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.