Cats are masters at hiding excess weight under their fur, which is why proper food portioning can be trickier than it seems. Obesity is one of the most common health problems in indoor cats, leading to diabetes and joint disease. On the other hand, too small a portion means deficiencies. We will show you how to establish the right daily portion for your cat.
What affects the daily portion?
- Body weight — the starting point of every calculation
- Age — a kitten eats proportionally more, a senior less
- Activity — an outdoor cat burns more than a lazy homebody
- Spaying/neutering — neutered cats have a lower energy requirement
- Food calorie content — varies considerably between products
A cat's energy requirement
An adult indoor cat of moderate activity needs roughly 50–70 kcal per kilogram of body weight per day. A neutered, low-activity cat tends to be nearer the lower limit, an outdoor cat — the upper one.
Example: a 4 kg cat, neutered, indoor
- Requirement: about 55 kcal per kg → 4 × 55 = 220 kcal per day
- The dry food has 380 kcal per 100 g
- Dry food portion = 220 ÷ 380 × 100 = about 58 g per day
- Split into 2–3 smaller portions over the course of the day
If you fed exclusively wet food with a calorie content of 80 kcal per 100 g, the portion would be 220 ÷ 80 × 100 = about 275 g per day — that is roughly three pouches.
Dry, wet or mixed?
Wet food contains a lot of water, which supports hydration and the health of the cat's urinary tract. Dry food is more convenient and cheaper per calorie. Mixed feeding combines the advantages of both — just remember to add up the calories from both sources and not exceed the daily limit.
How to check whether the portion is right?
- The ribs are palpable under a light layer of fat
- A visible waist when you look at the cat from above
- No sagging belly and a stable weight when weighed regularly
Note: the values given are approximate. This is not veterinary advice — set the diet for a cat with excess weight, diabetes or kidney disease together with a veterinarian.
Check your cat's age and life stage: Cat age calculator →