How we check

Every number on this site comes from a brand's own label or published analysis, run through the same formulas. Here they are, so you can check our work.

  1. Read the label. We save each recipe's guaranteed analysis (protein, fat, fiber, moisture, ash), calories per kg and per can, ingredients and AAFCO statement from the brand's own site or label file, with the link.
  2. Take the water out. Wet food is about 75 to 85% water, so label percentages look small. Dry matter = 100 − moisture. A nutrient on a dry-matter basis = label % ÷ dry matter × 100. Example: 11% protein in a can with 78% moisture is 11 ÷ 22 × 100 = 50% protein on a dry-matter basis.
  3. Estimate carbs. Labels don't list carbs. Carbs = 100 − protein − fat − fiber − moisture − ash. When the label leaves out ash, we use 3%, a common figure for wet food.
  4. Prefer typical numbers. Label protein and fat are minimums, and moisture is a maximum. For very meaty cans, the label math can come out below zero, which is impossible. When a brand publishes a typical analysis (what's usually in the can), we use it and say so. When it doesn't and the math is under 1%, we show "under 1%" and rank those cans by protein and cost instead.
  5. Cost per day. Price per can ÷ calories per can × 261 kcal. 261 kcal is what the Merck Veterinary Manual's formula gives for a 10 lb neutered adult cat (70 × weight in kg to the 0.75, × 1.2). Your cat may need more or less. For a variety pack, we average the calories of the cans inside.
  6. Calories from carbs. Some vets count carbs as a share of calories, not of the food. We use 3.5 calories per gram for protein and carbs and 8.5 for fat (the modified Atwater factors). Calories from carbs = carbs × 3.5 ÷ all calories × 100.
  7. Prices. Prices come from Amazon's product data and show the date we read them. We use only listings sold by Amazon.com or the brand's own store, since resellers can charge several times more. We read prices daily and keep every reading, so we can show how costs change. If a price is more than a day old, the page shows a rounded range instead.

Rules we use on every page

  • Low carb means under 10% carbs once the water is out.
  • Grain-free means no rice, wheat, corn, oats or barley in the ingredient list.
  • Meal means a food sold to feed on its own, not a topper, treat, broth or vet diet. Our picks use only meals whose maker states they are complete and balanced for adult cats.
  • Lab test means the brand's own published analysis of what is usually in the can. We say which numbers come from one.
  • Prices count only listings sold by Amazon.com or the brand.

Medical advice

  • We don't give medical advice. Phosphorus and other numbers that matter for kidney disease are shown only when the brand publishes them, and your vet should guide those choices.

Our data

The full table of every can is free to download as CSV or JSON, free to reuse with credit.

Last updated October 27, 2026.