Once you find the right type of wet and dry food, you first want to know about cat feeding guide of that product, as it’s essential to make sure that food contains all the proper nutrients they need to stay happy and healthy. Your cat needs the right balance of proteins, fats and oils, minerals, vitamins, and carbohydrates to keep them in utterly healthy condition.
Your cat feeding guide will give you a general idea of how much food to provide him with each day. You should keep your pet in the good physical condition and prevent them from becoming overweight. The amount of food your pet needs can vary based on age, activity level, or other food given. If your cat weighs 5 pounds and has a lean body type, you need about 170 calories a day. If it weighs 10 pounds and has a slim body type, you need about 280 calories a day.
If you are a pet owner and feeding a good quality dry food with a good quality protein, then the indoor cat needs only approximately 1/3 to 1/2 of dry food each day. The average high-quality food contains about 500 calories per 8 ounces cup, and the primary protein source of the food is significant.
If you want to feed your cat wet food, then we usually estimate wet food for every three to three and a half pounds of body weight. You can give them three-ounce cans of wet food per day. Also, this amount can be separated into two meals.
Wet Vs. Dry
Your cat seems to like wet and dry food, but you cannot tell how much you should feed them? This article has just the thing you’re looking for if that’s the case. Down below, you would be introduced to a table of wet and dry food that tells you about the amount of food given to your pet daily. Moreover, how to calculate wet and dry cat food should be fed and many other factors related to the article that you need to know. So, let’s start to get information about that!
Also Read – Whiskas Cat Food Feeding Guide
Table of Wet and Dry Cat Food Feeding Guide (Average Judgement)
You can calculate how much-wet food your cat needs based on its weight. Wet foods contain more than 65% water, so your cat must eat more canned food to meet its calorie needs. A typical adult wet food contains approximately 28 calories per ounce, 1 calorie per gram. Here is the chart below with the average estimation to consider the calorie intake for your cat according to their weight.
| Cats Weight (lbs) | Cat weight (kg) | Daily Calories | Wet Food (oz) | Wet Food (gm) |
| 1 | 0.45 | 38 | 1 | 38 |
| 2 | 0.90 | 65 | 2 | 65 |
| 3 | 1.35 | 88 | 3 | 88 |
| 4 | 1.80 | 109 | 4 | 109 |
| 5 | 2.25 | 129 | 5 | 129 |
| 6 | 2.70 | 147 | 5 | 147 |
| 7 | 3.15 | 166 | 6 | 166 |
| 8 | 3.60 | 183 | 7 | 183 |
| 9 | 4.05 | 200 | 7 | 200 |
| 10 | 4.50 | 216 | 8 | 216 |
| 11 | 4.95 | 232 | 8 | 232 |
| 12 | 5.40 | 248 | 9 | 248 |
| 13 | 5.85 | 263 | 9 | 263 |
| 14 | 6.30 | 278 | 10 | 278 |
| 15 | 6.75 | 293 | 10 | 293 |
| 16 | 7.20 | 308 | 11 | 308 |
| 17 | 7.65 | 322 | 11 | 322 |
| 18 | 8.10 | 336 | 12 | 336 |
| 19 | 8.55 | 350 | 13 | 350 |
| 20 | 9.00 | 364 | 13 | 364 |
| 21 | 9.45 | 377 | 13 | 377 |
| 22 | 9.90 | 391 | 14 | 391 |
| 23 | 10.35 | 404 | 14 | 404 |
| 24 | 10.80 | 417 | 15 | 417 |
| 25 | 11.25 | 430 | 15 | 430 |
If you are a parent and want to know how much dry food you give your feline based on its weight. Dry kibble has a higher calorie content, which equals more concentrated nutrition. The amount of food your cat needs each day will be less than if you feed him canned food.
