Cat Food Calculator
Calculate exact daily food portions for your cat by weight and life stage. Works for dry kibble, wet food, raw, and mixed diets.
Daily feeding amount
Daily calories
238 kcal
Amount to feed
0.7 cups
Why measuring your cat's food matters
Free-feeding dry kibble — leaving food out all day — is the most common cause of feline obesity. Cats are designed to eat multiple small meals but also to eat to excess when food is abundant (an evolutionary trait for feast-or-famine environments). Structured meals twice daily, measured by weight rather than volume, is the single most effective change for cats prone to weight gain. Even switching from eyeballing a scoop to using a kitchen scale can reveal you've been over-feeding by 20–30%.
Feeding kittens vs. adult cats
Kittens need 2–3× the calories per pound of body weight compared to adults, supporting rapid organ, bone, and muscle development. Kitten food has higher protein, fat, and calorie density to meet these needs. Don't restrict kitten food — under-feeding kittens leads to stunted growth. Switch to adult food around 12 months (or 18 months for large breeds like Maine Coons and Ragdolls). Senior cat food may contain lower phosphorus to support aging kidneys.
Transitioning between food types
Cats are notoriously resistant to diet changes — some will refuse new food entirely for days. Transition over 7–14 days: start with 25% new food, increase to 50% on days 4–5, 75% on days 6–10, and 100% on day 14. If your cat refuses, don't leave food out all day hoping they'll get hungry enough — this can trigger hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease), a serious and rapidly developing condition in cats that stop eating, even for just 24–48 hours.
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