Knowing how much to feed your cat seems simple: you just have to look at the chart printed on the bag of kibble or the recommendation written on the pouches of wet food.
In practice, these indications are primarily a starting point.
Two cats of the same weight can have different energy requirements depending on their age, activity level, neutering status, body condition, environment, or even the energy density of their food.
The right portion is therefore not necessarily the one indicated to the exact gram on the packaging. It is the one that allows the cat to meet its needs while maintaining an appropriate weight and body condition.
Why can’t we give the same amount to all cats?
Weight is important, but it is not enough.
Take two 5 kg cats. One is young, active, and spends part of its days outside. The other is neutered, lives exclusively indoors, and sleeps for a large part of the day.
They weigh exactly the same, but their energy expenditure may be different.
Needs vary in particular according to:
- age;
- weight, and especially the ideal weight;
- neutering status;
- activity level;
- body condition;
- environment;
- certain physiological situations such as growth, gestation, or lactation;
- health status.
This is why a general recommendation must always be adapted to the cat in front of us.
Weight doesn’t tell the whole story
A 6 kg cat does not necessarily need a portion calculated to maintain 6 kg.
If it is overweight, reasoning solely based on its current weight can lead to maintaining an excessively high energy intake.
Conversely, a large, naturally muscular cat may weigh more than another without being overweight.
Therefore, you must also look at its body condition.
In particular, you should be able to feel its ribs under a thin layer of fat without having to press hard. Viewed from above, a waist should generally remain noticeable behind the ribs.
These observations are more relevant than a figure on a scale taken in isolation.
Why do the quantities indicated on the bags vary so much?
Not all kibble provides the same amount of energy per 100 grams.
A high-energy kibble may require a smaller daily portion than one that is less energy-dense.
This is why switching from:
70g of food A
to
70g of food B
does not necessarily mean providing the same amount of calories to the cat.
When changing food, you should therefore not automatically keep the same number of grams.
You must look at the recommendations for the new food and, when the information is available, its energy density.
Weighing kibble rather than filling a cup
Measuring cups are practical, but they often lack precision.
The size, shape, and density of kibble can vary considerably from one product to another. The same volume can therefore represent different weights.
A small kitchen scale allows you to know the quantity actually served much more precisely.
The difference may seem minimal over a day. But a few extra grams every day for several months can represent a significant energy intake, especially in a small animal.
To truly know a cat's portion, it is therefore better to speak in grams than in "half a cup."
Should kibble be left out for free-feeding?
It depends on the cat.
Some cats know perfectly well how to portion their own food and only consume what they need.
Others simply eat because food is available.
Free-feeding can then make it difficult to control quantities and promote excessive energy consumption, especially in some indoor or neutered cats.
It also has another disadvantage: when the bowl is constantly full, it sometimes becomes difficult to quickly notice a decrease in appetite.
Yet in cats, a significant change in food consumption deserves to be monitored.
Providing a measured daily amount makes it easier to know what is actually being consumed.
Dividing into meals does not mean giving more
Cats naturally tend to eat in several small sessions.
The daily ration can therefore be divided into several meals.
For example, if the determined quantity is 60g of kibble per day, serving four meals obviously does not mean giving 60g four times.
The 60g represents the total for the day.
They can then be distributed according to the household's organization and the cat's habits.
Programmable dispensers or certain food toys can also allow for portioning when no one is home during the day.
Kibble + wet food: beware of the double meal
Mixed feeding can be beneficial, particularly because wet food contributes to the cat's water intake.
But a common mistake is:
giving the full daily portion of kibble, then adding the full daily portion of wet food.
Wet food does not become calorie-free simply because it contains a lot of water.
When the two types of food are combined, you must therefore split the energy intake between them.
You do not give:
100% of the kibble ration + 100% of the wet food ration.
You create a single daily ration composed of both foods.
What about treats?
They count too.
A small treat seems insignificant, but when repeated several times a day—and possibly given by several family members—the additional intake can become significant.
Treats must therefore be integrated into the cat's overall diet and remain a small part of its intake.
The same goes for table scraps or little pieces given "just to treat them."
To understand why a cat is gaining weight when its portion seems correct, you must look at everything it eats in a day, not just what is in its main bowl.
How to use the manufacturer's recommendations?
The charts on the packaging remain useful.
They provide a starting quantity corresponding to the food's characteristics.
If the manufacturer recommends, for example, a certain range for a 4 kg adult cat, you can start with that indication and then observe the animal's development.
Then, you adjust if necessary.
Weight and body condition make it possible to know if the chosen quantity is appropriate over the long term.
The chart is therefore not useless: it just shouldn't be considered a universal prescription accurate to the gram.
Should you calculate your cat's calories?
It is not essential for all owners.
For a healthy adult cat whose weight remains stable, manufacturer recommendations combined with regular monitoring may be enough.
Energy calculation becomes particularly useful when you need to:
- achieve weight loss;
- avoid weight regain;
- combine several foods;
- compare products with different energy densities;
- feed an animal with specific needs.
In these situations, the veterinarian can determine an appropriate energy goal and monitor the cat's progress.
Weight loss in a cat must notably be gradual and supervised: abrupt food restriction is not a good method.
How to know if the ration is appropriate?
The answer is not only in the bowl.
You must observe the cat's progress over several weeks.
Does its weight remain stable?
Is its body condition correct?
Is it gradually gaining weight?
Is it losing weight when that was not the goal?
Has its appetite changed?
Regular weighing makes it possible to spot a trend before it becomes very significant.
For a cat whose weight should remain stable, a ration that gradually leads to weight gain is likely providing too much energy relative to its expenditure.
Conversely, unexplained weight loss should not simply lead to increasing the portion: it may be a sign of a health problem and deserves a veterinary opinion.
Beware of sudden changes in appetite
A cat that suddenly eats much less, refuses its food, or stops eating should not simply be considered picky.
In cats, a significant decrease or cessation of eating can have serious consequences, particularly in an overweight animal.
Similarly, an unusual increase in appetite associated with weight loss or other changes warrants a consultation.
The amount consumed is therefore also information about the cat's general state.
Kitten, adult, senior: the amount evolves
A cat's ration is not set in stone for its whole life.
A growing kitten has different needs than an adult.
After neutering, energy requirements can also change.
With age, activity, muscle mass, and sometimes health status change as well.
The quantity that was perfectly fine three years ago may no longer be suitable today.
It is useful to regularly reassess the diet rather than indefinitely maintaining the same habits.
Key takeaways
There is no universal amount of kibble or wet food that corresponds simply to a cat's weight.
The recommendation on the packaging is a starting point, and the ration must then be adapted to the individual.
To know if the distributed quantity is correct:
weigh the ration rather than estimating by volume;
count the kibble, wet food, and treats in the total intake;
monitor weight and body condition regularly;
adjust gradually based on the cat's progress.
The right question is ultimately not just:
"How many grams should a 5 kg cat eat?"
but rather:
"What quantity allows this cat to meet its needs and maintain an appropriate body condition?"
It is this second question that truly allows for individualizing its diet.