Why did my cat's food score lower than I expected?
Marketing claims and nutritional quality don't always align. Even foods labelled 'premium' or 'high protein' can score low for specific reasons.
Each product page includes a score breakdown showing exactly which rules helped and which ones triggered deductions - so you can see precisely why a food scored the way it did.
The most common reasons a food scores lower than expected:
Ingredients like pea protein, corn gluten meal, or soy protein isolate inflate the overall protein percentage on the label - but cats can't use plant protein the way they use animal protein. Rule 3 deducts points for this, even when the total protein percentage looks high.
Carbohydrates aren't listed directly on the bag - they're calculated from the other nutrients. Many foods are marketed as "low carb" or "grain-free" still contain 30-40% dry matter carbohydrates once the maths is done.
"Poultry meal" or "meat and bone meal" instead of "chicken meal" or "deboned salmon" signals lower ingredient quality and triggers deductions under Rules 4 and 7. Named sources are always better.
Artificial colors, flavors, or chemical preservatives like BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin trigger Rule 5 deductions - even when the food performs well across other criteria.
Foods using inorganic mineral forms (zinc oxide, ferrous sulfate, etc.) Instead of chelated minerals, you miss out on the Rule 9 bonus. It's a smaller factor, but it adds up.
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Last updated Feb 14, 2026
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