Cat owners often wonder, “How much should I feed my cat?”

Here’s the inside scoop on your cat’s nutritional needs.

When you bring a cat home for the first time, one of your first questions will likely be, “How much should I feed my cat?” Even if you’re an experienced cat owner, you may be concerned about food if your cat gets a little too thin.

Here are a few important facts to keep in mind.

Quality makes a difference. A nutritionally dense food will provide more protein, minerals, and vitamins by weight than a low-quality food. To get the nutrients she needs, your cat can eat either a moderate portion of high-quality food or a large portion of low-quality food.

In addition, consider the pros and cons of dry food vs. wet food. For a quick breakdown, check out our previous post here.

Many cat owners use a combination of dry food and wet food. Nutritionally, they are very similar.

What type of food should cats eat?

“In their natural habitat, cats are hunters that consume prey high in protein with moderate amounts of fat and minimal amounts of carbohydrates,” says the Cornell Feline Health Centre. 

Therefore, cats need to eat lots of protein. A healthy cat’s diet should have only about 10% carbohydrates and the other 90% as a mix of proteins and fats.

Since plant proteins are hard for cats to digest, ensure that your cat food consists of mainly animal proteins. Animal meat should make up the bulk of your wet food, with as few additives and fillers as possible.

How much should my cat eat?

According to the Animal Medical Centre of Chicago, a healthy 9-pound cat needs about 27 calories per pound per day, or about 240 calories a day.

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On average, wet food provides about 250 calories per 6 oz. can.

Dry food contains roughly 300 calories per cup.

Judging by these numbers, the average 9-pound cat would need almost a full can of wet food per day. Or, she could eat 4/5 of a cup of dry food instead.

You can adjust the ratio of wet to dry food based on your cat’s preferences.

How often should my cat be fed?

If you’re feeding wet food only, you should feed your cat morning and night. Wet food can spoil if you leave it out all day.

If dry food makes up part or all of your cat’s diet, just measure it out in the morning. Your cat can feed on it throughout the day. For a feral cat, make sure you place food in your outside cat house to keep it dry.

, we recommend that you get a feeding station. Feeding stations are the perfect solution to keep your cats’ food clean and dry.

For more tips on feeding your cat, check out this article on feeding cats from the Cornell University Vet College.

By following these simple guidelines, you can feed your cat just the right amount!

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