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How Much Should I Feed My Cat?

Enter your cat’s weight, life stage and your food’s calories to get a daily amount in cans, cups and grams, for wet, dry or both.

Talk to your vet. This tool gives a general estimate for healthy pets, based on published veterinary guidelines. It is not a diagnosis or a treatment plan. If your pet is unwell, pregnant, on medication or has a health condition, ask your vet before changing food, supplements or care.

Enter your pet’s details

lb

From the calorie statement on the bag.

Also on the bag. Used to show grams.

Feed about¾ cup dry a day

Feed about

¾ cup dry a day

Then adjust to keep an ideal body shape

Daily calories
261 kcal
Resting energy (RER)70 × (weight in kg)^0.75
218 kcal
Dry food by weight
2.4 oz
Per meal (2 meals)
¼ cup
Treat allowance (10%)
26 kcal

Estimates only, not veterinary advice.

How to use the cat food calculator

  1. Enter your cat’s current weight and choose its life stage.
  2. Choose dry, wet or a mix. For a mix, set the share of calories from wet food.
  3. Copy the calories from your labels: kcal per cup and per kg for dry, kcal per can or pouch for wet, and the can size.
  4. Read the daily amount, the amount per meal and the weight in grams.

The formula

Resting energy requirement: RER = 70 × (weight in kg)^0.75 kcal a day (NRC 2006; WSAVA).

Daily calories = RER × factor. The Merck Veterinary Manual’s factors for cats are 1.2 for a neutered adult, 1.4 for an intact adult, 1.0 for an obesity-prone cat, and 2.5 for a growing kitten. For weight loss we use 0.8 × RER at the target weight (AAHA 2021).

  • Cans = wet calories ÷ kcal per can
  • Cups = dry calories ÷ kcal per cup
  • Grams of dry food = dry calories ÷ kcal per kg × 1,000

Tips

  • Weigh the dry food. Cats need small amounts, so a few extra kibbles a day matter over a year. Kitchen scales are more accurate than cups.
  • Never starve a cat to slim it. Sudden big cuts in food can cause fatty liver disease (hepatic lipidosis). Use the cat weight calculator for a safe pace.
  • Treats count. Keep treats under 10% of the day’s calories (WSAVA).
  • Life stage changes needs. Check your cat’s stage with the cat age calculator.

Sources

  • National Research Council (2006). Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats.
  • Merck Veterinary Manual: Nutritional Requirements of Small Animals (maintenance energy table).
  • AAHA (2021) Nutrition and Weight Management Guidelines for Dogs and Cats.
  • WSAVA: guide to treats for cats (treats no more than 10% of daily calories).

Frequently asked questions

How much wet food should I feed my cat a day?

A 10 lb (4.5 kg) spayed or neutered adult needs about 260 kcal a day (1.2 × RER, Merck Veterinary Manual). Divide that by the kcal per can or pouch on your label to get cans a day. Wet foods vary a lot, so always use the calories on your own can.

How much should I feed my cat wet and dry food?

Decide what share of the day’s calories should come from wet food, then divide that part by the kcal per can and the rest by the kcal per cup of the dry food. The calculator does the split with the numbers on your labels.

How many cups of dry food should a cat eat?

It depends on the cat and the food: divide your cat’s daily calories by the kcal per cup on the dry food’s label. Dry food is very calorie-dense, so a small difference in cups is a big difference in calories; weigh it if you can.

How much should I feed my cat to lose weight?

A common starting point (AAHA 2021) is 0.8 × RER at the cat’s target weight. For a cat that should weigh 9 lb, that is about 161 kcal a day. Cats must lose weight slowly, so plan it with your vet.

How much should a kitten eat in a day?

Growing kittens need about 2.5 × RER (Merck Veterinary Manual), much more per pound than adults. Many vets let kittens eat freely from a kitten food. Choose “Kitten, growing” in the calculator for a daily estimate.

Last reviewed November 3, 2026. Found a problem? Tell us.