How Much Should I Feed My Cat? A Portion Guide by Weight and Life Stage: At a Glance
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A 10-pound spayed adult cat needs roughly 180-200 calories per day. Calculate this from the caloric density on your food label (kcal per cup or per can) -- not from the feeding guide on the bag, which overestimates portions by 20-25% on average. Free-feeding dry food is the leading driver of feline obesity in the US.
Calorie Needs by Life Stage
| Life stage | Daily calories (typical) |
|---|---|
| Kitten under 6 months | 250-360 kcal |
| Kitten 6-12 months | 200-280 kcal |
| Adult 8-10 lbs, spayed/neutered | 160-200 kcal |
| Adult 10-12 lbs, spayed/neutered | 180-240 kcal |
| Active intact adult | Add 10-20% |
| Senior over 11 years | May need 20% more due to reduced nutrient absorption |
| Overweight cat on a diet | 60-70% of calculated maintenance calories |
How to Calculate the Right Portion
The formula veterinary nutritionists use:
- Find the caloric density on your food packaging -- "kcal per cup" for dry food, "kcal per can" for wet. If it's not on the label, it's on the manufacturer's website.
- Calculate your cat's Resting Energy Requirement (RER): multiply body weight in kilograms by 30, then add 70. For a 4.5 kg (10 lb) cat: (30 x 4.5) + 70 = 205 kcal.
- Multiply RER by a life-stage factor: 1.2 for spayed/neutered adults, 1.4 for intact adults, 1.6-2.5 for kittens depending on age.
- Divide the result by the caloric density of your food to get the daily portion.
Example: Spayed 10-lb cat. RER = 205 kcal x 1.2 = 246 kcal/day. Food is 380 kcal/cup. Daily portion = 246/380 = 0.65 cups.
Wet vs. Dry Portions
Wet food has more water and fewer calories per gram. A 3-oz can typically contains 70-100 kcal; a 5.5-oz can is usually 150-200 kcal. A cat eating only wet food needs 2-3 small cans per day. When mixing wet and dry, calculate proportional calories from each.
Why Free-Feeding Fails
Most cats eat past their caloric needs when food is always available. Scheduled meals -- two or three per day -- let you monitor intake and catch early signs of illness. A cat who suddenly stops eating is often sick; you only know that if you're tracking how much they normally eat.
Body Condition: The Real Check
Weigh your cat monthly, but also score body condition: ribs should be easy to feel without pressing hard but not visible from a distance. A visible waist from above indicates healthy weight. No waist, a rounded belly, and ribs that require firm pressure to feel indicate overweight. Prominent spine and hip bones with clearly visible ribs indicate underweight.
What the Evidence Says
WSAVA's Nutritional Assessment Guidelines explicitly state that feeding guides on pet food labels are starting points, not precise targets, and are frequently set too high. A 2019 study in the Journal of Nutritional Science found that cats fed measured portions had significantly lower body condition scores than free-fed cats over 12 months -- the difference was measurable within 3 months. The NRC Nutrient Requirements of Cats is the basis for the RER formula used here; it's the standard reference for veterinary nutritionists. WSAVA recommends body condition scoring at every veterinary visit as more informative than scale weight alone.
Sources: WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines (wsava.org); AAFP Feline Nutrition Guidelines (catvets.com); NRC Nutrient Requirements of Cats (nap.edu); Merck Veterinary Manual, Nutrition in Cats (merckvetmanual.com).
Use the Petstore.com Cat Calorie Calculator to get a personalized daily calorie target based on your cat's current weight, target weight, age, and activity level.