NRC / WSAVA Standard

Cat Daily Calorie & Feeding Amount Calculator

Calculate exact daily calorie requirements (RER & MER) and kibble grams for your cat. Science-backed formulas for kittens, neutered, and senior cats.

Most common indoor housecat metabolic rate (Factor 1.2)

Check the guaranteed analysis on your cat food packaging. Standard dry kibble is ~3800 kcal/kg.

MER (Daily Calories)

259
kcal / day

Total daily target calories

RER (Resting Energy)216 kcalBasal calories at rest
Daily Food Portion68 gRecommended dry kibble grams
Suggested Daily Meal Schedule
2 Meals / Day34 g per meal
3 Meals / Day23 g per meal

≈ 0.7 Standard 8oz Measuring Cups

How We Calculate: The WSAVA Allometric Formula

Instead of linear weight approximations that underfeed small cats and overfeed heavy cats, veterinary nutritionists use allometric metabolic body size:

1) Resting Energy Requirement (RER) = 70 × (Body Weight in kg)^0.75. 2) Maintenance Energy Requirement (MER) = RER × Clinical Life-Stage Factor. 3) Daily Dry Food (grams) = (MER / Food Caloric Density) × 1000.

Veterinarian Feeding & Weight Management Tips

  • Always measure food with a digital kitchen gram scale rather than volume cups, which can vary by up to 25%.
  • If switching food brands, transition gradually over 7 to 10 days to prevent digestive upset and acute diarrhea.
  • Treats should never exceed 10% of your cat’s total daily caloric allowance.
  • Weigh your adult cat monthly. Any unintentional weight loss or gain greater than 5% warrants a veterinary checkup.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

RER (Resting Energy Requirement) represents the basic energy a cat needs while at complete rest in a thermo-neutral environment (breathing, organ function, cellular repair). MER (Maintenance Energy Requirement) multiplies RER by a clinical life-stage factor (such as 1.2 for neutered indoor cats or 2.0 for growing kittens) to calculate total daily calories needed.