What's NOT included in the score?
The score focuses purely on ingredients and nutrition. Several factors are intentionally excluded to keep the methodology objective and consistent across all products.
Excluding these factors is a deliberate choice - not an oversight. The goal is a score that reflects nutritional quality consistently, regardless of external variables that vary by region, budget, or personal values.
A budget food and a premium food with identical ingredients receive the same score. Whether that score is worth the price difference is a judgment only you can make.
Past recalls, brand ownership, or company ethics are not factored in. The score reflects what's in the bag right now - not who made it or their track record.
Where a product is made or where ingredients are sourced from plays no part in the calculation. Two identical formulas from different countries score identically.
Whether a product is sold at mass-market retailers or through specialty pet stores only has no bearing on the score.
How much cats enjoy eating a food can't be determined from an ingredient list. See Palatability for more on this.
The methodology was designed specifically for dry cat food. The nutritional benchmarks and rules don't translate directly to other formats.
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Last updated Feb 15, 2026
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