Also Read – Tiki Cat Feeding Guide
A typical adult dry food contains approximately 100 calories per ounce or 3.5 calories per gram. Around 500 calories are included in an 8 oz cup of dry food. So, if we estimate that the average ten-pound cat needs about 250 calories per day, the average cat will need about 1/3 – 1/2 of a cup of food, maybe less if your cat is sluggish. The chart based on that tells you about the calorie content per day. So, let’s check it.
| Cats Weight (lbs) | Cat weight (kg) | Daily Calories | Dry Food (oz) | Dry Food (gm) |
| 1 | 0.45 | 38 | 0 | 11 |
| 2 | 0.90 | 65 | 1 | 18 |
| 3 | 1.35 | 88 | 1 | 25 |
| 4 | 1.80 | 109 | 1 | 31 |
| 5 | 2.25 | 129 | 1 | 37 |
| 6 | 2.70 | 147 | 1 | 42 |
| 7 | 3.15 | 166 | 2 | 47 |
| 8 | 3.60 | 183 | 2 | 52 |
| 9 | 4.05 | 200 | 2 | 57 |
| 10 | 4.50 | 216 | 2 | 62 |
| 11 | 4.95 | 232 | 2 | 66 |
| 12 | 5.40 | 248 | 2 | 71 |
| 13 | 5.85 | 263 | 3 | 75 |
| 14 | 6.30 | 278 | 3 | 80 |
| 15 | 6.75 | 293 | 3 | 84 |
| 16 | 7.20 | 308 | 3 | 99 |
| 17 | 7.65 | 322 | 3 | 92 |
| 18 | 8.10 | 336 | 3 | 96 |
| 19 | 8.55 | 350 | 4 | 100 |
| 20 | 9.00 | 364 | 4 | 104 |
| 21 | 9.45 | 377 | 4 | 108 |
| 22 | 9.90 | 391 | 4 | 112 |
| 23 | 10.35 | 404 | 4 | 115 |
| 24 | 10.80 | 417 | 4 | 119 |
| 25 | 11.25 | 430 | 4 | 123 |
How Much Wet And Dry Food Should I Feed My Cat?
When you are a first-time cat owner, “how much should I feed my cat?” is likely to be one of your first questions when you bring your cat home. No matter how long you’ve owned cats, you may sometimes wonder whether they’re getting too much or too little food. Let’s go through and know about the wet and dry food you have to give your pet.
Wet Food
If you are feeding wet food, control how much your cat has access to at one time. Cats love to eat wet food, and your cat will continue to eat much earlier than they usually would if you let them, which happens less often with dry food. Check out this chart to see how much-wet food to feed your cat:
| Wet Cat Food Feeding Chart | ||||
| 0-5 lbs | 5-10 lbs | 10-15 lbs | 15-20 lbs | |
| Kittens | up to 1 oz per day | up to 5 oz per day | up to 8 oz per day | up to 11 oz per day |
| Cat(Adult, lean) | up to 3 oz per day | up to 7 oz per day | up to 9 oz per day | up to 12 oz per day |
| Cat(Adult, Heavy) | up to 5 oz per day | up to 8 oz per day | up to 10 oz per day | up to 15 oz per day |
Dry Food
A dry cat food diet is not nutritionally denser than a wet food diet, so you feed less if you are using this. As long as you choose quality food and your cat stays hydrated throughout the day, a dry food diet may be enough for your cat’s health.
You will need to give your cat water and make sure your cat drinks enough. Otherwise, wet food may need to be added to your cat’s diet. Here’s a chart to help you stay on track with your cat’s feeding schedule:
| Dry Cat Food Feeding Chart | ||||
| 0-5 lbs | 5-10 lbs | 10-15 lbs | 15-20 lbs | |
| Kittens | Less than 1 oz per day | Up to 1 oz per day | Up to 2 oz per day | Up to 3 oz per day |
| Cat(Adult, Lean) | Up to 1 oz per day | Up to 2 oz per day | Up to 3 oz per day | Up to 4 oz per day |
| Cat(Adult, Heavy) | Up to 1 oz per day | Up to 2 oz per day | Up to 3 oz per day | Up to 4 oz per day |
Can Cats Eat a Mix of Wet and Dry Food?
Yes, mixed dry and wet cat food brands will be fine for most cats as long as the food you choose meets all their nutritional requirements. Your cat can eat a mix of both wet and dry food, but that should be both options are of high quality and meet your pet’s nutritional and other health needs.
Also Read – Orijen Feeding Guide Explained
Quality wet and dry foods are formulated to provide your pet with all the proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients they need. However, if your dog or cat is suffering from a health issue and requires a specific type of diet, such as wet food for kidney disease, do not make changes without first talking to your vet.
