How much should I feed my cat?
Feeding guides on the back of a packet are written for an average cat that does not exist. They ignore whether your cat is neutered, how much it moves, and what it should weigh rather than what it weighs today — which is why so many indoor cats slowly gain weight on “the amount on the packet”.
Vets start somewhere more precise: the Resting Energy Requirement, the calories a cat burns simply existing.
That number is then multiplied by an activity factor for your cat's life stage:
| Life stage | Factor | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Kitten, under 4 months | × 2.5 | Fastest growth of their life |
| Kitten, 4–12 months | × 2.0 | Still growing, slowing down |
| Intact or very active adult | × 1.4 | Not neutered, or outdoors a lot |
| Neutered adult | × 1.2 | The default for most cats |
| Indoor or senior, sleeps all day | × 1.0 | Very low activity |
| Weight loss | × 0.8 | Calculated on ideal weight, vet-guided |
A 4.5 kg neutered cat works out at 70 × 4.50.75 ≈ 216 calories at rest, × 1.2 ≈ 260 calories a day.
Cat feeding chart by weight
Daily amounts for a neutered adult cat, based on a 3 oz (85 g) can at 85 calories and dry food at 400 calories per cup. Check your own labels, because brands vary widely:
| Cat weight | Daily calories | Wet only | Dry only |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 kg / 6.6 lb | ~190 kcal | ~2.3 cans | ~1/2 cup |
| 3.5 kg / 7.7 lb | ~215 kcal | ~2.5 cans | ~1/2 cup |
| 4 kg / 8.8 lb | ~240 kcal | ~2.8 cans | ~2/3 cup |
| 4.5 kg / 10 lb | ~260 kcal | ~3 cans | ~2/3 cup |
| 5 kg / 11 lb | ~280 kcal | ~3.3 cans | ~3/4 cup |
| 6 kg / 13 lb | ~320 kcal | ~3.8 cans | ~4/5 cup |
| 7 kg / 15 lb | ~360 kcal | ~4.2 cans | ~1 cup |
If your cat is overweight, work from the weight it should be, not the weight it is. Feeding for the current weight simply keeps it there.
Wet vs dry cat food
Wet food
Around 70–85% water, so it does a lot of a cat's drinking for it — useful, because cats have a weak thirst drive and ageing kidneys suffer for it. Typically 70–120 kcal per 3 oz can. More filling per calorie, which helps with weight control.
Dry food
About 10% water and far more calorie-dense — roughly 300–450 kcal per cup, so small measuring errors matter. Convenient, cheaper per calorie, and easy to leave out, which is exactly how most indoor cats end up overweight.
A mix works well for most households: wet food for water intake and portion control, dry for convenience. If you feed both, split the daily calorie target between them rather than giving a full portion of each.
Four things that throw the numbers off
- 1.Treats. They should stay under 10% of daily calories. On a 260 calorie cat that is 26 calories — around four or five small treats, and a few dental sticks can blow straight past it.
- 2.Guessing the cup.A “cup” is a measuring cup, not a mug. Weigh dry food on a kitchen scale once and you will usually find the scoop was generous.
- 3.Multiple cats. Shared bowls mean the confident cat eats twice and the shy one goes short. Feed separately if either one is off its target weight.
- 4.Other people feeding them. The second breakfast nobody mentions is the most common reason a diet fails.
A calculator is a starting point, not a prescription. Cats with kidney disease, diabetes, hyperthyroidism or pancreatitis have different needs, and a cat that is losing weight without a diet change needs a vet rather than a bigger bowl. Never starve a cat to slim it down — rapid weight loss can trigger hepatic lipidosis, which is life-threatening.
Next: check your cat's life stage
Calorie needs change with age, and so does everything else. Find out where your cat sits in human years.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many calories does my cat need a day?
Most neutered adult cats need between 190 and 280 calories a day, depending on weight. The formula vets use is RER = 70 × (body weight in kg)^0.75, multiplied by an activity factor — 1.2 for a typical neutered adult, 1.0 for a cat that stays indoors and sleeps most of the day, and 1.4 for an intact or very active cat.
How often should I feed my cat?
Kittens need 3–4 small meals a day because their stomachs are tiny and they grow fast. Adult cats do well on two measured meals, morning and evening. Leaving dry food out all day makes portion control almost impossible, and indoor cats gain weight on it easily.
How many cans of wet food is that?
Divide the daily calories by the calories in your can. A standard 3 oz (85 g) can holds about 85 calories, so a 4.5 kg neutered cat on roughly 260 calories a day needs about 3 cans. Brands vary a lot — anywhere from 70 to 120 calories per can — so always check the label rather than assuming.
Is my cat overweight?
Use your hands, not the scale. You should feel the ribs easily under a thin layer of fat, see a waist behind the ribs when looking down from above, and see the belly tuck up when viewed from the side. If the ribs are hard to find and the waist has gone, your cat is carrying extra weight — and most indoor cats do.
How do I help my cat lose weight safely?
Calculate the calories for your cat's ideal weight, not its current weight, and use the 0.8 factor. Aim to lose about 1% of body weight a week — no faster. Cats that lose weight too quickly can develop hepatic lipidosis, a serious liver condition, so any real weight-loss plan should be agreed with your vet first.
Do senior cats need less food?
Not always. Cats slow down in middle age and often need less, but from around 11 many start absorbing nutrients less efficiently and need the same or even more calories to hold their weight. Body condition decides, not age — and unexplained weight loss in an older cat is a reason to see a vet, not to simply feed more.