Daily Figures Edition No Sign-Up • Free Forever Vol. XII — No. 204
“The figures, plainly worked — a standing desk of free, no-nonsense calculators.”
Find a calculator

Cat Food Calculator

Find your cat’s daily calories from weight and life stage.

Daily calories
—
To feed.
Details
Resting need—
Weight—
 —
 —
Show our math
Enter your figures above to see the step-by-step working.
Everything computed client-sideEverything computed client-side — nothing leaves this page

How the Cat Food Calculator Works

A cat’s daily calories come from its resting energy requirement — 70 times its weight in kilograms to the power 0.75 — times a factor for its life stage. A typical 10-lb indoor, neutered cat needs about 260 calories a day. Kittens need far more to grow, while cats on a diet need less.

Match the total to the calories listed on your cat’s food (canned and dry differ a lot), and weigh portions rather than free-feeding to prevent obesity, which is very common in cats.

daily calories = 70 × (kg)^0.75 × life-stage factor

Frequently Asked Questions

How many calories does my cat need?

About 70 × (weight in kg)^0.75 × a life-stage factor. A 10-lb indoor cat needs roughly 260 calories a day.

How much should I feed a kitten?

Kittens need far more — often two to two-and-a-half times the resting requirement — to support growth.

Wet or dry food portions?

Both work; just match the total daily calories, since canned food is much less calorie-dense per gram than kibble.

More From The Desk

Same plain method, different figures