To summarize, trials used to substantiate the statement that pet food brands meet these AAFCO guidelines are statistically not significant because the length of the trials were too short for a dog or cat to develop clinical signs of a problem (
e.g. kidney issues), and although the food may meet the AAFCO nutritional guideline, the nutrients may not be as digestible or bioavailable for your pet to process.
There are many things that could alter a cat's eating behavior, including physical problems (
e.g., digestive conditions, internal parasite, dental pain,
kidney disease, thyroid conditions) and behavioral
issues (
e.g., boredom, stress).