How much food to give your cat?

 Feeding your cat well requires the establishment of good habits and compliance with certain recommendations. If quality is essential, quantity is another criterion to be followed scrupulously. However, this necessary amount evolves during the life of the cat.

 

Cat nutrition: why is quantity important?

The cat is a snacking animal, that is, it is not satisfied with one or two large meals a day like the dog, but needs to regularly eat small amounts of kibble throughout the day. Nevertheless, it is not a question of leaving him a random amount of food available, but of distributing the ration necessary to cover his nutritional needs within his reach, without excess or lack.

Indeed, the amount of food is an essential criterion for the well-being and health of the cat. However, you should know that the amount a cat needs varies according to several elements, such as its breed, weight, state of health, physical expenses, and that it evolves over its life according to its age.

Why respect the daily food quantities necessary for the cat? Simply because when the diet is distributed in too large quantities, the cat ingests too much caloric intake, which inevitably causes overweight, or even obesity. However, these problems are far from trivial and should not be reduced to simple aesthetic inconveniences, because they are at the origin of many serious health problems. Indeed, cats suffering from overweight or obesity can develop diabetes, suffer from cardiovascular disorders and bone and joint pathologies. However, out of 11 million cats in France, nearly 15% are obese, or about 1.6 million, not counting those who are overweight.

To know if your cat is properly fed, it is enough to first observe it. Its silhouette must be harmonious, without palpable fat in its abdomen. Nevertheless, thinness should also be avoided. If you feel his spine or ribs when you stroke him, it is because he does not eat enough – except when the animal is sick.

In addition, you can weigh your cat regularly – once a month on average – to check that her weight is maintained. Have your veterinarian evaluate your ideal weight and then make sure to respect it. 

It is essential to offer your cat a quality, balanced and healthy diet. If quantity is an essential notion, so is quality. For this, we strongly recommend that you buy your cat's diet from the veterinarian or pet store. Avoid products from supermarkets. Of course, they are less expensive to buy, but they are composed of low-quality ingredients (protein from animal waste and not pieces of meat for example) and poorly proportioned. Not very satiating, your cat needs to eat more to be full, which increases the risk of obesity, but also nutritional deficiencies, then causing the occurrence of many other diseases. You will therefore have much more veterinary costs to assume.

Conversely, a quality diet costs more to buy, but a bag of kibble will last you much longer and will cover the nutritional needs of your little companion on a daily basis. Composed of first-class ingredients, it naturally ensures the health and well-being of your little kitty.

How much food for a kitten?

The kitten is in full growth phase, a decisive period for its development. He must therefore ingest a certain amount of food every day in order to receive all the nutrients his body needs, especially to build and strengthen his bones and musculature.

The kitten has significant dietary needs. You have several solutions to distribute them to him, adapting to what best suits your little kitty:

a food that is permanently available, by paying it at once the amount necessary for the day;
access to his ration for a fixed period;
the distribution of split meals according to its age, that is to say (according to the recommendations of the manufacturer of the product):
for a kitten from 4 to 6 months: 4 meals of 55 g to 60 g per day;
for a kitten from 6 to 8 months: 3 meals of 60 g to 75 g per day;
for a kitten over 8 months: 2 meals of 100 g per day.
It is recommended to give your kitten a dedicated diet for this age. To respect the necessary quantities, which may vary depending on the products, always refer to the manufacturer's instructions.

How much food for an adult cat?

Between 10 and 12 months, sometimes before according to the advice of your veterinarian, it is time to switch to an adult diet. The nutritional needs of your little companion have indeed evolved.

It should be noted, however, that your pet is unique. As a result, if you have to rely on the recommended data on the packaging of kibble, a small margin of adaptation is possible to meet the needs of your cat. Indeed, if your cat spends little, he needs to eat less than a kitty who spends daily outside.

The adult phase of your cat's life is subject to many variations that affect the amount of food it needs. 

How much food for a healthy adult cat?

A healthy adult cat that eats only kibble needs a certain ration depending on its weight. A 3 kg cat needs about 40 g of kibble per day, but it takes 50 g for a 4 kg cat or 60 g for a 5 kg cat.

If, on the other hand, he is fed kibble and pâtée, it will be necessary to distribute his rations differently, for example at the rate of 10 g of kibble and 1 sachet and a half of pâtée per day for a cat of 3 kg, 20 g of kibble and 1 sachet 1/2 of pâtée per day for a cat of 4 kg or 15 g of croquettes and 2 sachets of pâtée per day for a cat of 5 kg. However, these are indications, which may vary depending on the recommendations of your veterinarian.

As with the kitten, you can distribute his diet in different ways:

self-service, which is the most suitable solution for cats capable of rationing themselves;
in the form of meals, at the rate of one ration in the morning and another in the evening;
in the form of a snack, in the form of small portions spread over the day, a solution that is primarily suitable for overweight cats.
Apart from these recommendations for a healthy adult cat, it is necessary to adapt the amounts according to the events that are likely to occur during the life of your cat.

How much food for a pregnant cat?

The pregnant cat has greater nutritional needs in order to cover the new intake necessary for the development of her young. In particular, it needs more protein and fat. Quality kitten feeding is the most ideal.

Make a smooth transition by gradually increasing the share of kitten feeding and reducing that of conventional adult cat feeding over several days, in order to avoid digestive disorders.

Each week, increase the mother-to-be's ration by about 10% throughout her pregnancy to meet her new needs and those of her litter.

How much food for a nursing cat?

Offer the nursing cat the same diet that you gave her during her pregnancy. She must be able to feed herself at will with a high-quality kitten feed in order to have enough nutritious milk for her young. In addition, kittens will be able to start consuming the same diet as their mother when weaning begins.

When the kittens have reached the age of 8 weeks and are weaned, you can make a smooth transition to the classic adult cat diet of the cat.

How much food for a neutered cat?

After sterilization, the cat sees its energy needs reduced by about 15% to 25%, due to hormonal disturbances caused and the decrease in physical activity. It is therefore necessary to offer him a neutered cat food, lighter.

It takes an average of 50 g to 70 g per day for a cat of 3 kg.

Sterilization tends to make cats more greedy, even if it's not a generality. To avoid the risks of overweight and obesity, you can split the daily ration of your neutered cat into several small meals if you find that he cannot ration himself.

How much food for an elderly cat?

From 8 to 10 years old, the cat becomes senior. His physical activity decreases, as does his ability to digest certain elements such as fats and proteins, which requires a new diet. This food for elderly cat makes it possible to cover his new energy needs, but also to better protect him against certain diseases (diabetes, urinary disorders, etc.). In addition, it is more digestible and easier to swallow for its teeth that weaken.

Be careful, however, not to change his eating rituals. Keep the same frequency of distribution of meals so as not to disturb it, but reduce the quantities according to the manufacturer's recommendations, at the rate of about 50 g to 65 g per day for quality feeding.

Again, prefer to make a smooth transition from his adult cat diet to that of the elderly cat in order to avoid digestive disorders.