Re: When reading cat food labels how do I know it is nutritious or not?

This is a great question. I was able to find some good resources for you on the web. All this information can be a bit overwhelming; let's "digest" some of it.

Pet food labels have been historically difficult to understand and they have not been well regulated. I was certified as a small animal nutritionist in 1988 (much has changed since then) at that time pet foods could claim a value of 18% protein (for example) but didn't have to specify where that protein came from and in fact, protein can come in the form of leather, e.g., an old shoe!

From what I have gathered on some of the websites I've sited below, it sounds like there has been some improvements made on regulating pet food labeling, but knowing what is good for your cat is still not clearly defined. Even many small animal veterinarians lack in knowledge, unless they are self-motivated to learn more in this area.

It was interesting for me to research this question for you, as I found a cat information site dedicated to improving the way we feed our pet cats and I learned a lot myself.

I hope you find these sites helpful and not too confusing.

Thanks for the question!

http://www.fda.gov/cvm/petlabel.htm
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=1+2230&aid=667
http://www.catinfo.org/