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Cat Food Calculator

Enter your cat's weight, life stage, activity level, and the calorie content of your food. We compute the daily calorie need and the amount of food to feed — works for both dry kibble (cups) and wet food (cans).

Life stage

Activity level

Food type

kcal

Most dry cat food is 250–400 kcal/cup. · e.g. 280

Daily food estimate

Cups per day

0.93

261 kcal/day at 1.2× RER

Daily calories (DER)261 kcal
Resting calories (RER)218 kcal
Activity multiplier× 1.2
Weight4.54 kg

Estimate only. For specific health conditions or weight goals, ask your vet for a target calorie figure.

Examples

10 lb adult, normal, 280 cal/cup

≈ 261 cal/day · 0.9 cups

8 lb adult, low activity, 400 cal/cup

≈ 184 cal/day · 0.5 cups

4 lb kitten, 380 cal/cup

≈ 219 cal/day · 0.6 cups

12 lb senior, 80 cal/can wet food

≈ 249 cal/day · 3 cans

How it works

We start with the Resting Energy Requirement (RER), then multiply by an activity factor for life stage and lifestyle to get the Daily Energy Requirement (DER). The DER divided by calories per serving gives the amount to feed each day.

RER · 70 × (kg)^0.75

DER · RER × activity multiplier

Multipliers: kitten ≈ 2.0 · adult low 1.0 / normal 1.2 / high 1.4 · senior 1.0

A note on feeding. Feeding needs vary by individual, breed, body condition, and health status. The calculator is a starting point, not veterinary advice — adjust based on what your vet recommends and what maintains a healthy weight.

Frequently asked questions

We compute your cat's Daily Energy Requirement (DER) from weight, life stage, and activity level using the standard veterinary RER × multiplier formula, then divide by the calories per cup or per can of your specific food.

Look for "kcal/cup" (dry food) or "kcal/can" (wet food) on the bag or can — usually listed under "calorie content." Typical dry food is 250–400 kcal/cup; wet food (a 3 oz can) is usually 70–100 kcal/can. Manufacturer websites and product pages also list this.

Yes — many cat owners do. Add up the calories you intend to feed from each (e.g., one 80-cal wet can + ¼ cup dry at 90 cal = 170 kcal) and compare to the daily target. Wet food contributes meaningful water intake, which is generally good for cats prone to urinary issues.

The kitten multiplier is conservative (2.0×) and works for most kittens older than 4 months. Very young kittens (under 4 months) need more frequent meals and higher calorie density — work with your vet. Senior cats often have lower needs but specific health conditions (kidney, thyroid, diabetes) change the picture significantly. Treat the calculator as a starting point, not a prescription.