This how much to feed a cat chart will show you the amount of good-quality food to maintain ideal weight and healthy bodily functions.
You should feed your cat the amount required to maintain a healthy, ideal weight.
The average 10-pound adult cat eats around 4 oz of raw per day.
But it depends entirely on your cat’s individual needs. Use the how much to feed a cat chart and calculator below!
- How much to feed a cat chart
- How much to feed a cat calculator
- How to figure out how much to feed a cat
How much to feed a cat chart
The following chart is the NRC guidelines for average daily energy needs based on calories per day.
5 lb | 10 lb | 15 lb | 20 lb | |
Kittens (after weaning) | 200 | — | — | — |
Lean adult cat | 170 | 280 | 360 | 440 |
Overweight adult cat | 180 | 240 | 280 | 310 |
Pregnant/nursing cat | 336 | 603 | 851 | 1,091 |
Use this caloric intake as a general guideline and adjust based on your cat’s individual needs.
Big emphasis on general guideline.
Jericho is 10 pounds, lean, and active. His homemade raw meaty bones diet provides 200 calories daily. This amount keeps him at an ideal weight.
How much to feed a cat calculator
This amount is a general guideline.
Please adjust your cat’s food intake based on the resources below.
How to figure out how much to feed a cat
Every cat is an individual. And every food is individual.
So there is no “feed this amount” number that anyone can tell you.
Figure out how much to feed a cat with these 5 factors:
- Cat weight
- Body condition score
- Cat food calories
- Cat’s life stage
- Your cat’s individual needs
We must use all 5 in combination.
Cat weight
Your cat’s weight gives you a baseline number to work with.
The cat food label goes by calories and weight. So we need to use weight in our calculations.
Body condition score
A body condition score card helps you determine if your cat is underweight, ideal, or overweight.
Body condition shows you that how much you are feeding is too little, just right, or too much.
Cat food calories
The cat food label feeding guidelines are based on the cat’s weight and the food’s energy density (calories).
We use this to determine how much of that specific food our cat should eat.
Cat’s life stage
The cat’s life stage is either kitten, adult, or pregnant/nursing. Kittens and pregnant/nursing cats require more energy (aka food).
Your cat’s individual needs
You have to adjust how much you feed your cat based on your cat’s individual needs.

How much to feed your cat
You should feed your cat the right amount of calories required to maintain a healthy, ideal weight.
There is no one “feed this amount” number that anyone can tell you.
You have to weigh your cat regularly, check a body condition score, and use the cat food label as a general guideline to determine how much to feed your cat.
Use the calculator on this page as a general guideline. Adjust how much you feed your cat based on your cat’s individual needs.
But my cat is too picky to eat healthy food
Sandra had two kibble-addicted cats. Dirk is older and started to gain weight. Avery was young and healthy, but she had very picky eating habits.
Dirk had trouble jumping to his favorite spots, and Sandra started to worry that he would develop diabetes. And she didn’t want Avery to be a picky cat her whole life!
So Sandra started researching about cat food.

Sandra thought wet food would help because it is healthier than dry food.
But then she discovered raw feeding, and “it all started to make sense! This is what they eat in the wild, and would make them feel their best!!!”
She was excited to try raw, but she knew so little about how to transition them to this diet. And she didn’t know what to give them in the quantities they needed to be healthy.
Then Sandra found me and my course. She became a course member, and she followed my signature PURR blueprint.
My signature PURR blueprint works with your cat’s natural instincts. So you can focus on having fun with your cat instead of feeling stressed and overwhelmed dealing with a picky cat.
Sandra said, “This was such an indispensable tool. It eliminated any fears, or questions I had about the transition, making everything feasible, easy to understand and convenient.”
And now Dirk and Avery (previously two kibble-addicted cats) enjoy a lightly cooked homemade diet! Sandra doesn’t worry about them not getting the nutrients they need. She’s confident that what she’s feeding is the best.
On top of that, Dirk lost weight naturally (no starving) and he’s more energetic and playful.
Sandra felt close to her cats before starting this journey. But her connection and bond with her cats is much stronger now than it was before.

Sandra and her cats have shown us that our cats need more real, fresh food. Processed foods are inconsistent and cause more problems than it’s worth.
But healthy homemade cat food gives us complete control. We control the ingredients, the quality, and how it’s made.
And it’s amazing to see the results of a healthy homemade diet!
Sandra (and hundreds of other cat parents I’ve worked with) feel more empowered to know what’s good and what should be avoided for their cats.
And their cats are healthier because of it!
Ready to switch to healthy food for a happier cat?
Grab my Raw Feeding Cats Blueprint video course and get the same plan that Sandra and 337+ other cat parents used to switch their cats from processed food to a healthy homemade diet.