If your pet is eating the mix of these wet and dry recipes, they will get several benefits from this type of food. Let’s see their advantage:
Customize a Meal Plan
Dry food and wet food both have their benefits. The moist recipe usually contains more meat protein, is more appealing to your cat, and can provide your felines with fewer calories. Dry recipes can have a more excellent range of nutrients and vitamins, keeps longer in the cupboard and the bowl, and cost less than wet food.
If your cat is eating the combined meal, she will benefit from both, but you only need to customize a meal plan to the specific dietary needs of your cat.
Improved texture
Some cats can be picky eaters, and they want something with a different texture in their meals. If you are giving them some food every day, it will make them tired of it. Combining wet and dry food may keep your cat’s attention for longer and ensure that they do not get fed with the food selection that you are providing.
Also Read – How Much Wet And Dry Cat Food Is Good for Cats?
Fewer calories
If you want the low calorie in their mixed recipes, you should ensure that you choose wet and dry foods that are relatively low in calories.
Hydrated Your Cats
Cats are not specifically good about water. The simplest way to ensure that a cat gets all the water they need is by feeding them wet cat food. It is present everywhere between 10% and 30% moisture, while most dry foods contain less than this. If your kitty likes to eat dry cat food and is not ready to drink water, you can give her a mix of wet and dry food, which will help keep her hydrated.
Cost-Effective Combination
You may be wary of completely switching from dry food to wet food because wet food is usually more expensive than dry food of comparable quality. To give your pet the benefits of wet food without spending more, you can feed wet food and dry food together compared to feeding only wet food.
Should I Feed My Cat Wet & Dry Food At The Same Time?
The short answer is yes, and you can feed your cat wet and dry food by mixing these. There are plenty of benefits if you are doing this. Many cats prefer to eat wet food, so it makes a great treat and encourages them to eat healthy with a new taste. Wet food and dry food also offer unique health benefits when you feed these meals simultaneously by mixing them.
Cats often like to eat a mix of wet and dry. Like people, the same variety keeps them from getting bored with their food. Both wet and dry food means that your cat will have something to go on at the end of the day instead of eating the same food for every meal. Many owners find that their cats prefer to eat wet food, but it is essential to remember that your cat will get bored with anything if that is the only thing provided to them.
If you want to save money, then it is a great way to feed the dry and wet meals at the same time by combining them. Both wet and dry food is expensive, but you can cut down on the amount they usually eat by feeding your cat. Wet food is more filling and will keep your cat satiated for longer, but it is costly for dry food. Using dry food to supplement means your cat is either not eating much, or both food containers will move independently.
How To Know How Much I Feed Wet And Dry Cat Food?
Too little food can deprive your cat of necessary energy, and feeding too much food can cause obesity. To determine how much to feed your cat, follow these steps.
1. Weight Your Cat
Weighing your cat at your veterinarian’s office or a home is an option. The most accurate way to entertain your cat at home is to consider yourself while holding your cat, weigh yourself alone and subtract the second total from the first. For example, if you and your cat weigh 161 pounds and alone weigh 150 pounds, your cat weighs 11 pounds.
2. Utilize a calorie calculator to determine a cat’s resting energy requirement (RER) (Table 1):
| Bodyweight (lbs) | Bodyweight (kg) | RER ( calories per day) |
| 1 | 0.5 | 39 |
| 2 | 0.9 | 65 |
| 3 | 1.4 | 88 |
| 4 | 1.8 | 110 |
| 5 | 2.3 | 130 |
| 6 | 2.7 | 149 |
| 7 | 3.2 | 167 |
| 8 | 3.6 | 184 |
| 9 | 4.1 | 200 |
| 10 | 4.5 | 218 |
| 11 | 5 | 234 |
| 12 | 5.5 | 250 |
| 13 | 5.9 | 265 |
| 14 | 6.4 | 280 |
| 15 | 6.8 | 295 |
| 16 | 7.3 | 310 |
| 17 | 7.7 | 324 |
| 18 | 8.2 | 339 |
| 19 | 8.6 | 353 |
| 20 | 9.1 | 366 |
| 25 | 11.4 | 433 |
3. Choose a factor (Table 2) based on your cat’s energy needs and multiply it by the RER
The RER covers a cat’s basic needs but does not account for activity level or other factors. The RER number is multiplied by factors to estimate the cat’s total daily energy needs. Some cats require less than the RER, and some require almost twice the RER.
