You're standing in the pet food aisle, bag in hand, completely overwhelmed. "Chicken dinner," "salmon feast," "grain-free," "ancestral diet." Your cat just stares at you, wondering when dinner is. The simple question "what food do cats eat?" has a surprisingly complex answer, buried under a mountain of marketing. Let's clear that up. Fundamentally, cats are obligate carnivores. Their bodies are built to run on animal protein and fat. They have a hard time processing carbohydrates, and they need specific nutrients, like taurine and arachidonic acid, that only come from meat. Forget everything you think you know about dog food or human nutrition. Feeding a cat is a different game.

What's Inside 'The Cat Food Guide'?

The Three Main Types of Commercial Cat Food
Human Food for Cats: The Safe List vs. The Danger Zone
How to Read a Cat Food Label Like a Pro
The 3 Most Common Cat Feeding Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)
Your Burning Questions Answered

The Three Main Types of Commercial Cat Food: Dry, Wet, and Raw

This is your starting point. Most cats eat some form of commercially prepared food because it's formulated to be "complete and balanced." But not all types are created equal.

Type	Pros	Cons	Best For...
Dry Food (Kibble)	Convenient, cost-effective, good for dental health (some debate), easy to store.	Low moisture (can contribute to urinary issues), often high in carbohydrates, less palatable for some cats.	Free-feeders, multi-cat households on a budget, cats who drink lots of water.
Wet Food (Canned/Pouched)	High moisture content (~78%), supports kidney/urinary health, usually higher in protein, lower in carbs, very palatable.	More expensive, spoils quickly, can contribute to dental plaque if not managed.	Most cats, especially seniors, cats with kidney issues, fussy eaters, cats prone to urinary crystals.
Raw Food (Commercial Frozen/Freeze-Dried)	Mimics natural diet, high moisture, high protein, minimal processing.	Expensive, risk of bacterial contamination (Salmonella, E. coli), requires careful handling, not all are balanced.	Owners committed to a natural diet, cats with food allergies (on vet advice).

Here's a non-consensus point you won't hear from pet food marketers: The biggest issue with cheap dry food isn't the grains. It's the starch. They need starch to make the kibble hold its shape. That starch often comes from potatoes, peas, or tapioca in "grain-free" foods, which can be just as high in carbs as corn. You're not solving the problem, just swapping ingredients. Look at the carbohydrate content, not just the grain-free label.

Why Moisture Might Be the Most Important Ingredient

Cats evolved from desert animals and have a low thirst drive. They're designed to get most of their water from their prey. A mouse is about 70% water. Dry kibble is about 10%. That's a huge deficit. Chronic, low-level dehydration is a silent contributor to so many common cat problems: urinary tract diseases, kidney disease, constipation. This is why many vets lean towards wet food, or at least a mix. If you feed dry, a water fountain can encourage more drinking, but it often doesn't make up the difference.

Human Food for Cats: The Safe List vs. The Danger Zone

We've all done it. Those pleading eyes get the better of us, and a piece of chicken "accidentally" falls to the floor. Knowing what's safe is crucial.

The 'Go Ahead, Sparingly' List: These should be plain, cooked, unseasoned, and given in tiny amounts (think pea-sized). Cooked Chicken, Turkey, or Beef (boneless, skinless), Cooked Fish (like salmon or sardines, deboned, and not daily), Cooked Eggs (scrambled or boiled), Plain Pumpkin (a teaspoon for fiber), Blueberries or Cantaloupe (a tiny piece as a treat).

The 'Absolutely Never' List: This isn't an exaggeration. These can cause severe illness or death. Onions, Garlic, Chives (destroy red blood cells), Chocolate (theobromine poisoning), Grapes & Raisins (cause kidney failure), Xylitol (artificial sweetener in gum/sweets), Alcohol, Caffeine, Raw Dough (expands in stomach), Cooked Bones (splinter and cause internal damage).

Let's get specific about a common mistake: people think a lick of milk is a treat. Most adult cats are lactose intolerant. That saucer of milk leads to diarrhea and stomach cramps. If you must, get cat-specific "cat milk" which is lactose-free.

How to Read a Cat Food Label Like a Pro

Ignore the front. The marketing is for you, not your cat. Turn the bag or can around.

First, find the AAFCO statement. This is the single most important line. It should say something like "[Product Name] is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Cat Food Nutrient Profiles for [All Life Stages/Adult Maintenance]." This means the food has been tested to be complete and balanced. No statement? Don't buy it.

