AAFCO Approved Cat Food Brands Don’t Exist! Here’s Why

Looking for AAFCO approved cat food brands? Sorry, but they don’t exist.

The AAFCO does not approve, test, certify, or endorse pet food.

Instead, they set rules for pet food manufacturers to follow when creating and labeling products.

Don’t worry. I’ve made it easy for you to choose the best cat food brands that meet AAFCO requirements.

5 human-grade cat food brands that meet AAFCO standards:

• Open Farm – Best Dry Cat Food
• Raised Right – Best Wet Cat Food
• Smalls – Best Subscription Wet Cat Food
• Quest Cat Food – Best Freeze-Dried Raw
• Darwin’s Natural Pet – Best Frozen Ground Raw Cat Food

Note: transition cat food slowly or you will make your cat sick!

All of these human-grade cat food brands proved their quality and made it on Susan Thixton’s 2023 list!

These cat food products are suitable for adults and kittens unless noted otherwise.

Check out this guide today or save THIS PIN to your Cat Food board on Pinterest.

Disclaimer: I earn a commission if you make a purchase through affiliate links below. No additional cost to you. 

1. Open Farm – Best Dry Cat Food

Open Farm dry cat food ingredients are indeed humanely raised. It isn’t the best option on this list. But it is the “best” dry you’ll find.

• Product name: Turkey and Chicken Recipe = 25-94.9% turkey and chicken combined
• Meat ingredients: turkey, chicken, ocean whitefish meal, herring meal, ocean menhaden fish meal
• Other ingredients: chickpeas, red lentils, coconut oil, green lentils, pumpkin, dried chicory root extract, apples, salt, dandelion greens, turmeric, dried yucca, rosemary extract, and the rest are synthetic supplements

Again, this is not the absolute best cat food. But some super picky cats need a “better quality” dry before they can switch to wet or raw.

Keep in mind that moisture is important for cats. They cannot survive and thrive on dry food only.

Use this dry food to help your cat kick the low-quality kibble.

But I’d recommend transitioning to wet and then raw once your cat is adjusted.

Buy Open Farm dry adult cat food on Amazon. Check their website for kitten food.

2. Raised Right – Best Wet Cat Food

Raised Right is one of the best quality wet foods you’ll find. This is the closest you’ll get to a home-cooked meal.

• Product name: Chicken Recipe = 25-94.9% chicken
• Meat ingredients: chicken thigh, chicken heart, chicken liver, cod liver oil
• Other ingredients: carrots, organic spearmint, blueberries, eggshell powder, organic dried kelp, flaxseed oil, and two synthetic supplements.

Again, we have specific ingredients. It would be nice if there were more secreting organs.

However, this product relies heavily on whole foods rather than a long list of synthetic supplements.

I agree cats would not eat carrots and blueberries in the wild. But the carb amount is very low at less than 4% on a dry matter basis. And Raised Right actually provides that information.

Raised Right also tests the food for nutritional analysis, mold, and bacteria. All results are posted on their website.

Buy Raised Right cat food from their website. Use code PETS20 for 20% off your first box.

Raised Right is suitable for adult cats only (no kittens).

3. Smalls – Best Subscription Wet Cat Food

Smalls human-grade fresh wet is a great option for busy cat parents. My mom’s 4 cats enjoy a free subscription to Smalls every month.

• Product name: Chicken Recipe = 25-94.9% chicken (other protein options are comparable)
• Meat ingredients: chicken, chicken liver, chicken hearts
• Other ingredients: green beans, peas, water, kale, canola oil, and a long list of synthetic supplements

Unfortunately, there are inappropriate ingredients and a long list of synthetic supplements.

But the quality of the ingredients is much better than most commercial cat foods since it’s human-grade quality (including the supplements).

And most commercial cat foods have inappropriate ingredients and synthetic supplements anyway. So might as well feed better quality.

There’s no escaping these cons until you feed homemade cat food!

Buy Smalls from their website. Use code CATICLES for $5 off your first box.

Note: only their fresh wet food is human-grade. Their freeze-dried raw food is not.

4. Quest Cat Food – Best Freeze-Dried Raw

Quest freeze-dried raw cat food is a prey formulation that relies solely on whole foods to complete the diet.

• Product name: Beef Recipe = 25-94.9% beef
• Meat ingredients: ground beef, beef hearts, beef kidney, beef liver, ground beef bone
• Other ingredients: raw goat milk, flaxseed, inulin, dried kelp, chia seeds, organic coconut oil, ground eggshell

This is one of the best ingredient lists you will find when it comes to commercial cat food.

Additionally, the formulator Steve Brown has been formulating pet food for decades.

Freeze-dried raw is helpful when you’re transitioning to raw. It’s very easy to portion and serve.

If your cat only wants dry food you can try offering freeze-dried bits as is. Then slowly rehydrate gradually each day to help your cat get used to it.

Buy Quest Cat Food from their website. Use code JESSCATICLES for 20% off.

5. Darwin’s Natural Pet – Best Frozen Ground Raw Cat Food

Darwin’s is the best choice for complete ground frozen raw.

• Product name: Turkey Recipe = 25-94.9% turkey
• Meat ingredients: turkey necks (including bone), turkey gizzards, turkey meat, turkey liver, turkey hearts, Sardine oil, and cod liver oil
• Other ingredients: inulin, vitamin and mineral premix

They include the typical meat ingredients you will find in raw foods. It would be great to have more secreting organs.

And, unfortunately, they list “proprietary vitamin and mineral mix” but they will provide a full nutritional analysis on their products upon request.

But other complete and balanced raw foods use fruits and vegetables for vitamins and minerals.

And, unfortunately, fruits and vegetables contribute carbs and sugar.

This food would be a great choice for cat parents that want to feed raw on a subscription-based service.

Darwin’s typically has introductory offers like $14.95 for 10 pounds of food. Just tell them about your cat.

You can buy Darwin’s Natural food on their website. And they have a CKD raw diet (not eligible for the new customer discount)!

FAQ

So what does AAFCO stand for anyway?

The Association of Animal Feed Control Officials.

It is a private organization of feed control officials that set rules for pet food label packaging.

The AAFCO originally based its nutritional requirements on the National Research Council (NRC). But they have since created their own nutritional standards.

What about vet recommended cat food?

Once you understand how to read labels you will (unfortunately) find that vet-recommended cat food is garbage.

Unless your vet recommends a properly balanced BARF diet.

Veterinarians are medical doctors, not nutritionists. So they rely on pet food manufacturers to tell them what’s good.

How do I feed my cat better?

My top recommendation is to learn how to read cat food labels properly.

That way, YOU can make an educated decision. Rather than relying on someone else to tell you what to feed your cat.

But many people get overwhelmed and confused by AAFCO guidelines. I’ve been studying nutrition and cat food labels since 2017 so it comes easy for me.

What if my cat is too picky to eat the food?

Most cats are picky about food changes so you are not alone!

We just have to work with our cats and be patient.

I’ve fine-tuned a complete transition plan: how to feed your picky cat better food.

Final thoughts on AAFCO and cat food

AAFCO approved cat food doesn’t exist.

The AAFCO simply makes rules and guidelines for pet food manufacturers to follow.

It’s important to understand these rules and guidelines. Otherwise, you have no idea what you’re buying.

It’s your responsibility to learn how to read cat food labels and compare cat foods properly.

Ready to feed homemade cat food? Enroll in my cat nutrition course!