How Much Dry Food to Feed to a Cat

There is no set amount of dry food to feed a cat each day. There are many factors contributing to the amount of dry food your cat needs, from activity level to metabolism. Figuring out how much dry food your cat needs takes time, but is worth it for the health of your cat.

  1. Check the Food Bag

    • Every bag of dry cat food comes with a feeding guide, a table recommending the amount of dry food to feed according to your cat's weight. Use this as a guide. All cats have different metabolisms and activity levels, so the amount a lively eight-pound cat needs to eat may be drastically different from the amount a less active eight-pound cat needs to eat.

    Watch Your Cat

    • Put the amount of dry food recommended by the food bag out for your cat in the morning. Measure the amount of food left at the end of the day to figure out how much dry food your cat ate that day. Repeat this process for at least a week and calculate the average amount of food your cat eats in a day. Start feeding the average amount daily.

    Weigh Your Cat

    • Weigh your cat once every week to watch for any weight gain or loss. To weigh your cat, first weigh yourself, then weigh yourself holding your cat. Subtract your weight from your weight when holding your cat to get your cat's weight. If your cat's weight is the same each week, you are feeding the correct amount of dry food for his activity level and metabolism. If your cat gains or loses weight, adjust the amount of food you feed accordingly and continue to weigh him weekly until you discover the perfect amount of food to maintain his weight.