Decoding the pet food label: What you’re really feeding your cat

Reading the back of a cat food packet shouldn’t feel like deciphering a scientific paper. But between vague ingredient lists, misleading marketing claims, and confusing numbers, most pet parents have no idea what’s actually in their cat’s bowl.

This guide will help you break down every part of the label, expose the tricks big pet food brands use, and explain why fresh, lightly cooked cat food—like what we make at Louis Pet Co.—is a game-changer for your cat’s health.

1. Pet Food Labels 101: The Rules Behind the Words

In Australia and New Zealand, most labels follow standards from the PFIAA (Pet Food Industry Association of Australia), FEDIAF (European Pet Food Industry Federation), or the AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials). Each of these organisations sets guidelines to ensure pet food meets basic nutritional and labelling requirements.

But here’s the catch: these standards only regulate the minimum. They don’t control ingredient quality, sourcing, or how heavily food can be processed, meaning a product can technically be “balanced” while being full of cheap fillers and ultra-processed scraps.

2. The Product Name Trick: How Much Meat Is Actually Inside?

What’s on the front of the pack can be misleading. Thanks to labelling loopholes:

• “Beef Cat Food” must contain at least 95 percent beef.
  
  

• “Beef Dinner” or “Beef Recipe” only needs 25 percent.
  
  

• “With Beef” can have as little as 3 percent.
  
  

• “Beef Flavour” barely needs any beef at all.
  
  

So if your cat’s food says “Chicken Dinner with Brown Rice” and chicken isn’t the first ingredient, odds are you're mostly feeding them processed carbs with a sprinkle of meat for flavour.

3. Ingredient List: Where the Truth Hides

Ingredients are listed in order of weight before cooking, which gives fresh meat a heavier advantage. But the real story is in how brands manipulate this list.

What to watch for:

• Ingredient splitting: Brands break up fillers like corn or peas into smaller parts (e.g., pea protein, pea flour, pea fibre) to make them appear lower on the list, when combined they may outweigh the meat.
  
  

• Generic terms: “Meat meal,” “animal by-products,” or “poultry fat” usually means low-grade, rendered scraps with unclear origins.
  
  

• Carbs disguised as protein: Legumes like lentils or chickpeas add protein but aren't ideal for obligate carnivores like cats.
  
  

At Louis Pet Co., every recipe contains 90 to 97 percent real meat and organs like chicken thigh, beef trim, and kangaroo. The remaining ingredients are carefully selected nutritional boosters, like nutritional yeast, hempseed oil, and a custom blend of essential vitamins and minerals to ensure each pouch is complete, balanced, and actually good for your cat.

4. Nutritional Adequacy: Is It Complete and Balanced?

If a food meets FEDIAF, PFIAA, or AAFCO's standards for a specific life stage (like adult maintenance or growth), it will say so on the label. This means the food has been tested or formulated to include the essential nutrients a cat needs to thrive.

If this statement is missing, the product is legally considered a “complementary food”, meaning it cannot be your cat’s sole diet. It may lack crucial nutrients like taurine, calcium, or vitamin A.

5. The Truth About Processing: Why “Shelf Stable” Isn’t a Flex

Most big-brand dry and canned foods are made using high-heat extrusion, rendering, or pressure cooking. These industrial processes can reach up to 200°C and are designed for long shelf life—not for preserving nutrition.

This extreme heat destroys natural enzymes and sensitive vitamins, forcing manufacturers to spray synthetic nutrients back onto the food afterward.

At Louis, we gently steam our food at low temperatures, then blast chill and freeze it to lock in nutrients. No preservatives. No nutrient burn-off. Just real, recognisable food your cat can actually benefit from.

6. Buzzwords Decoded: What Marketing Doesn’t Tell You

Let’s break down some of the most common phrases you’ll find on pet food:

Don’t be fooled by packaging that sounds scientific or premium. Always flip the pack and look at the ingredients.

7. Why Fresh Cat Food Beats the Rest

Fresh food is more than a trend. It’s a return to what cats are meant to eat.

With Louis Pet Co., you get:

• 90–97% meat and organs in every recipe
  
  

• Species-appropriate nutrition for obligate carnivores
  
  

• No preservatives, by-products, or fillers
  
  

• Gently cooked, never extruded
  
  

• Frozen fresh to lock in nutrients naturally
  
  

• Formulated to FEDIAF and PFIAA standards
  
  

Real food. Real ingredients. Real benefits you’ll notice in your cat’s coat, energy, digestion, and litter box.

The Bottom Line

Understanding pet food labels helps you see through the noise, and once you do, it’s hard to unsee. If you wouldn't eat ultra-processed pellets or mystery meat meals, why feed them to your cat?

Louis Pet Co. makes fresh, biologically appropriate cat food that prioritises what actually matters: high-quality meat, essential nutrients, and zero junk. No industry shortcuts. Just real food, made right.

Want to feed your cat the way nature intended?
Switch to fresh with Louis and see the difference.