PurrFood has created an ever-growing database on the nutrition of 982 wet cat foods and 79 dry cat foods. We strive to make the absolute best food recommendations by being able to quickly compare nutrients across brands and flavors.
I directly obtain information about calories, texture, types of minerals, and sources of omega-3s from the food label. Other information, such as carbohydrate content, phosphorus content, and copper content, I obtain by contacting the pet food company directly. This is a very research-intensive process, and not one I take lightly.
However, I never just consider the nutritional data.
Company culture, nutrition knowledge, safety, and quality records can be even more important. With little government oversight, companies can write nearly whatever they want on a label. They can also tell you anything they want over the phone with very low chances of repercussions. You should be confident that you can TRUST your pet food company.
I only ever recommend food made by manufacturers with top standards.
Many pet food companies outsource their manufacturing to co-packers. These co-packers vary greatly in safety and quality. Most pet food companies do not openly state who manufactures their food. I track down who actually manufactures any given brand. Then I research the co-packer’s track record, recall history, and transparency.
I also make sure to check what outside sources say about each pet food company.
Consumer watch groups such as Clean Label Project and Poisoned Pets are always on my mind. Pet industry newsletters and any published interviews with a given company are also researched.
Occasionally, there will even be peer-reviewed scientific studies available that I read. And, of course, I closely scrutinize any recalls, lawsuits, or government action involving the company.
