Cat Food Calculator How Much to Feed a Cat: Dry, Wet or Both
Find out exactly how much food your cat needs each day, in grams or cups of dry food, cans of wet food, or a mix of both. Built on the AAHA feline energy formulas, with kitten, senior, pregnancy, nursing and weight-loss settings plus bag and can costs.
By Manzoor Ahmad · Updated October 18, 2026
Bag size & cost (optional)
Dry food per day
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Daily calories
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How long will a bag last?
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Your cat’s feeding plan
How much should I feed my cat?
Feed your cat the calories it needs per day, divided by the calories in its food. A spayed or neutered indoor adult needs about 1.2 × its resting energy requirement (RER = 70 × kg0.75), which is roughly 180 kcal for a 6 lb cat, 260 kcal for a 10 lb cat and 300 kcal for a 12 lb cat. For a 10 lb cat, that’s about ½–⅔ cup of a 400 kcal/cup dry food, or about 2¾ three-ounce cans of wet food per day, after leaving 10% for treats. Always check your food’s label, because cat foods vary widely in calories.
Key facts at a glance
- AAHA feline factors: neutered adult 1.2–1.4 × RER, intact 1.4–1.6, inactive or obesity-prone 1.0, weight loss 0.8, kittens 2.5, pregnancy 1.6–2.0, nursing 2.0–6.0.
- Most indoor neutered cats need only about 200–300 kcal a day, often less than one cup of dry food.
- Cats should never crash diet. Not eating for even a few days can trigger life-threatening fatty liver (hepatic lipidosis).
- Wet food is about 75–80% water, which helps cats that drink little.
- Keep treats to 10% or less of daily calories, and weigh your cat every 2–4 weeks.
Cat feeding chart by weight
Daily amounts for a spayed or neutered indoor adult (1.2 × RER), with 10% kept for treats. Dry food assumes 400 kcal per cup and wet food assumes 85 kcal per 3-oz can, so check your own label.
| Cat weight | kcal/day | Dry food (cups) | Dry food (grams)* | Wet (3-oz cans) | Half & half |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 lb (2.3 kg) | 155 | 0.35 | 37 g | 1.6 | 0.17 cup + 0.8 can |
| 6 lb (2.7 kg) | 178 | 0.40 | 42 g | 1.9 | 0.20 cup + 0.9 can |
| 7 lb (3.2 kg) | 200 | 0.45 | 47 g | 2.1 | 0.22 cup + 1.1 can |
| 8 lb (3.6 kg) | 221 | 0.50 | 52 g | 2.3 | 0.25 cup + 1.2 can |
| 9 lb (4.1 kg) | 241 | 0.54 | 57 g | 2.6 | 0.27 cup + 1.3 can |
| 10 lb (4.5 kg) | 261 | 0.59 | 62 g | 2.8 | 0.29 cup + 1.4 can |
| 11 lb (5.0 kg) | 280 | 0.63 | 66 g | 3.0 | 0.32 cup + 1.5 can |
| 12 lb (5.4 kg) | 299 | 0.67 | 71 g | 3.2 | 0.34 cup + 1.6 can |
| 13 lb (5.9 kg) | 318 | 0.72 | 75 g | 3.4 | 0.36 cup + 1.7 can |
| 14 lb (6.4 kg) | 336 | 0.76 | 80 g | 3.6 | 0.38 cup + 1.8 can |
| 15 lb (6.8 kg) | 354 | 0.80 | 84 g | 3.7 | 0.40 cup + 1.9 can |
| 18 lb (8.2 kg) | 406 | 0.91 | 96 g | 4.3 | 0.46 cup + 2.1 can |
| 20 lb (9.1 kg) | 439 | 0.99 | 104 g | 4.6 | 0.49 cup + 2.3 can |
*Grams assume 3,800 kcal/kg. Intact, active, young or nursing cats need more. Inactive and overweight cats need less. Use the calculator above for your cat.
How to use the cat food calculator
- Describe your cat. Weight, life stage, spay/neuter status and lifestyle set the calorie target using the AAHA feline factors. For the full calorie breakdown, see the cat calorie calculator.
- Pick dry, wet or mixed. For mixed feeding, slide to set how much of the day’s calories come from wet food. Cups and cans adjust automatically.
- Copy the label numbers. kcal per cup and per kg for dry food, kcal per can or pouch for wet. They’re in the “calorie content” statement on the package.
- Add prices to see how long a bag lasts and what feeding costs per month. Then copy the plan for everyone in the household.
Daily calories = 70 × kg^0.75 × life-stage factor
Dry cups = food kcal ÷ kcal per cup · Wet cans = food kcal ÷ kcal per can
Mixed: dry kcal = food kcal × (1 − wet share), wet kcal = food kcal × wet share
How much to feed a kitten
Kittens need about 2.5 × RER (AAHA) for growth, based on their current weight. Feed a complete kitten food in 3–4 small meals and recalculate every couple of weeks. Most kittens are close to adult size by their first birthday, which is also when they move to adult food. Check the stage with the cat age calculator.
| Kitten weight now | kcal/day (2.5× RER) | Dry kitten food (400 kcal/cup) | Wet (3-oz cans, 85 kcal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 lb (0.45 kg) | 97 | 0.22 cup | 1.0 |
| 2 lb (0.91 kg) | 163 | 0.37 cup | 1.7 |
| 3 lb (1.36 kg) | 220 | 0.50 cup | 2.3 |
| 4 lb (1.81 kg) | 274 | 0.62 cup | 2.9 |
| 5 lb (2.27 kg) | 323 | 0.73 cup | 3.4 |
| 6 lb (2.72 kg) | 371 | 0.83 cup | 3.9 |
| 8 lb (3.63 kg) | 460 | 1.04 cup | 4.9 |
Wet vs dry cat food: how to split portions
There’s no single “right” format. Both can be complete and balanced. What matters is the total calories. When you mix, split calories, not volume: if wet food supplies half the calories, the dry portion halves too.
