Cat Calorie Calculator
How many calories a cat needs depends on its weight and its state — neutered, intact, prone to weight gain, or a growing kitten. The estimate below uses the same resting-energy formula vets use, scaled by a factor for that state — and it is the figure to start from when you work out how much to feed each day.
Daily calories
261 kcal
per day — for a 10 lb cat.
How much wet food to feed a cat
This doubles as a cat food calculator: the daily total above is the same whichever form the food takes — only the volume changes. Wet food carries far fewer calories per gram than dry, so the same calories come as a much larger amount. Find the kcal per can on the label, divide the daily figure by it, and count wet and dry against the same total rather than each on its own. We stop short of naming a number of cans: that depends on the brand and the can size, and we don't publish figures we can't source.
How many calories does a cat need?
Vets start from the resting energy requirement — the calories a cat burns at rest — then multiply by a factor for its state. The resting figure is 70 × (body weight in kg) raised to the power 0.75; the factor is 1.2 for a neutered adult, 1.4 if intact, 1 for a cat prone to weight gain, and 2.5 for a growing kitten.
Treat the number as a starting point, not a prescription: Merck notes an individual cat can differ by up to 30% from another cat of the same weight. Weigh your cat every few weeks and adjust the portion if it is gaining or losing.
How much should my cat weigh?
There is no single answer, and the clearest statement of that comes from International Cat Care: an ideal weight depends on the age and breed of your cat. The 11 cat breed pages on this site make the point — each gives the adult weight its source publishes, and they are not close to one another. So instead of a target weight, vets assess body condition: how easily the ribs are felt, whether there is a waist behind them, and how much of a fat pad sits under the belly.
Two published scales do this, and they do not use the same graduation. International Cat Care grades from 1 to 5, where 3 is ideal. The WSAVA chart grades from 1 to 9, where 5 is ideal and a 6/9 may be acceptable in some cats, especially older ones. We show both rather than converting one into the other — neither document publishes an equivalence, and inventing one would put a number on this page that no source states. Both are listed under Sources below.
One figure is published, and it is a proportion rather than a weight: International Cat Care puts a cat 10 to 19% heavier than its ideal weight in the overweight range. That is useful once a veterinarian has set an ideal weight for your cat — and it is the reason this site does not offer an “ideal weight calculator”: the number you would need to enter is the number you came here to find.
Common questions
How many calories does my cat need a day?
Start from resting needs: 70 × (body weight in kg) raised to 0.75, then multiply by a factor for your cat's state. The Merck Veterinary Manual publishes 1.2 for a neutered adult, 1.4 for an intact one, 1 for a cat prone to weight gain and 2.5 for a kitten.
Why does neutering change the number?
A neutered cat burns less. Merck publishes 1.2 × resting needs for a neutered adult against 1.4 for an intact one — the same cat, fed the same way, gains weight after neutering unless the amount comes down.
Do other sources give the same answer?
Close, but not identical. The WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee publishes a table built on a different formula, covering adult cats from 4 to 7 kg, and across that whole span this calculator lands inside its published range. Below 4 kg the two methods separate, because they use different exponents; above 7 kg the WSAVA table stops, so there is no published range left to land inside. Treat any figure as a starting point.
Is this number exact for my cat?
No. Merck states that an individual animal can differ by up to 30% either way. Activity, age, climate and health all move the figure. Use it to set a starting amount, then adjust on what the scale and your veterinarian say.
How much should my cat weigh?
There is no single healthy weight for a cat. International Cat Care states that an ideal weight depends on the age and breed of your cat — the 11 cat breed pages on this site publish adult weights that are nowhere near one another. Vets assess body condition instead of aiming at a number: how easily the ribs are felt, whether there is a waist, how big the belly fat pad is. Once a veterinarian has set an ideal weight for your cat, International Cat Care puts 10 to 19% above it in the overweight range.
Which body condition scale should I use?
Either, but don't mix them. International Cat Care grades from 1 to 5 with 3 as ideal; the WSAVA chart grades from 1 to 9 with 5 as ideal, and notes that 6/9 may be acceptable in some cats, especially older ones. Neither publishes a way to convert one score into the other, so we don't either. Both charts are descriptive — they describe what you should feel, and publish no target weight at all.
How much wet food should I feed my cat?
The daily calorie total above doesn't change with the form of the food — only the volume does. Wet food carries far fewer calories per gram than dry, so the same number of calories is a much larger amount of it. Find the kcal per can on the label — every pet food sold in the United States must declare it — and divide the daily figure by that. We can't turn it into a number of cans for you, because that figure differs from one brand and one can size to the next. If you feed both wet and dry, count them against the same daily total rather than each on its own.
How much should I feed my cat?
Look for the kcal per cup or per can on the label — every pet food sold in the United States must declare it. Divide the daily calories by that figure to get the amount. Treats count toward the same total.
This is a starting estimate. An individual cat’s real needs can run 30% higher or lower, and a weight-loss plan should be set with a veterinarian, not guessed. It does not replace professional advice.
Verified on . Based on Obesity in Cats — overweight threshold and why ideal weight varies (International Cat Care, updated 26 September 2025), Cat Body Condition Score — the 9-point scale (WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee, June 2025 (descriptive scale: publishes no weight and no percentage)) and Nutritional Requirements of Small Animals — energy requirements of the dog and cat (Merck Veterinary Manual, “Energy” section, accessed 2026-07-23). See the method.