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Marketing terms decoded
Terms with an actual definition
| Term | What it legally means | What it doesn't mean |
|---|---|---|
| Natural | AAFCO defines natural and allows a disclaimer for added synthetic vitamins, minerals and trace nutrients. Natural does not mean safer. | AAFCO |
| Human-grade | AAFCO has specific guidelines for a human-grade claim. It is not a claim of nutritional superiority for cats. | AAFCO |
Premium and holistic
WSAVA describes premium and holistic as unregulated terms with little practical value for nutritional assessment. These words do not establish that a food is complete and balanced or suitable for your cat.
Grain-free: the honest version
Grain-free swaps grains for other carbohydrate sources - peas, lentils, potatoes. It's not lower-carb by default and not automatically healthier. The FDA investigated a possible link between certain grain-free, legume-heavy diets and dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs. Either way, a grain-free claim on the front is not a safety or quality signal - the complete-and-balanced statement on the back, and your vet's advice for your individual cat, are what matter. If your vet has recommended a specific diet composition for your cat's condition, that recommendation outranks any front-of-bag term.
The five-second rule
When a bag's front makes a big promise, flip it over and ask three questions: Is there an AAFCO complete-and-balanced statement for my cat's life stage? Who makes it, and can they answer questions about their formulation and quality control (the WSAVA guidelines suggest asking)? Does my vet have a reason to steer me toward or away from this kind of diet? The comparison guide applies this to two real labels, and the label decoder walks you through it interactively.