Second, look at the Guaranteed Analysis. This shows minimums and maximums. For a healthy adult cat, aim for:
- Protein: At least 30% on a dry matter basis (more is usually better).
- Fat: Around 15-20%.
- Carbohydrates: As low as possible. This number often isn't listed; you have to calculate it: 100% - (%Protein + %Fat + %Fiber + %Moisture + %Ash). In cheap food, this can be over 50%.

Third, the ingredients list. Ingredients are listed by weight. The first ingredient should be a named animal protein: "chicken," "salmon," "turkey meal" (meal is just concentrated protein, it's fine). Beware of "meat by-products" as a primary ingredient—it's not necessarily bad (organs are nutritious), but it's vague. If the first three ingredients include corn, wheat, soy, or multiple starches, the food is likely too high in carbs.

The 3 Most Common Cat Feeding Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)

I've seen these patterns for years.

1. Free-Feeding Dry Food 24/7

It's convenient, but it turns your cat into a grazer, disrupts their natural hunt-eat-rest cycle, and is a fast track to obesity. Cats are designed for intermittent feasting. Fix: Switch to scheduled meals, 2-3 times a day. Measure the portions based on the calorie guidelines on the bag and your cat's ideal weight (ask your vet).

2. Sudden Food Switches

Cats have sensitive stomachs. Going from one food to another overnight causes vomiting or diarrhea. Fix: Transition over 7-10 days. Mix 25% new with 75% old for a few days, then 50/50, then 75% new/25% old.

3. Following the Bag's Feeding Guide Blindly

Those charts are averages for an "average" cat. An indoor, neutered, lazy cat needs far fewer calories than an active farm cat. Fix: Use the bag's guide as a starting point. Monitor your cat's body condition. You should be able to feel their ribs (but not see them) and see a waist when looking from above. Adjust food up or down accordingly.

Your Burning Questions Answered

Can I share my chicken dinner with my cat?

You can, but with strict rules. Plain, cooked, boneless, skinless chicken breast is fine as an occasional treat. The problem is your dinner. Your chicken is likely seasoned with garlic, onions, salt, or oils—all bad news for cats. Never give them food from your plate. Prepare a separate, unseasoned piece for them. Even then, it should be a tiny part of their diet, not a replacement for their complete cat food.

My cat loves tuna. Is it safe to give it every day?

It's a common trap. While the occasional bit of tuna packed in water (not oil) is okay, daily feeding is risky. Tuna lacks essential nutrients like vitamin E, leading to a painful condition called steatitis (yellow fat disease). More critically, many tuna species, like albacore, are high in mercury. Mercury builds up in your cat's system over time, causing neurological damage. Think of it as junk food for cats—tasty but nutritionally empty and potentially harmful long-term.

How do I know if a 'grain-free' cat food is actually better?

Look past the marketing. 'Grain-free' often just swaps grains for other carbohydrates like potatoes, peas, or lentils. For most cats, the issue isn't grains themselves (they're digestible), but the excessive *total* carbs in cheap food. A high-quality food with rice might be better than a grain-free one loaded with peas and potatoes. Don't get fixated on one ingredient. Check the guaranteed analysis for carbohydrate content (you may need to calculate it) and, most importantly, ensure it has an AAFCO statement for "all life stages" or "adult maintenance."

Is raw food the best choice for mimicking a cat's natural diet?

In theory, yes. In practice, it's complicated. A properly formulated raw diet can be excellent, but a homemade one done wrong is dangerous. The biggest mistake isn't the meat—it's forgetting the organs and bones. Muscle meat alone is deficient in calcium, taurine, and vitamins A & D. You must follow a precise recipe (like 80% muscle, 10% bone, 5% liver, 5% other secreting organ) or use a commercial frozen raw diet that's nutritionally complete. The risk of bacterial contamination (Salmonella, E. coli) is real for both you and your cat, requiring strict hygiene.

So, what food do cats eat? The answer is meat-based, moisture-rich, and balanced. Whether you choose a high-quality wet food, a good dry food with plenty of water, or a carefully managed raw diet, the principles are the same. Prioritize animal protein, minimize fillers, and always, always ensure they're getting enough water. Your cat's health, from their shiny coat to their kidney function, starts in the food bowl. Ditch the guesswork, use the label, and feed them like the carnivores they are.

What Do Cats Eat? A Guide to Safe & Healthy Cat Food