Cat feeding calculator
Estimate a cat's daily calories from weight and life stage, then turn that into cans or cups of food.
Runs in your browser: nothing you enter is sent to this site. Results are planning figures, not veterinary advice. For a medical decision, ask your vet.
What it is
A calculator that estimates how many calories a cat needs in a day and how that works out in cans, pouches and cups. Every number it assumes is shown on the page and can be changed.
How to use it
- Enter your cat's weight. If your cat is overweight or underweight, use the weight it should be, not the weight it is.
- Choose the life stage that fits: a neutered adult, a cat that is not neutered, an inactive cat, a cat that needs to lose weight, or a kitten.
- Check the calories on your food's label and enter them. Wet food is listed per can or pouch, dry food per cup.
- Set the share of calories you feed as wet food. The result shows the amounts and a limit for treats.
How it works
The resting energy requirement is 70 times the weight in kilograms raised to the power 0.75. The daily need is that figure times a multiplier for the life stage: about 1.2 for a neutered adult, 1.4 for an adult that is not neutered, 1.0 for a cat that is inactive or prone to weight gain, 0.8 for weight loss, and 2.0 to 2.5 for a growing kitten. These are the commonly published multipliers.
What it cannot do
It gives a starting point. Every cat burns energy differently, so weigh your cat every few weeks and adjust. Cats with kidney disease, diabetes, a heart condition or any other illness should be fed on a vet's advice, and a cat that needs to lose weight needs a plan from a vet, because a cat that eats too little can become seriously ill.
A kitten needs a food made for growth. Treats should be no more than about a tenth of the day's calories.
Last reviewed November 7, 2026