You might be wondering why the food you feed your pet is such a big deal. You might be thinking that "any" pet food you buy in America that's put on the shelf for sale is tested, safe, and approved for cats. You might think that the stuff you buy at the supermarket is the same as the the pricey stuff sold at pet stores.
The fact is, pet food is not regulated by any government agency in the United States. The AAFCO (The Association of American Feed Control Officials, or, the small "stamp of approval" print you read on the back of pet food labels) is not a government agency, although it is said to work within the guidelines laid out by USDA and FDA officials. The AAFCO is an organization that simply states minimum dietary recommendations for pet feed. They do not enforce or regulate these standards, nor do they have any say about what goes into pet food to meet these minimum dietary recommendations. You can read more about the AAFCO requirements for cat food here: http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=1+2244&aid=657
Okay, so what does all of this "DM", "percent", "min" & "max" stuff mean?
Anyone who has ever looked at a pet food label sees that it is listed not in terms of "amount per serving", or even "calorie content", but in a strange table called "guaranteed analysis". Most humans are unfamiliar with reading and understanding this type of label, making any information present utterly useless for the average consumer. Deciphering pet labels is tricky, and to the untrained eye, can also be deceiving. A good site for understanding how to read pet food labels can be found on the FDA website: http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/ResourcesforYou/ucm047113.htm
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