How is the quality score calculated?
Every dry cat food is scored using the same 9-rule methodology - evaluating protein, carbohydrates, and ingredient quality against what cats actually need as obligate carnivores.
The score is based solely on the ingredient list and guaranteed analysis of each product. Price, brand, availability, and palatability play no role.
The calculation happens in three stages:
Convert to dry matter basis
All nutritional values are converted to dry matter basis (DMB) to strip out moisture content and make every product directly comparable - regardless of how the food was processed or preserved.
Apply the 9 scoring rules
Each rule adds or deducts points based on a specific aspect of the food - protein amount, carbohydrate level, ingredient sources, additives, mineral forms, and more. The same rules apply to every product, every time.
Calculate the final score
Points are totalled into a final score out of 100. Most real-world products land between 30 and 85. A score in the 70s or above is considered strong for a dry cat food.
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Last updated 4 days ago