Factors to estimate cat daily energy needs:
- Neutered Adult cat = 1.2x
- Intact adult cat = 1.4 x RER
- Inactive/obese prone cat = 1 x RER
- Weight loss for cat = 0.8 x RER for ideal weight
- Weight gain for cat = 1.8 x RER for ideal weight
- Kitten 0 to 4 months= 2.5 x RER
- Kitten 4 months to 1 year = 2 x RER
4. Determine how many calories are in your cat’s wet and dry food.
You can find this information on food packages or online. Generally, dry foods have more calories per ounce than canned foods. You may refer to a calorie list as “calories” or “kilocalories,” which are different. Once you know what you are feeding, you can determine how much your cat needs. Treats should make up less than 10% of your cat’s caloric intake.
5. Figure out the amounts to feed.
If you feed your cat twice a day, subtract the calorie count of any treats and divide the remainder by 2 to determine how many calories your cat should get at each meal. Use the calorie count for your cat’s specific food to measure it accurately.
Some of famous Cat Food Brand Feeding Guidelines
How can you make sure you are feeding your cat the right food, at the right time, and in the correct quantity? If you are choosing the new brand, deciding on a feeding schedule or wondering about supplements or food, check out our feeding guidelines for cats. Here are the top 5 brands with correct feeding guides that contain every essential nutrition your pet needs to stay healthy and fit.
Fancy Feast Classic Pate Chicken Gourmet Wet Cat Food
It contains a deliciously smooth texture and is crafted with real, high-quality chicken. This recipe is 100% complete and balanced for adult cats and specially formulated to meet all the nutritional levels for cats. If you are a pet owner and are feeding this meal to your average adult cat, you need to provide 1 can per 3 to 3-1/2 pounds of body weight daily.
Also Read – What Can Ferrets Eat
Ziwi Peak Lamb Recipe Canned cat Food
It is specially designed to provide your cat with a nutrient-dense diet using fresh meat, organ, and bone and New Zealand green-lipped mussels for a natural source of chondroitin and glucosamine. It is a grain-free recipe made without added carbohydrates or other preservatives. If you want to give your pet, you can use 2 cans per day for every 8.8 lb. of cat body weight in 2-3 meals.
Blue Buffalo Tastefuls Tuna, Chicken Entrees Wet Cat Food
This is a high-protein content food. Chicken, tuna, and fish are the essential ingredients in the variety pack. This meal comes with a pleasantly – flaky texture loaded with flavor and hydration for the pickiest of eaters.
If you like to feed this cat food, provide your cat 1 1/2 cans per 6 to 8 lbs of body weight per day.
Friskies Seafood Sensations Dry Cat Food
The Seafood Sensation is the best dry cat food for the money and with a 30% crude protein content. The kibble is made using real salmon, tuna, and shrimp, providing essential omega-fatty acids to support your cat’s skin and coat. If your cat’s weight is 2-3 kg, you can use 1/4-1/2 cup per day.
If you want to feed your cat and her weight is 3-4 kg, you can use ½-¾ cup per day.
Purina Cat Chow Naturals Indoor Dry Cat Food
This nutritious Purina Naturals cat food features high-quality ingredients like real turkey and real chicken as the number 1 ingredient offering protein to support strong muscles. This recipe is 100% complete and balanced that provides 25 essential vitamins and minerals for overall wellness.
If you want to know about the feeding instructions of this food, then you need to give your 5-9 lbs cat ½-¾ cups per day. And now, when she becomes 10-14 lbs ¾ -1 ¼ per day. Also, you can separate this amount into two meals.
Kitten Brand Feeding Guide
When it comes to cuteness, few critters can be compared to kittens. If you’ve just got a kitten (or two), you’re probably learning all there is to know about kitten care. You want to do what you can to make sure your sweet child develops into a healthy adult.
