Written by My Purry Cat http://mypurrycat.com/how-much-to-feed-my-cat/

A common question that you may have asked yourself is how much food should I be feeding my cat? As a new cat owner, it can be difficult to figure out how much food to give. Cats are greedy animals and won’t tell you when they are full, but will definitely tell you when they are hungry!

It’s important to consider the following factors when deciding:

Age

Cat foods are usually split into three categories:

  • Kitten (4 weeks-1 year)
  • Adult (1 year – 7 years)
  • Senior (7 years+)

It is important to select the correct food for your cat as each one will vary in calories and nutritional value.

Kittens

From 7 weeks of age you should wean your kitten off feeding from their mother. This is the point they will need kitten food. Due to their high levels of energy, they need higher levels of nutrition than adult cats. We recommend feeding your kitten in 4 to 5 small meals a day because of their smaller stomachs. They need 200 calories per 5 pounds of body weight.

Kitten milk can be purchased for the first weeks after weaning them on to food – we found our cats enjoyed this as it reminded them of their mother and helped them get to sleep. However kitten milk does contain calories so make sure you are taking those in to account for their diet.

Adult Cats

Adult cats grow at a slower rate than kittens so need less nutrition but larger meals. We recommended feeding adult cats a large meal twice a day spaced 8-12 hours apart.

Senior Cats

The metabolism of senior cats begins to slow down and your cat may become less active. Senior cat food is tailored to cater to the body changes that occur during their senior years. Some senior cats may also find foods more difficult to digest or have certain health conditions. These cats will need specific formulas and quantities as advised by your vet.

Weight

How much you feed your cat will also depend on your cats weight. If you think your cat is overweight or underweight you should consult a vet for advice. Cats have different speeds of metabolism, some diets may work for one cat but could be too much for another.


An overweight cat may be being fed too much food, being fed too often, or being fed too much food for their activity level.

An underweight cat may not be receiving an adequate amount of calories or nutrition.

Energy Levels

Energy levels can depend on the age of your cat but can also depend on your cat’s lifestyle. Outdoor cats are likely to be more active than indoor cats. They will need more food to provide extra nutrition needed to maintain energy levels. Indoor cats with low energy levels need less food.

Certain cat food brands curate food that are tailor made for indoor cats to ensure they are receiving adequate nutrition with limited calories to prevent weight gain.

Pregnant/Nursing Cats

Pregnant cats need a higher intake of protein and calories. Purina.co.uk suggest switching pregnant cats to kitten food until a few weeks after birth. This is beneficial as kitten food contains increased nutrients. Pregnant cats also have an increased appetite and can eat up to double their usual amount of food.

Type Of Food

How much food you should give will also depend on the type of food given. Different brands will have different feeding recommendations stated on their packaging. It is important to check these out and follow the stated recommendations. Many cats prefer a mixed diet of dry food and wet food – check out our article on wet vs dry food here.


Dry food has a longer shelf life once opened and cats prefer to graze on this throughout the day due to its texture.

Wet food contains more moisture and is richer in flavour and scent. Your cat is likely eat more wet food than dry in one sitting.

Specific Diets And Cat Health

Health conditions such as diabetes, urinary and kidney problems can influence the amount your cat eats. In these cases discuss feeding guidance with your Vet. There are also specialist foods that are suitable for conditions such as diabetes or urinary problems, weight loss and weight gain cat food is also available.

Feeding Around Your Personal Schedule

It is possible to feed your cat around your routine. The way to do this is to create set meal times. This can be before you go to work, at lunch (if possible) and in the evening. Feeding your cats in this way will create a routine which they will get use to.

Treats

It is important to reward your cats with treats in moderation. Remember treats are also calories which you need to take into account. Read the recommended daily amounts on packaging.

Conclusion

Unfortunately there is no specific answer on how much to feed your cat. I would recommend taking the above into consideration and creating a feeding schedule. See how your cat responds to this schedule and tweak if necessary.

We personally feed our cats at breakfast, then we leave them dry food throughout the day, a small dinner when we get home from work, then dinner before we go to bed with dry food left for them to snack on throughout the night (our cats are big snackers). This works for us and the cats have gotten used to this schedule. 

If your cat has any health issues or eating problems please consult a vet to discuss.