Cat Calorie Calculator
Daily calories your cat needs by weight, age and neuter status.
Enter your values
ⓘ Live results
Results
- Daily calories
- 260 kcal
- Resting requirement
- 216 kcal
- Dry food only
- 68 g per day
- Wet food only
- 324 g per day
- Half and half
- 34 g dry + 162 g wet
- Per meal (2 meals)
- 130 kcal
- Treat allowance (10%)
- 26 kcal
Working
- 1RER = 70 x 4.5^0.75 = 216 kcal
- 2216 x 1.2 = 260 kcal/day
Quick answer
A cat's resting energy requirement is 70 x weight in kg^0.75. Daily needs multiply that by a life-stage factor from 0.8 for weight loss to 2.5 for kittens.
RER = 70 x kg^0.75; MER = RER x factor
How to use the Cat Calorie Calculator
- 1Weigh your cat, ideally on a pet scale or by holding them on a bathroom scale.
- 2Choose the life stage that matches age, neuter status and whether you are managing weight.
- 3Read the kcal from the food label and use the gram amounts as your daily ration.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Cat weight4.5 kg
- Life stageNeutered adult
- Dry food energy380 kcal per 100 g
- Wet food energy80 kcal per 100 g
Results
- Daily calories260 kcal
- Resting requirement216 kcal
- Dry food only68 g per day
- Wet food only324 g per day
- Half and half34 g dry + 162 g wet
- Per meal (2 meals)130 kcal
- Treat allowance (10%)26 kcal
- RER = 70 x 4.5^0.75 = 216 kcal
- 216 x 1.2 = 260 kcal/day
Frequently asked questions
Why is my cat always hungry on this amount?
Dry food is calorie-dense but low in volume. Swapping part of the ration to wet food gives a bigger, more filling portion for the same calories.
How fast should a cat lose weight?
No more than 0.5 to 1% of bodyweight per week. Faster loss in cats risks hepatic lipidosis, which is serious — involve your vet.
About this calculator
- Built and reviewed by James Whitfield · How we build and test calculators
- Report an error
Results are estimates for general information. For medical, legal, structural or financial decisions, confirm with a qualified professional.