Proper eating is a big part of the health equation. After the first four weeks of mother’s milk, the kitten is gradually switched to kitten food and is completely weaned at about eight weeks. Here’s what you need to know once you’ve brought your kitten home. We have chosen the top 5 brands for your kitten with the correct feeding guide. Let’s see that.
Purina Pro Plan True Nature Grain-Free Kitten Formula Canned Cat Food
It is specially made for growing kittens and formulated with high-quality protein like real ocean whitefish and salmon. It helps support her developing muscles, and load on the yum kittens adore. This is a grain-free kitten food pate loaded with 25 essential vitamins and minerals plus taurine, an amino acid.
If you want to feed this recipe, feed 1 can per 1 1/2 – 2 lbs daily body weight. Divide into 3 or more meals. Continue to adjust to maintain your kitten’s ideal body condition and avoid excess weight gain.
Castor & Pollux Organix Grain-Free Healthy Wet Kitten Food
Castor & Pollux Organix wet food for kittens is one of the rare USDA organic certified kitten foods. This formula is made in the USA, tested for quality during production, and is perfect for growing kittens. It is grain-free and contains superfoods like flaxseed, coconut flour, cranberries, and eggs. The good news is that even picky eaters enjoy this wet food.
Feed this meal 1 can per 3-4 lbs. of body weight per day. For combination feeding, reduce 1/4 cup dry for every 1/2 can wet.
Royal Canin Gastrointestinal Wet Kitten Food
Some kittens are susceptible to food, and some ingredients can help in the sensitiveness of your kitty. These are fiber, prebiotics, omega-3 fatty acids, beta-glucans, marigold extract, and other ingredients. These ingredients can help your kitten with tummies that are prone to problems.
If you like to feed this wet food to kittens, it is recommended to follow at least a 7-day transition plan before feeding your pet a new food exclusively. Begin by mixing 75% of your pet’s current diet with 25% of the new diet on the first and second day.
Mix 50% of the current diet with 50% of the new diet on the third day and the fourth day. On the 5th and 6th days, mix 25% of the current diet with 75% of the new diet. On the 7th day, you can feed your pet exclusively fresh food. Consult your veterinarian about the best way to introduce a new food to your pet.
IAMS ProActive Health Dry Kitten Food
It is designed especially for kitten needs. This kibble is formulated to help your kitten grow into a robust, healthy adult cat. Real chicken is the first ingredient in this protein-packed kibble. In addition, it’s chock-full of nutrients like vitamin E, omega-3 DHA to support brain development, and prebiotics to support digestive health.
Daily feeding of this cat food is 1/3 cup per day for up to 8 weeks kitten. Feed 1/2 cup per day if kitten age is 12 weeks and between 40 weeks. This amount can be divided into meals or 3 meals a day.
Wellness CORE Grain-Free Kitten Formula Dry Cat Food
This formula provides complete nourishment with debone turkey and whitefish as the first two ingredients; this nutrient-dense, the grain-free recipe contains all the protein your kitten needs to grow healthy and strong muscles. Every bite is packed with taurine, vitamins, and minerals to support immunity and wellness, along with DHA omega-3 fatty acids from salmon oil for healthy brain and eye development—so accelerate all those growths!
If we talk about the feeding of this meal, then here is the chart to know about the instructions for the food.
| Daily (cup) | Daily Feeding Dry Alone (cup) | Daily Combination Feeding |
| 1 – 2 lbs | 1/4 – 1/3 | 1/4 + 3 oz Can |
| 2 – 6 lbs | 1/3 – 3/4 | 1/2 + 3 oz Can |
| 6 – 12 lbs | 3/4 – 1 | 3/4 + 3 oz Can |
The Bottom Point
Hopefully, you’ve determined how much wet and dry food your cat needs with this information. Dry food has many benefits, but it also contains more calories than many wet recipes. Just make sure you share your cat’s food correctly to avoid obesity or underfeeding. After all, you want your little friend to live a long life of unlimited mobility.
References:
- https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/ nutrition-feeding-guidelines-for-cats
- https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/ cat-nutrition-tips
- https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/ how-often-should-you-feed-your-cat
- https://companion-vets.com/topics/nutrition/ cat-feeding-guide-stop-begging-lose-weight/