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How Much Should I Feed My Cat?

How Much Should I Feed My Cat? 

Updated on July 18, 2024
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Reviewed by Dr. Whitney Miller
DVM, MBA, DACVPM
cat eating food

If you’re a cat parent, you know how your kitty loves mealtime. They have a precise inner clock, and when it gets to be food time—they’ll let you know.

Many cats love getting fed multiple servings of cat food per day, but how much should they actually eat? Overeating and undereating can both have serious adverse impacts on your pet’s health. And obesity in cats is becoming more prevalent. Obesity in cats can:

  • Have a negative impact on their joints
  • Contribute to high blood pressure
  • Contribute to heart disease
  • Cause insulin resistance that can result in continued weight gain and diabetes

Obesity is a concern for felines, but it’s also important not to underfeed your cat. Here are some factors to consider when determining how much you should feed your cat.

Current weight

If you just adopted a cat or kitten and want to ensure they are getting the correct mix of calories, vitamins and minerals, it’s important to consult your veterinarian. When determining your cat’s ideal food regimen, your vet will get their current weight and do an examination of their overall health. The vet can then calculate your cat’s food intake needs and decide whether their diet should be reduced, boosted or is perfect just the way it is.

When taking your cat to the vet for their evaluation, make sure to write down their current feeding schedule and the specific formulations they eat, as well as the amount of cat food they receive for each meal—and don’t forget about treats! It may be helpful to get a few photos of the cat food labels, as well as the ingredients and cat feeding guide on the bag.

Your vet will take all of this into consideration and may recommend putting your cat on a weight management regimen, adding more calories, switching to a different type of diet or keeping everything the same. It’s always best to let your vet determine whether or not a specialty diet is needed.

Age

Like most creatures, cats need a different amount of nutrients at different stages of their lives. Their age is an important factor when determining cat food portions.

Kittens

If you’ve ever adopted a kitten, you may have noticed that they are furry little balls of energy. Their little bodies are growing, which means kittens need more fat, calories and protein than adult or senior cats. They also need a different mix of vitamins and minerals to support healthy bone growth and development. Often, kitten formulas are designed to be gentler on their developing digestive tract.

Make sure you get high-quality kitten food and follow the feeding chart on the back for your cat’s age unless otherwise directed by your vet. The general recommendation is for your furry feline to stay on kitten food until they are 12 months old. Your veterinarian will let you know if you should deviate from this plan.

Adult cats

When determining how much food to give your adult cat, an important factor is whether they’re indoor or outdoor cats. Outdoor cat food has more calories than indoor cat food since felines who explore the neighborhood tend to get more exercise.

Indoor cats have their daily rituals of chattering at the birds through the window and scratching their posts, but long cat naps are almost always on their itinerary. That means an indoor cat diet requires fewer calories.

Senior cats

When feeding older cats, your vet can help determine when you should switch from adult cat food to a senior formula. Evaluations are important because, as your cat ages, they may develop medical problems and need to switch to a more suitable diet for longevity.

Food quality

When it comes to how much to feed your pet, the quality matters. Look for brands that have an Association of American Feed Control Officials approved guarantee—this helps assure the product is nutritionally balanced and complete.

Since cats are carnivores and need the amino acid taurine to help support their heart, vision and reproductive organs, look for cat food that has a quality meat protein as the first ingredient. If the food is nutrient-dense, they may not have to eat as much to get the vitamins and minerals their body needs. Quality food is definitely a factor when it comes to your adult cat’s diet.

Medical history

Some diseases and ailments can be exacerbated or even helped by diet, so it’s important to take your cat at least once a year for a full veterinary evaluation to check their nose-to-tail health. Your vet may put them on a special diet or prescription cat food. If this is the case, it’s important to follow your veterinarian’s instructions precisely and get any food or treats approved by them before feeding.

FAQs about feeding your cat

How long can my cat go without food?

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It’s important your cat doesn’t go over 12 hours without food unless their vet has them on a fasting regimen for medical reasons. Anything over 12 hours can cause too much stomach acid to build up, and your cat may get an upset stomach.

How much wet food should I feed my kitten

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That all depends on the age, weight and medical history of your kitten. Consult your vet on wet food recommendations for kittens. Follow the feeding chart on the food or any special instructions by your vet.

How much dry food should I feed my cat?

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Cat food serving size depends on your feline’s weight and activity level and whether you’re feeding them wet food combined with dry food. Though your cat can eat both dry food and wet food exclusively, many pet parents give them half and half. It gives your pet of variety of flavors and textures, and both wet food and dry food have advantages. Wet food is packed with water, which helps your cat’s hydration levels, while dry food helps clean their teeth. Some cat foods brands also offer semi-moist food. Though it doesn’t pack the hydration punch that wet food does, these will add a little moisture to your cat’s diet. When determining how much wet food to feed your cat, remember to purchase food that matches their activity level—the best cat food for indoor cats may differ from the best food for felines who get more exercise outside. While there are generally two methods to feed cats, free feeding is not generally recommended. Free feeding can cause overeating and lead to obesity. If you have more than one cat in your house, you also risk food guarding or competition. Feeding your cat meals on a specific timeline is best. It gives them structure, which they take comfort in. You can choose to feed your cat as many times as you want—three times or four times a day if your schedule allows it. Just make sure to reduce the portions so they’re still getting the daily amount recommended. And be sure to feed them at least every 12 hours. If your cat doesn’t eat the whole portion, you can pick it up and offer it at another time. This is especially important for wet food since it can go bad if it is left unrefrigerated for too long. If you have a multi-cat household, you can feed them in separate rooms or become creative with locations so each can access their portion of food. No matter which kind of food you choose, always make sure your cat always has access to clean, fresh water. Dehydration can cause urinary problems, which can be deadly to cats.

How many calories should my cat have per day?

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A good rule of thumb to maintain your cat’s weight is 20 calories per pound of bodyweight for indoor cats and 35 calories per pound of bodyweight for felines who are allowed outdoors. This is, however, a very loose guideline—factors like food quality, activity level and whether they’ve been spayed and neutered can affect caloric needs. You can consult a vet or use a calorie counter to help you determine your cat’s calorie needs.

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