How Much Food Should I Feed My Cat

Notes about Cat Food

Before we discover how much food to feed a cat, a cat owner needs to understand that not all cat food was created equally. Some cat food companies use quality ingredients, others use cheap filler. Most of the companies that use cheap filler use fat to add flavor to their food (all cat food does contain some fat). Since the food uses so much filler the cat must eat more to get proper nutrition and subsequently the cat eats more fat (this is also why cats on lower quality cat food tend to vomit food on occasion).

Cats are true carnivores the first ingredient in a cat food should be a quality meat source, chicken meal lamb meal, or turkey meal, for example. By-products are not a good meat source, and nor is corn, these are often used as a cheap filler in many cat foods and really should not be in the top three spots of a cat food, or better yet, not in a cat food at all.

All cat food markets itself as good quality but the standards for quality in pet food, particularly in the United States, is relatively low.

How Much Kitten Food to Feed a Kitten

Kittens are growing, they should not have this growth stunted by restricting their diet. Kittens should have access to dry kitten food all the time, noting that their small stomach will restrict how much they eat.

Kittens should also have small helpings of canned kitten food throughout the day, more when they are younger. This should be about a teaspoon amount of the mushy type of canned food, never feed “Chunks in Gravy”. When kittens are under 2 months of age they should be getting canned food 3-4 times a day, and this can be reduced over time so that by a year old they might be only getting canned food once, or twice, a day. Some owners also add water to the canned food to make a soup, which helps with the cats urinary tract health.

©Brenda Nelson

How Much Cat Food to Feed an Adult Cat

At about the time your cat is spayed or neutered, or when it turns one year old, assuming it is in good physical condition (not too thin) it can be switched to adult cat food.

I feed my own cats by leaving the bowl of dry food for them to help themselves anytime. It is good quality food, their nutritional needs are met, and none over eat. When people feed lower quality foods the cats often overeat because the foods are so loaded with fat that it becomes somewhat addictive and the cats cannot stop themselves from eating, as well if the meat content is low the cats always feel hungry so may find themselves overeating.

On the side of pet food bags there is a feeding chart. This chart shows how much food a cat should eat in a day. It does not take into account that different cats have different rates of metabolism, but should account for the rate of quality in the food. You will note that with better quality food you can feed less.

An owner needs to determine what weight their cat should be (not the weight their cat is) and follow the chart in regards to feeding for that weight of cat.

The total amount of food per day should be divided by three and the cat should be fed the three portions throughout the day.

Having said that though, I remind you that I feed my own cats free choice, leaving a bowl of food out for them at all times, and none of my 6 cats are fat.

For me the issue is the quality of the food, far more than the quantity, particularly when it comes to feeding cats (dogs are a different matter). A good quality food will also mean less feces in the litter box!

You may also select to feed your cat canned cat food. This can have water added to make a soup which will help keep the cat’s urinary system healthy. If you feed canned food you may want to do this at night because when given in the morning cats tend to wake their owners up early in request for breakfast.

Canned food should be in its own bowl, not mixed with the dry. About 1-2 teaspoons of canned food is good. Never feed “chunks in gravy”, gravy is a carbohydrate and not something cats should be eating.

Summary

You can leave dry cat food out all the time if it is good quality food, or you can regulate your cat’s diet by following feeding guidelines on the side of the bag of food.

Feeding Tip

Always feed a cat out of a ceramic, or stainless steel, bowl. If you use plastic bowls they must be thrown away and replaced every 6 months because plastic bowls can contain bacteria growths and contribute to feline acne.

Further Reading on Cat Food

What is in Cat Food?

Cat Food Review – Purina One Beyond

Cat Food Review – Cat Chow

Cat Food Review – Hills Science Diet c/d