rosemary extract) are better.
Artificial colors (Red 40, Yellow 5, etc.): These are unnecessary ingredients for cats.
Excessive by-products: While 'chicken by-products' themselves aren't bad, products with specific cuts listed in the ingredients are more trustworthy.
Excessive salt / sugar: These are sometimes added to improve palatability, but the less the better.
Practical Tip — Try this when choosing food
💡 TIP 1. Check if the first ingredient is meat
First, check if meat such as 'chicken' or 'salmon' appears on the first line of the ingredients list.
💡 TIP 2. Check if crude protein is 30% or higher (Based on dry food)
Check the crude protein content on the ingredient analysis sheet to see if it exceeds 30%.
💡 TIP 3. Trust the ingredient list over the brand.
Expensive food isn't necessarily the best.
Getting into the habit of reading the ingredient list yourself is the surest way to protect your child's health.
💡 TIP 4. Switch to new food gradually.
When switching to a new food, it is best to mix it in at a rate of 10–20% with the existing food over a period of 1–2 weeks.
Switching suddenly often leads to digestive problems.
💡 TIP 5. Pay the utmost attention to your child's reaction.
No matter how good the ingredients are, if your child doesn't eat it well, or if their stool consistency, coat shine, or vitality decreases, it may not be suitable.
Be sure to check the reaction after feeding for 3–4 weeks. Take a look.
Are you getting a little more familiar with dog food ingredient labels by now?
It might seem difficult at first, but you only need to remember three things:
The order of ingredients, crude protein levels, and ingredients to avoid.
Since it is the food your dog eats every day, please invest just 5 minutes to take a look at the ingredient list.
Those 5 minutes can change your dog's health for the next 10 years. 🐱
Dog owners, don't worry either!
In the next installment, I will cover how to read dog food ingredient labels as well. 🐶
💬 Have you checked the ingredient list of the food your cat is currently eating?
Please share in the comments what food you are feeding them so we can talk about it together! 😊
※ The nutritional figures in this post are for general reference only. Please consult a veterinarian for accurate food selection.
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