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The short answer: Cross-species comparison. Tiki Cat Born Carnivore Indoor Health (A/90 cat rubric) and Tiki Dog Aloha Petites Chicken Luau (B/78 dog rubric) are sibling brands from the same parent company (Tiki Pets) but serve different species with structurally different nutritional requirements. Cats are obligate carnivores requiring higher protein, taurine, arachidonic acid, and animal-fat density. Dogs are omnivore-tolerant carnivores that handle plant content better. The two formulas reflect these biological differences.

The scores

Tiki Dog Aloha Petites Chicken Luau Small Breed Dry: B (78/100) — Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Peas, Fresh Chicken Liver, Lentils.

Tiki Cat Born Carnivore Born Carnivore Indoor Health Chicken & Turkey Dry Cat Food: A (90/100) — Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey, Egg Product Dried, Pea Protein.

How the ingredients compare

The top-five ingredients reveal the formulation split between these two products:

Tiki Dog: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Peas, Fresh Chicken Liver, Lentils

Tiki Cat Born Carnivore: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey, Egg Product Dried, Pea Protein

The 12-point gap (Tiki Cat Born Carnivore wins by 12 points) shows where the v15 rubric weights ingredient breadth, protein density, and supplement depth differently.

Where Tiki Dog pulls ahead

Small-breed-specific kibble sizing: Tiki Dog Aloha Petites is sized specifically for small-breed dog mechanics — smaller pellets matched to smaller jaws. Tiki Cat Born Carnivore is sized for adult cats, which is structurally different from small-breed dog feeding even when both are physically small animals. Shop on Amazon →

Fresh chicken liver at #4 (unusual for dog kibble): Organ meat that high in a dog kibble formulation is rare. For dogs benefiting from organ-meat micronutrient density (vitamin A, B12, iron) without committing to freeze-dried raw, this is structurally interesting.

Marine omega-3 from salmon oil: Tiki Dog adds salmon oil for directly-usable EPA/DHA omega-3. Tiki Cat Born Carnivore uses different fat sources optimized for feline biology rather than canine.

Where Tiki Cat Born Carnivore holds its own

Obligate-carnivore formulation: Tiki Cat Born Carnivore is formulated around the strict carnivore biology cats require — higher named-animal-protein density, no plant filler in primary positions, supplemental taurine, arachidonic acid from animal sources. The A/90 score reflects this structural alignment with feline biology. Shop on Amazon →

Egg product and turkey at primary positions: Multi-protein-source lead (chicken + chicken meal + turkey + egg) supplies broader amino acid profile than the chicken-only Tiki Dog formula. The egg product is structurally meaningful for taurine bioavailability in cats.

Higher protein density required by feline biology: Cats require ~26–30%+ protein on a dry-matter basis; the Born Carnivore formula is built around this requirement. Dogs are more flexible on protein percentage, which gives the Tiki Dog formulation room to include carbohydrate fillers (peas + lentils + chickpeas + tapioca) that wouldn’t fit a feline formulation.

The bottom line

Tiki Dog Aloha Petites (B/78 for small-breed dogs) and Tiki Cat Born Carnivore (A/90 for cats) are sibling brand formulations targeting different species with different biological requirements. The cat formula scores higher partly because feline biology requires the higher-named-animal-protein density that the cat rubric rewards. The dog formula scores lower partly because dogs tolerate (and dog kibble formulations include) more plant-based carbohydrate filler. Cross-species score comparison isn’t apples-to-apples — each formula is structurally appropriate for its target species. For multi-species households feeding both dog and cat from the same brand family, Tiki Pets is structurally coherent across the two species.