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Cat Food Portion Calculator

How much to feed your cat each day — daily calories from its weight, then the number of cans or cups for your food's energy density.

Cat weight

Life stage

Food energy per serving

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How it works

RER = 70 × (kg)^0.75 · daily calories = RER × life-stage factor · servings/day = daily calories ÷ kcal per serving

Cats are small, so tiny portion errors matter. Their resting energy requirement follows the same 70 × kg^0.75 rule as dogs, then a life-stage factor accounts for spaying, indoor living or growth. A neutered indoor cat sits near a 1.2 factor — one reason indoor cats gain weight easily is that owners feed to a kitten-sized appetite the cat no longer needs.

Worked example

A 10 lb (4.54 kg) neutered indoor cat has RER = 70 × 4.54^0.75 ≈ 218 kcal and, at a 1.2 factor, needs ≈ 261 kcal/day. On a 90 kcal can that is about 2.9 cans a day; on a 300 kcal/cup dry food it is just under one cup.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find the calories in a can?

Wet-food cans and dry-food bags print "kcal/can" or "kcal/cup" near the guaranteed analysis. A typical 3 oz pâté can is about 90 kcal, so it takes several small cans to meet a full day.

Wet food, dry food or both?

It only affects how you split the calories, not the total. Add up the calories of each food you feed and make sure the combined total matches the daily number above.

My cat is always begging — should I feed more?

Begging is not the same as hunger. Split the daily amount into 3–4 small meals or use a puzzle feeder; if body condition stays lean and ribs are easy to feel, the portion is right.

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This calculator is for educational purposes. Double-check important results before acting on them.