When you bring a cat home, the first question that occurred to you is how much I should feed my cat. This question will always remain important due to the fact that a healthy diet will keep your cat healthy.

There are a variety of cat foods available on the market and if you feed the wrong type of food and in the wrong amount it will cause adverse effects on your cat’s health. You can maintain your cat’s health by feeding her a complete and balanced diet.

In this article, you will learn about the feeding guide, the amount of feeding, and other questions related to them.

How much to feed a cat?

The answer to this basic question depends on the number of factors including the cat’s age, weight, type of food, and activity level, food brand, and cat’s health. At some point, high-quality, dense food will be fed in fewer quantities than low-quality food.

Cat feeding guide and schedule

There are three different feeding guidelines or schedules that are followed by feline owners to feed their cats. 

Meal feeding 

In meal feeding, cats are served at specific meal times in the morning and at night. Cats can easily adopt this system. In the scheduled feeding, fill the bowl with food and then wait thirty minutes and then remove the bowl.

The benefit of this method is that you will learn about your cat’s appetite and your cat’s feeding behavior.

Free feeding 

In the free feeding method, cats have food in their bowl all the time, and cats eat their food according to their schedule. In free feeding, only dry food is fed because you cannot leave wet food throughout the day.

If your cat leaves food in its bowl daily, it is important to throw away the previous food to maintain its freshness. The only downside to free-feeding is that it will lead to overeating and obesity.

Combination feeding

In mixed feeding, we feed both dry and canned foods. Dry foods are available all the time, and canned foods are given twice a day. The advantage of combined feeding is that a cat can eat several small meals per day on its schedule.

Like free feeding, the only downside to combined feeding is that it will cause obesity in cats.

How much should I feed my cat in grams?

According to the Animal Feeding Health Line Guide, an 8-pound adult cat requires 240 calories per day. A common formula for calculating the amount of cat food is 100 × Weight kg 0.67 kcal per day.

For the most part, commercial food companies, whether dry or wet food, provide the detail of the amount of food on their labels based on the weight and age of cats.

On an average an adult 8-pound (3.6 kg) cat requires 

  • 50- 80 grams of dry food
  • 150-250 grams of wet food 
  • 100-250 grams of raw food

Read more here for a feeding guide for our cat food, under “feeding guide”

How much to feed a cat on a diet?

An overweight cat will lie flat all day and will only get up to eat. To maintain an ideal cat body weight, you must change its diet and lifestyle completely.

Calories need for maintenance

As you know, an adult cat requires 30 calories per pound (450 grams) of its body weight.

For example, if your cat weighs 10 pounds (4.5 kg), you will feed approximately 200 calories to maintain her weight.

How much and how often should I feed my cat?

The amount and frequency of food depend on the age and health status of cats and the type of food.

Age 

Kittens require more food per pound of their body weight compared to adult cats because of their growth and excessive activity level. 

Kittens up to six months of age need three meals a day, while cats older than this do well on a two-time feeding schedule. Older cats over the age of seven should also follow the same feeding regimen.

Health status of the cat

If your cat suffers from any health problem, you will feed the cat according to her requirements. If your cat suffers from diabetes, try feeding him a diet that has increased protein and low carbohydrates. Insulin is also necessary to be administered in conjunction with a controlled diet.

Cats suffering from hyperthyroidism are always hungry and want to eat all the time. It is beneficial to feed a high carbohydrate diet in the hyperthyroid cat because it will provide a feeling of satiety.

Type of food

Dry food is less expensive and most cat owners only feed them for their convenience, but dry food is only fine as long as it is balanced and complete. Like our Complete Cat food, which is made to sustain your feline’s razor-sharp mental alertness and cognitive health, it has a unique brain-boosting combination of plant-based fatty acids. These also give puss a beautiful coat that it will no doubt groom while sitting on your keyboard or newspaper. To control furballs we’ve included fibre and paraffin to prevent hair clumping and keep everything passing through their system smoothly. To support urinary tract health we keep magnesium levels low and add in blueberries and cranberries.

How much it cost to feed a cat in Australia?

Cats require two meals per day that makes it easy to keep the cat on a normal budget. In Australia, you will need $800 to feed your furry companion throughout the year. 

This cost does not include the treats and the reward cost. Other expenses like veterinary bills, pet insurance, and litter box will cost you another $800 a year.

Final words 

If you love your cat, it does not mean that you will give her an unlimited amount of food. How much to feed a cat depends on your cat’s body score if you feed too much, your cat will gain weight, and if you feed too little, your cat will lose weight.

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