Cat Food : Ratings of Sources

Our AssessmentThis is by far the best all-around cat information site we found. About.com cats guide Franny Syufy names her choices for the best canned cat foods in this list, all of which she says "would form a fine basis for your cat's diet," ordered in the preference of her own cats. Natural Balance leads the list, with Syufy complimenting the company on its testing program. The site also addresses almost every imaginable question about cat food, and the background information articles are helpful. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)

Our AssessmentThe author of the blog Truth About Pet Food reviews and rates pet foods on a five-point scale for dry foods, four-point scale for canned. She includes a thorough report on each company, including the manufacturing facilities and supply chains. The extensive list includes many lesser-known brands and is easy to scan for danger alerts and overall ratings. Each specific cat food review includes pros and cons that cover all ingredients. Any ingredients thought (though not necessarily proven) to be controversial among pet food advocates are flagged in red. Each review is outstandingly detailed. This is an excellent site for checking out specific brands, but though it is updated regularly, some new varieties haven't yet been reviewed here.

Our AssessmentThis website analyzes dry cat foods based on their ingredients, and provides ratings for quality and price. Each food is discussed, and the author identifies which food he feeds to his own cats -- Wellness Core (Fish & Fowl). Natural Balance Ultra Premium scores just below the top choices, but it's identified as one of the better foods available at large pet food stores. Cat foods are listed alphabetically rather than by score, making it a little harder than it needs to be to zero in on the best choices, though it's easy to check a specific food if you're interested. Ratings for cost are also provided.

Our AssessmentAllExperts.com, a service of About.com, features experts who answer questions about a wide range of subjects, including cat food. The volunteers state their background and expertise, so the responses are more useful than those posted on an open forum. Many of the questions and answers deal with specific issues, and specific cat food recommendations are made on occasion. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)

Our AssessmentThis site rates cat food based on the quality and perceived safety of its ingredients. The site can be confusing to navigate, and it appears that three different rating scales have been used. Some ratings on the main navigation page differ -- and sometimes notably so -- from what's seen if you click through to view the actual food. Some foods ranked highly or relatively highly on our last visit have now been downgraded significantly in the ratings, something you might not spot unless you read the report on the specific food. Few foods earn unequivocal praise. Some -- but not all -- varieties of Halo cat foods are an exception.

Our AssessmentThis active pet lovers' community includes several forums with good user feedback on lots of different cat foods. Many popular cat foods have their own threads in a forum that deals with pet owners' firsthand experiences, and users are not shy about helping out when a question is asked. There's also a separate forum for pet food problems and yet another for those researching cat food. Postings can be viewed by date or sorted alphabetically by brand.

Our AssessmentThis website is dedicated to helping those with cats suffering from Feline Inflammatory Bowel (IBD) disease. It includes a lengthy list of foods without low-quality grains, dairy products or certain additives and spices known to irritate cats with IBD. Most are higher-quality foods, but specific varieties of more popular supermarket brands that have a better ingredient profile and are known to be tolerated by cats with IBD are listed as well.

Our AssessmentThis online pet food and supplies retailer gives readers the opportunity to provide feedback and reviews on cat foods they have tried. Ratings are provided right on the main page, but that would be more useful if the number of ratings were provided as well. Some brands and foods get lots of feedback, while others get a handful of reports or none at all.

Our AssessmentThis blog devoted to cat food reviews is edited by enthusiasts who say they studied cat nutrition for three years before starting their blog in order to share information they found while looking for the best food for their own cats. The ratings are useful but cover only the brands, and don't appear to have been updated since 2009 in most cases. Pet owners can also post ratings.

Our AssessmentThis site consolidates reviews from other sites, including OnlyNaturalPetStore.com, but it also adds reviews of cat food submitted directly. Top foods are identified by a Reviewer's Choice Finalist or winner banner, but the criteria for earning that distinction are not well spelled out.

Our AssessmentRateItAll.com is a consumer opinion site. Like most such sites, the quality of the reviews varies greatly, and most are not very long. Many well-known and specialty brands receive ratings, but few currently have enough reviews and ratings to make their overall scores significant. Canned and dry foods, as well as foods for dogs, receive reviews or ratings within the brand listings, diminishing the value of the scores still further.