Cat Calorie Needs Calculator

Work out cat calorie needs instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Cat Calorie Needs Calculator

Resting energy requirement is 70 times body weight in kilograms to the power 0.75, multiplied by a life stage factor to give the maintenance requirement. Keeping treats within 10% of total energy is what prevents the careful main-meal portioning being undone by snacks.

Formulas

Resting energy

RER kcal = 70 x (body weight kg) ^ 0.75

Daily requirement

MER = RER x life stage factor

Worked example

With the default values below, Cat Calorie Needs Calculator returns Daily energy requirement of 259.5. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Cat's weightminimum 0.3 kg: 4.5 kg
Life stage and goalone of Adult, indoor and neutered (1.2), Adult, active or outdoor (1.4), Weight loss (0.8), Kitten (2.5), Pregnant or nursing (3.0): Adult, indoor and neutered (1.2)
Meals per dayminimum 1: 3

Results

Daily energy requirement: 259.5 kcal
Resting energy requirement: 216.3 kcal
Energy per meal: 86.5 kcal
Treat allowance at 10% of intake: 26.0 kcal

Step by step

1Values used
2Resting energy
3Daily requirement
4Daily energy requirement= 259.5 kcal
5Resting energy requirement= 216.3 kcal
6Energy per meal= 86.5 kcal
7Treat allowance at 10% of intake= 26.0 kcal

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 3 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 1 decimal place, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the Cat Calorie Needs figure worked out?

RER kcal = 70 x (body weight kg) ^ 0.75. Resting energy requirement is 70 times body weight in kilograms to the power 0.75, multiplied by a life stage factor to give the maintenance requirement.

Why does this matter?

Keeping treats within 10% of total energy is what prevents the careful main-meal portioning being undone by snacks.

What do I need to enter?

Enter cat's weight, life stage and goal, meals per day. The defaults shown are a realistic worked example — swap in your own figures to get a result you can use.