Cat Food Calculator
This cat food calculator shows how many grams or ounces of wet food, dry food or a mix your cat needs per day, based on weight, life stage and the calories printed on your food's label.
Example: Weight unit: Pounds (lb) · Cat's weight 10 · Life stage: Adult, neutered · Share of calories from wet food 100 % · Calories in wet food 90 kcal/100 g · Calories in dry food 380 kcal/100 g · Meals per day 3 → Energy needed: 261 kcal per day. Source: Today's Veterinary Nurse – Energy Calculations (RER = 70 × kg^0.75, life-stage factors according to AAHA). Updated: .
How it is calculated
A neutered adult cat of 10 lb (4.5 kg) needs roughly 260 kilocalories a day – about 10 oz of wet food at 90 kcal per 100 g, or around 2.4 oz of dry food. The calculator works this out for your own food and splits it into meals.
How it is calculated
First the resting energy requirement: 70 × body weight in kg to the power 0.75. The exponent follows Kleiber's law, under which basal metabolism grows with body mass to the three-quarter power. That value is multiplied by a life-stage factor: kitten 2.0, adult neutered 1.2, intact 1.4, senior 1.1, low activity 1.0 (factors as given in AAHA weight management guidance). Finally the calorie need is divided by the energy content of the food.
What matters
- Energy content: wet and dry food differ a lot. Enter the kcal figure of your own food, not an average.
- Mixed feeding: set how much of the calories should come from wet food; the rest goes to dry food.
- Watch the weight: weigh your cat every few weeks and adjust the amount if it gains or loses.
Related tools: cat age in human years, dog age and the weight converter for pounds and kilograms.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I feed my cat per day?
A neutered adult cat of 10 lb (4.5 kg) needs about 260 kcal, which is roughly 10 oz of wet food (90 kcal/100 g) or about 2.4 oz of dry food (380 kcal/100 g).
How much wet and how much dry food when mixing?
Set the share of calories that comes from wet food, for example 50%. The calculator then gives both amounts and splits them across meals.
How often should a cat be fed?
Many cats do well on three to four small meals a day. Enter your number and the calculator divides the daily amount.
Do kittens need more food?
Yes, per pound or kilogram a growing kitten needs much more. The calculator uses a factor of 2.0; very young kittens often need more, so follow the package guidance.
Does this replace the feeding guide on the package?
No, it complements it. The package refers to that specific product; with illness or excess weight the amount should be set with your vet.
Sources and legal basis
- Today's Veterinary Nurse – Energy Calculations (RER = 70 × kg^0.75, life-stage factors according to AAHA)
- Wikipedia – Kleiber's law (Grundumsatz ∝ Körpermasse^0,75)
As of: · Editorial policy
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