How Many Calories Should A Cat Eat Per Day?

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  • How many calories should a cat eat per day?

    A healthy adult cat on a maintenance diet requires 264 calories per day. Kittens, pregnant and lactating cats require more calories.

    The best way to calculate a cat’s daily requirements is to calculate your cat’s resting energy requirements (RER) which is the amount of energy (in calories) expended in a day without any activity; it is similar to basal metabolic requirements.

    Calculating resting energy requirements

    The formula for calculating RER in cats is as follows:

    30 x (body weight in kilograms) + 70

    Once you have calculated your cat’s RER, the formula then shows how to calculate your cat’s DER (daily energy requirements) which is several calories your cat should eat each day.

    Always seek veterinary advice before you put a cat on a calorie-restricted diet.

    Source: DVM

    Resting energy requirements (RER)

    Resting energy requirements for cats

    How many calories for growing kittens

    Below is a table summarizing calorie requirements for a kitten, based on the weight:

    Calorie requirements for growing kittens

    How many calories for a desexed adult cat (maintenance)

    Below is a table summarizing calorie requirements for a desexed adult cat based on the cat’s weight:

    Calorie requirements for desexed adult cat

    How many calories for an intact adult cat

    Calorie requirements of an intact adult cat

    How many calories for a cat prone to obesity issues

    Calorie requirements for obese prone cats

    How many calories should a cat have as part of a weight loss program

    Calorie requirements for weight loss in cats

    Author

    • Julia Wilson, 'Cat World' Founder

      Julia Wilson is the founder of Cat-World, and has researched and written over 1,000 articles about cats. She is a cat expert with over 20 years of experience writing about a wide range of cat topics, with a special interest in cat health, welfare and preventative care. Julia lives in Sydney with her family, four cats and two dogs. Full author bio