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Cat Feeding Calculator · How Much Should I Feed My Cat?

The feeding guide on a bag of cat food gives a broad range, and the right amount for your cat depends on its weight, its age and whether it is spayed or neutered. Veterinarians work from calories. This calculator does the same: it finds your cat's resting energy from its weight, multiplies it by a factor for its life stage and turns the calories into cups of dry food or cans of wet food using the numbers printed on your food.
Enter the weight in pounds, choose the life stage and the type of food, and type the calories per cup or per can from the label. If you feed both dry and wet food, set how much of the calories comes from wet food. By default 10% of the day's calories is set aside for treats, the limit most vets suggest, and the rest is the amount of meal food. You also get the number of meals, the amount per meal and a rough idea of how much water your cat needs in total.
The result is a starting point, not a prescription. Weigh your cat every few weeks and adjust the amount by 10% if it gains or loses weight, and ask your veterinarian about a goal weight for an overweight cat, about kittens under four months, and about pregnant or nursing cats, whose needs are higher. A cat with a medical condition, such as kidney disease or diabetes, needs a diet and amounts set by a vet.
For a weight-loss plan, enter the goal weight and not the current weight
On the bag, in the calorie content. Most cat kibble has 300 to 500 kcal per cup
Vets recommend keeping treats under 10% of the daily calories
Weight:
Life stage:
Food:

Detailed Breakdown

10 metrics
PRIMARY RESULT
0.59 cups of dry food
Daily Food
Calories per Day
261 kcal
Resting Energy (RER)
218 kcal
Life-Stage Factor
1.2 × resting energy (Adult, spayed or neutered)
Calories From Food
235 kcal
Treat Allowance
26 kcal (10% of the day)
Dry Food per Day
0.59 cups
Dry Food per Meal (2 Meals)
0.29 cups
Meals per Day
2 meals
Water Needed per Day
About 7.7 fl oz from drinking and wet food

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When to Use This Calculator

Everyday financial situations where this tool gives you fast, accurate clarity:

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Feed an Adult Cat

Get the cups or cans for a spayed or neutered adult from its weight.

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Feed a Growing Kitten

See the higher calories a kitten needs and the number of small meals.

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Plan Weight Loss

Use the goal weight and the weight-loss factor to set a lower daily amount.

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Mix Dry and Wet Food

Split the calories between kibble and cans and see each amount.

Calculation Formula

Standard Method

Weight in kilograms = Pounds ÷ 2.2046 Resting energy (RER) = 70 × Weight in kg^0.75, in kcal a day Daily calories = RER × Life-stage factor Food calories = Daily calories × (1 − Treat share) Dry food (cups) = Food calories × Dry share ÷ kcal per cup Wet food (cans) = Food calories × Wet share ÷ kcal per can Per meal = Daily amount ÷ Number of meals Water ≈ 50 mL per kg a day, from drinking and from wet food Life-stage factors from the AAHA Nutrition and Weight Management Guidelines (2021): spayed or neutered adult 1.2, intact adult 1.4, kitten 2.5, weight loss 0.8 (applied to the goal weight), pregnant queen about 1.8. They are general guidelines, and sedentary indoor cats may need less.

Benchmark Example:
A neutered adult cat that weighs 10 pounds, eats dry food at 400 kcal per cup and gets 10% of its calories from treats: • Weight: 10 ÷ 2.2046 = 4.54 kg • Resting energy: 70 × 4.54^0.75 = 218 kcal • Daily calories: 218 × 1.2 = 261 kcal • Treats: 10% = 26 kcal; food: 235 kcal • Dry food: 235 ÷ 400 = 0.59 cups a day, or 0.29 cups at each of 2 meals With wet food at 80 kcal per 3 oz can, the same cat needs 2.94 cans a day. Half dry and half wet is 0.29 cups of dry food plus 1.47 cans. If the cat is overweight and its goal weight is 10 pounds, the factor drops to 0.8 and the daily calories to 174 kcal, which is 0.39 cups of dry food after treats.

Frequently Asked Questions

7 answers

Applicable Laws & Regulatory Standards

American Animal Hospital Association, AAFCO & National Research Council

Official Legal Reference
AAHA Nutrition and Weight Management Guidelines for Dogs and Cats (2021)

Give the resting energy formula and the life-stage factors used here for spayed or neutered adults, intact adults, growth, weight loss and gestation, and recommend adjusting the amount with the cat's weight and body condition.

AAFCO Model Pet Food Regulations, PF9 — Statement of Calorie Content

Sets how the calories of a pet food are stated on the label, such as kcal per cup or per can, the numbers you enter in this calculator.

National Research Council, Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats (2006)

The scientific reference for the energy and nutrient needs of cats at each life stage, behind the daily calorie estimates.

Legal citations and statutes are provided for consumer transparency, analytical validation, and educational reference under U.S. consumer financial regulations. This tool is not a substitute for formal legal, accounting, or tax counsel.

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