It's as important to count calories for your cat as it is for yourself. Cats who are getting enough calories are energetic, have healthy coats and are able to fight off infection. Although there are general guidelines on how many calories cats need every day, actual caloric requirements are as individual the cats themselves.
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Cats who get enough calories are energetic and healthy.
Reading the Label
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Calories on pet food packaging are expressed in kilocalories. Kilocalories are the same as the calories listed on human food packaging. "Kilocalorie" is just a more technical name.
Counting Calories
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The average adult cat needs 20 to 30 calories per pound of body weight every day. The caloric requirements of a kitten decline from about 113 calories per pound of body weight a day at 10 weeks of age to 36 calories per pound of body weight a day at 40 weeks.
Cats Need Meat
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Cats are obligate carnivores and need animal protein (meat) and fat. A 10-pound cat should have about 12.5 grams (approximately 90 calories) of protein and 5.5 grams (about 70 calories) of fat each day. Larger cats should have more slightly more protein and fat, not less.
Empty Calories
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While rice and grains add calories to cat food, cats don't use them efficiently or easily convert them to energy. Grains provide "empty calories" for cats, the same way doughnuts and other snack foods do for humans.
Individual Needs
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Your cat's age, overall health, activity level and build all enter into its daily caloric requirements. Older cats who are losing muscle mass may need more calories from meat than they did when they were younger to maintain their energy levels.
Fat Cats
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Overweight cats who eat dry food will lose weight if they transition to an all-wet food diet and get most of their calories from meat.
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