Dry food
Convenient, cheaper per calorie and good for puzzle feeders. It’s calorie-dense, though, so small measuring errors lead to weight gain.
Wet food
About 75–80% water, which supports hydration and urinary health, and often helps with weight control because cats feel full on fewer calories.
Mixed feeding
A common compromise: wet meals morning and evening, with a measured amount of dry food in a puzzle feeder for daytime grazing.
How much to feed an overweight cat
AAHA recommends 0.8 × RER calculated from the cat’s ideal weight for weight loss. Select “Lose weight” and enter a target weight. Your vet can help set it using body condition scoring.
Cat weight-loss safety
- Never fast a cat or cut food drastically. Hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver) can develop after just a few days of not eating, especially in overweight cats.
- Lose weight slowly with your vet’s guidance and weigh every 2–4 weeks.
- Use a complete weight-loss diet so protein and nutrients stay adequate on fewer calories.
- Split food into several small meals and use puzzle feeders to slow eating.
Worked example: a 10 lb neutered indoor cat on dry food
- Calories: RER = 70 × 4.540.75 ≈ 217 kcal × 1.2 ≈ 261 kcal/day.
- Food after treats: 261 × 0.9 ≈ 235 kcal (26 kcal for treats).
- Portions: 235 ÷ 400 kcal/cup ≈ 0.59 cup/day (≈ 62 g), or about 0.29 cup per meal over 2 meals.
- Wet alternative: 235 ÷ 85 ≈ 2.8 three-ounce cans per day.
- Bag: a 7 lb bag lasts about 51 days. At $25, that’s about $0.49 a day or $15 a month.
These are the calculator’s default values, so you can check every step.
A pharmacist’s notes on feeding cats safely
- Pill pockets and treats count. For a cat eating 250 kcal a day, a couple of treats can be 10% of intake. Include them in the treat budget.
- Never give acetaminophen (Tylenol) or dog flea products with permethrin. Both can be fatal to cats.
- Keep onion, garlic and chives out of toppers and broths. Cats are the most sensitive species to Allium toxicity, as the onion and garlic toxicity calculator explains.
- Some medicines affect appetite. Steroids increase hunger, while others reduce it. Recheck portions with your vet when long-term medication starts.
- A cat that stops eating is urgent. Unlike dogs, cats shouldn’t go without food for more than about a day. Call your vet.
More cat care tools
Each tool answers the next question about your cat:
Cat food calculator FAQs
Divide your cat’s daily calorie needs by the calories in its food. A 10 lb neutered indoor cat needs about 260 kcal a day, which is roughly 0.6 cup of a 400 kcal/cup dry food or about 2.8 three-ounce cans of 85 kcal wet food, after leaving 10% for treats.
Multiply the resting energy requirement (70 × body weight in kg0.75) by a life-stage factor. AAHA suggests 1.2–1.4 for neutered adults, 1.0 for inactive cats, 0.8 for weight loss and 2.5 for kittens. Most indoor cats need about 200–300 kcal a day.
Divide daily food calories by the kcal per can. A 10 lb cat eating only wet food needs about 2.8 three-ounce cans (85 kcal each) or about 1.4 of a 5.5-oz can at 170 kcal. Check your brand’s label.
Usually less than owners expect: often ⅓ to ⅔ cup per day for an average indoor cat, depending on the food’s calories. Weigh dry food on a kitchen scale for accuracy.
Split the daily calories. If half the calories come from wet food, feed half the calculated wet amount and half the dry amount. The calculator’s slider does this automatically.
Most adult cats do well on at least two meals a day, and many prefer several small meals. Kittens need 3–4 meals. Puzzle feeders can spread a measured amount through the day.
About 2.5 × RER based on current weight, in 3–4 meals of complete kitten food. A 4 lb kitten needs roughly 275 kcal a day. Recalculate every 2 weeks as it grows.
AAHA recommends about 0.8 × RER of the ideal weight. Never crash diet a cat, because rapid weight loss or not eating can cause fatty liver disease. Lose weight slowly with your vet’s guidance.
It depends. Mature cats often need fewer calories, but many cats over about 11 lose muscle and digest food less efficiently, so they may need more. Weigh seniors monthly and ask your vet about unexplained weight loss.
Pregnant cats need about 1.6–2.0 × RER, rising through pregnancy. Nursing queens can need 2–6 × RER depending on litter size, so most vets recommend free-feeding kitten food during lactation.
It’s a broad starting point, often written for active or intact cats. Many indoor neutered cats gain weight on bag recommendations. A calorie-based calculation tailored to your cat is more precise.
Divide the bag weight in grams by the grams your cat eats daily. A 7 lb bag (3.2 kg) lasts a 10 lb neutered cat eating 62 g a day about 51 days.
Manzoor Ahmad
Pharmacist & health writer · 13+ years of web development and SEO experience
Manzoor is a pharmacist with more than nine years of experience writing evidence-based health, nutrition and supplement content. He builds every dexocalc pet calculator from primary veterinary references. The energy factors in this tool follow the feline table in the 2021 AAHA Nutrition and Weight Management Guidelines, and the life stages follow the 2021 AAHA/AAFP Feline Life Stage Guidelines. It gives a feeding starting point. It does not replace your veterinarian.
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Disclaimer: This cat food calculator gives educational feeding estimates. Individual cats vary with metabolism, health and activity, and foods vary by brand. Use the result as a starting point, monitor weight and body condition, and consult your veterinarian, especially for kittens, pregnant or nursing cats, seniors and cats with medical conditions.