Illustration of cats gathered around a researcher, representing the My Feline approach to feline science

How We Rate Our Research (And Why It Matters)

You've probably noticed the star rating on every article in the My Feline Library. It's not a quality score for our writing (though we like to think that's pretty good too). It's something far more useful: a clear, honest signal of how strong the science behind each article really is.

Here's why we built it, how it works, and what it means for you and your cat.

The problem with cat advice online

Search "why does my cat do [anything]" and you'll get a thousand answers. Forums, social media posts, blogs written by people who once owned a cat. Some of it's helpful. A lot of it isn't. And almost none of it tells you where the information actually came from.

We think that's a problem.

Cats are one of the most popular pets on the planet, yet feline research is dramatically underfunded compared to dogs, horses, and livestock. That means there's less good science out there, and more space for guesswork, myths, and well-meaning but wrong advice to fill the gap.

At My Feline, we go to the source material. We read the studies, the veterinary journals, and the clinical papers so you don't have to. Then we translate what we find into plain English. No jargon, no waffle, just what it means for your cat.

But here's the thing: not all research is created equal.

Why a star rating?

Some topics in feline health have decades of solid, peer-reviewed research behind them. Others are genuinely new territory where scientists are still figuring things out. Both can be valuable, but you deserve to know the difference.

That's what our star rating does. It tells you, at a glance, how much scientific weight sits behind the information in each article. Not whether the topic matters (it always does), but how confident the research community is in what we currently know.

Think of it as a trust thermometer for the science, not the article itself.

The My Feline Evidence Scale

⭐

One Star: Early Exploration

What this means: Limited evidence, perhaps from smaller studies, case reports, or expert observations without rigorous testing.

In plain English: This is "interesting but still being explored" territory. A researcher might have noticed a pattern, or a small study has produced some intriguing results, but the wider scientific community hasn't had the chance to test it thoroughly yet.

Should you ignore it? Absolutely not. Some of the most important discoveries in veterinary science started here. We include these articles because emerging research can still be genuinely useful. We just want you to know that the evidence base is young.

You might see this on: Newer areas of study, behavioural observations that haven't yet been formally tested, or topics where feline-specific research is limited and we're drawing on related animal studies.

⭐⭐

Two Stars: Building Evidence

What this means: A few studies support this information, but the research is still developing.

In plain English: Think of it as a promising recipe that needs more testing. Several researchers have looked into this and found similar results, which is encouraging, but we're waiting for more work to confirm the findings. The direction looks good; we just don't have the full picture yet.

Should you act on it? Generally, yes, especially where the advice is low-risk and practical. Just be aware that recommendations in this space might evolve as new research emerges.

You might see this on: Nutritional studies with a small number of trials, emerging behavioural research, or topics where the available studies are promising but limited in scope or sample size.

⭐⭐⭐

Three Stars: Solid Support

What this means: Multiple studies back this up, including peer-reviewed research. This is knowledge that's gaining solid support in the feline science community.

In plain English: We're into well-trodden ground here. Several independent studies, including some published in peer-reviewed journals (more on what that means below), have reached similar conclusions. The science is building a clear and consistent picture.

Should you trust it? With a good degree of confidence, yes. While science always leaves room for new discoveries, three-star information represents a solid evidence base that most vets and researchers would consider reliable.

You might see this on: Established nutritional guidance, well-studied behavioural patterns, health conditions where clinical research has produced consistent findings.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Four Stars: Strong Evidence

What this means: Well-researched with strong evidence from multiple peer-reviewed studies. Most feline experts would agree with these findings.

In plain English: This is information that has been tested, retested, and scrutinised by the scientific community. Multiple research teams, often working independently across different countries, have arrived at the same conclusions. The evidence is robust and widely accepted among specialists.

Should you rely on it? Confidently. Four-star topics represent some of the best-understood areas of feline health and behaviour. While no science is ever truly "finished," the foundations here are strong.

You might see this on: Core vaccination guidance, well-established medical conditions and their treatments, fundamental nutritional requirements, widely observed and studied behavioural traits.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Five Stars: Established Science

What this means: Rock-solid information backed by extensive research and widely accepted in veterinary medicine. These are the universal truths of cat care.

