BuyCatnip / Food labels
How to read a cat food label
The words on the front of a US cat food can or bag follow rules. Once you know them, a name like Chicken Dinner tells you how much chicken is inside.
Label reader
Type the product name exactly as the front of the can or bag shows it, and paste the line that starts with "complete and balanced" or "intended for".
| The name says | The named ingredient is at least |
|---|---|
| Chicken Cat Food | 95 percent without added water (70 percent with it) |
| Chicken Dinner, Entree or Platter | 25 percent without added water (10 percent with it) |
| Cat Food with Chicken | 3 percent |
| Chicken Flavor Cat Food | enough to be detected; no percentage |
Dry matter, by hand: protein on a dry matter basis = protein percent divided by (100 minus moisture percent), times 100. Example: 10 percent protein and 78 percent moisture gives 10 / 22 x 100, about 45 percent.
Three places to read
- The name: one word in it (dinner, with, flavor) changes the minimum amount of the named ingredient.
- The statement: complete and balanced, and for which life stage, or a treat-style food for intermittent or supplemental feeding only.
- The guaranteed analysis: minimum protein and fat, maximum fiber and moisture.
Wet against dry
The percentages on a can look small next to a bag because the can is mostly water. To compare them, take the water out with the dry matter sum above. This page is about reading labels; which food suits your cat is a question for your vet.
Good to know
- When the name is one ingredient, like "Chicken Cat Food", chicken must be at least 95 percent of the product by weight, not counting added water (70 percent counting it).1,2,3
- With "dinner", "entree" or "platter" in the name, the named ingredient must be at least 25 percent, not counting added water (10 percent counting it).1,2,3
- "With chicken" means chicken is at least 3 percent of the product; "chicken flavor" only means there is enough to be detected.1,2,3
- "Complete and balanced" means the food is meant to be the only diet for the life stage it names; other foods must say they are for intermittent or supplemental feeding only.1,2,4
- The life stages a US label can name are growth, adult maintenance, gestation and lactation, and all life stages.1,2
- The guaranteed analysis gives the minimum crude protein and fat and the maximum fiber and moisture, as the food comes in the can or bag, water included.1,2,5
- Canned food is mostly water and dry food has little, so compare wet and dry foods only after taking the water out (the dry matter basis).2,5,6
- Cats need taurine in their food because they can make only a little of it themselves.7,8
How we checked this page
Checked on October 20, 2026. We kept a fact only when two independent publishers agree, and each one is numbered to its sources below. Where sources give different numbers, we keep only what they share. We never write a price. This page was written with an AI assistant and checked against the sources below.
Sources
- Reading Labels, AAFCO
- Dog and Cat Foods, Merck Veterinary Manual
- A Consumer's Guide: Overview of Pet Food Labels, Virginia Cooperative Extension
- Complete and Balanced Pet Food, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- Pet Food Labels: Guaranteed Analysis, Cooperative Extension (extension.org)
- Feeding Your Cat, Cornell Feline Health Center
- Taurine in Cats, VCA Animal Hospitals
- Taurine Requirement of Cats, Cooperative Extension (extension.org)