Natural Cat Food: What the Label Really Means vs. Hype
For AAFCO, "natural" pet food is derived only from plant, animal or mined sources, with no chemically synthesized processing, and that makes it a label term, not a quality seal. In practice, synthetic preservatives are already rare on the cat food shelf: only 1.9% of the 53 cat formulas in our catalog list BHA or BHT.
The problem is that the word "natural" sells more than it informs. It can describe the whole formula or just a flavoring, and what decides which of the two applies is the label, not the front of the bag. This text separates what the technical definition requires from what is only marketing.
What is natural cat food?
For AAFCO, the body that defines pet food label terms in the United States, natural food is derived only from plant, animal or mined sources, without a chemical synthesis process. Synthetic vitamins and minerals, preservatives such as BHA and BHT, and artificial flavors or colors are out.
The full definition is on the AAFCO page on the term "natural". The page lists what does not fit: "chemically synthesized" items such as vitamins, minerals, preservatives and special-use additives. It also says the FDA has not yet defined natural for pet food and relies on the rule that a label cannot be false or misleading.
That AAFCO definition is the yardstick you will meet on U.S. shelves. It is a way to read a label, not a seal.
Is natural cat food better for the cat?
There is no basis to say so from the word alone. AAFCO itself writes that there is no requirement or claim that natural ingredients are safer than those produced by chemical synthesis. Natural describes where an ingredient comes from, not the nutritional quality of the formula.
What changes in practice is the ingredient list. Of the 53 cat formulas in our catalog, 41 declare only natural preservatives and just 1 lists BHA or BHT. That difference is real, but it is not proof that a cat lives better on one or the other.
How do you recognize a truly natural cat food?
Read the label in the order the rule organizes it. AAFCO requires ingredients to appear in descending order of weight, so the first item is the one that weighs the most. Then check whether "natural" describes the whole product or a single ingredient, and whether there is a synthetic additive on the list.
The AAFCO page on reading labels confirms the order rule: the first ingredient listed is the heaviest, the last is the lightest. On the page about natural, the organization defines when each phrase is allowed.
| What is on the label | What AAFCO says | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| "100% natural" or "all-natural" | Only valid when every ingredient meets the definition | Look for BHA, BHT, artificial flavors or colors on the list: if any are there, the claim does not hold up |
| "Natural with added vitamins, minerals and trace nutrients" | A notice, not a compliment: it identifies the synthetic items in a product that would otherwise be natural | Acceptable, but the product is not "100% natural" |
| "Contains natural chicken flavor" | The term may apply only to that ingredient | The rest of the formula is not covered |
| "All-natural with added vitamins" | AAFCO says the phrase should not appear: with a synthetic ingredient, the product is not all-natural | Be wary of the claim |
| "Natural" in the brand or line name | A commercial name is not the technical definition | Check the list, not the name |
The last case shows up in our own catalog. Purina Cat Chow Naturals Indoor Hairball Chicken & Turkey and Purina ONE Hairball Formula Natural Chicken have "Natural" in the name and declare natural preservatives (mixed tocopherols). So does Tiki Cat Born Carnivore Deboned Chicken & Egg, which does not use the word at all. The word on the bag does not separate one group from the other: the name helps sell, but what decides is the ingredient list and the preservative declared.
Which cat foods pair animal protein first with natural preservatives?
Among the adult formulas in our catalog, four combine an animal ingredient first on the list, natural preservatives only and the highest protein percentages. We took the four highest protein figures that meet both requirements, counting each product line once. The table shows the label numbers for each.
| Formula | Protein | Fat | kcal/kg | First ingredient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purina Pro Plan Weight Management Chicken & Rice | 43% | 9% | not in our data | Chicken |
| Tiki Cat Born Carnivore Deboned Chicken & Egg | 43% | 19% | 3,795 | Deboned chicken |
| Instinct Original Raw Coated Cat Salmon | 42% | 18% | not in our data | Salmon |
| Solid Gold Indigo Moon Chicken & Egg | 42% | 20% | 3,860 | Chicken meal |
Protein and fat are the label figures, as fed.
Read the first ingredient and the fat next to the protein. Solid Gold lists chicken meal first, not fresh chicken, and fat runs from 9% to 20% across the four.
A high protein percentage does not make any of them "the best" for your cat. Age, weight, health history and acceptance change the choice, and a clinical question is a conversation with the veterinarian. To switch foods, the ranking filters by profile and the comparison tool puts two formulas side by side.
What to do when you shop
- Read the preservative on the ingredient list. BHA and BHT fall outside the definition of natural; tocopherols and rosemary extract fit within it.
- Be wary of "natural" with no explanation. If the label does not say whether the term applies to the product or to one ingredient, treat it as a marketing claim.
- Compare the guaranteed analysis, not the word. Protein, fat and kcal/kg are on the label. Two "natural" products can have very different numbers.
Frequently asked questions
Is natural cat food the same as a natural diet?
No. Natural cat food is an industrial product whose ingredients meet the AAFCO definition. A natural diet made at home is a different practice, outside the scope of this text: if you are thinking of adopting it, talk to your veterinarian first.
Is "natural" on the label regulated?
The definition exists in the United States and applies in most states that adopted the AAFCO model, according to the organization itself. The FDA has not defined the term and only requires that the label not be false or misleading. The practical reading is to check the ingredient list.
Can a food with BHA or BHT call itself natural?
By the AAFCO definition, no: the organization cites BHA and BHT as examples of preservatives that do not fit natural. That is the line we use when counting synthetic preservatives in the catalog. To understand the subject in detail, see preservatives in cat food.
Natural on a cat food label describes where the ingredients come from, not how good the food is for your cat: the ingredient list and the preservative declared are what count.
See the ranking of cat foods →, or find the ideal food for your cat's profile →
To understand how the ranking is built, see our evaluation methodology. The guide on how to read a cat food label covers the other items on the package.
Want to understand the term Natural preservatives? Check the Glossary.Compare foods side by side in our comparison tool.
Picked by score from our overall cat ranking, not by the topic of this article. To get it right for your pet — age, weight, spayed or neutered — take the quiz and get a list made for them. A pet with a diagnosed condition needs a diet prescribed by a veterinarian.