In plain English: This is as settled as science gets. Extensive, large-scale, peer-reviewed research conducted over many years. Veterinary textbooks are written on this. Clinical guidelines are based on it. The global veterinary community is in broad agreement.

Should you rely on it? Without hesitation. Five-star information represents the gold standard of feline knowledge, the bedrock that everything else builds upon.

You might see this on: Fundamental physiology (how your cat's body works), long-established medical protocols, core principles of feline nutrition, and safety information that has been validated extensively.

A quick guide to research terms

You'll see some of these terms crop up in our articles. Here's what they actually mean. No science degree required.

Peer Review

Before a study gets published in a reputable journal, it's reviewed by other experts in the same field. These reviewers check the methods, the data, and the conclusions. If they find problems, the study either gets revised or rejected. It's not perfect, but it's the best quality-control system science has. When we say "peer-reviewed," it means the research has passed this scrutiny.

Sample Size

This is simply how many cats (or owners, or vets) were involved in a study. A study of 12 cats can still be useful, but its findings carry less weight than one involving 1,200. We consider sample size when assigning our star ratings. Larger studies with consistent results score higher.

Clinical Trial

A structured experiment designed to test a specific question. Does this food improve coat health? Does this treatment reduce anxiety? Clinical trials follow strict protocols to produce reliable results. They're the gold standard for testing whether something actually works.

Systematic Review

A study of studies. Researchers gather all the available research on a topic and analyse it together to see what the overall evidence says. These are particularly valuable because they look at the bigger picture rather than relying on any single experiment.

Meta-Analysis

Similar to a systematic review, but goes a step further by combining the data from multiple studies and running new statistical analysis on the pooled results. This can reveal patterns that individual studies are too small to detect on their own.

Longitudinal Study

A study that follows the same group of cats over a long period, sometimes months, sometimes years. These are particularly useful for understanding how conditions develop over time, but they're expensive and time-consuming to run, which is why they're relatively rare in feline research.

Control Group

In an experiment, the control group is the one that doesn't receive the treatment being tested. This gives researchers a baseline to compare against. Without a control group, it's hard to know whether a change was caused by the treatment or just happened by coincidence.

Our process: from journal to your screen

Ever wondered how an article ends up in the My Feline Library? Here's the journey:

We find the research

Our team monitors veterinary journals, university publications, and research databases for new and relevant feline studies. We're particularly focused on research that has practical implications for cat owners, not just academic interest.

We read the original papers

Every article we write starts with the source material. We read the actual studies, including their methods, their data, and their limitations. We don't summarise someone else's summary.

We assess the evidence

This is where the star rating comes in. We evaluate the quality, quantity, and consistency of the research behind each topic. How many studies exist? How large were they? Were they peer-reviewed? Do independent studies agree with each other?

We translate it for you

Once we understand the science, we write it up in a way that's accessible, practical, and honest. We highlight what's well-established, flag what's still emerging, and always tell you the strength of the evidence.

We keep it updated

Science doesn't stand still, and neither do we. When significant new research is published, we revisit and update our articles. If a star rating changes because new evidence has emerged, we'll update that too, and let you know.

What our rating isn't

To be completely transparent, here's what the star rating doesn't measure:

It's not a quality score for the article. A one-star article is written with just as much care as a five-star one. The rating reflects the evidence, not our effort.

It's not a measure of how important the topic is. A one-star topic might be critically important to your cat. It just means the research is still early.

It's not a recommendation to ignore lower-rated articles. Some of the most useful, practical advice comes from areas where formal research is limited but clinical experience is strong. We always tell you when that's the case.

Why this matters

We built My Feline because we believe cat owners deserve better than guesswork. Your cat's health shouldn't depend on which blog post happens to rank highest on Google, or which social media influencer sounds the most confident.

By showing you exactly how strong the evidence is behind every piece of advice, we're giving you something rare: the ability to make informed decisions about your cat's care, based on real science, with full transparency about what we know and what we're still learning.

That's what the stars mean. That's why they're there.

Have questions about our research process or star ratings? Get in touch at info@my-feline.com