Pet Food Portion Calculator: Daily Amount for Dogs and Cats
Enter your pet’s weight, life stage and the calories printed on the food. You get a starting daily amount in grams or cups, the amount per meal and a treat budget, with the formula and the sources shown below
About Your Pet
Pregnant, nursing, sick or recovering animals are not covered: ask your veterinarian
Weigh your pet on a scale, ideally at the same time of day
Valid range: 1.1–220 lb
Calorie statements are not required everywhere; if the label has none, ask the manufacturer
Valid range: 500–7,000 kcal per kg
Switching between kcal/kg and kcal/100 g converts your number. Kcal per cup resets it, because a cup has no fixed weight.
The daily amount is split evenly
Valid range: 1–6
Percent of daily calories. Leave 0 if you feed none.
Valid range: 0–50 %
A starting point: weigh your pet every few weeks and adjust with your veterinarian if weight or body condition drifts.
A starting estimate for a healthy animal, not veterinary advice. Adjust with your veterinarian by tracking weight and body condition.
Estimate, Not Veterinary Advice
This page applies a published energy formula to the numbers you type. It cannot see your pet’s health, breed, activity, medication or the real calories in the bowl. Do not use it for pregnant or nursing animals, sick or recovering pets, or any pet on a prescription diet; ask your veterinarian. Seek advice if your pet loses or gains weight quickly, stops eating, or you are unsure about the right amount. The tool shows “—” instead of a number when an input is outside the allowed range.
How to use it
- Pick dog or cat, then Metric or US units.
- Choose the life stage that fits. For a weight-loss plan, enter the ideal weight your veterinarian gave you.
- Enter your pet’s weight and the calories of the food, read from the label (kcal per kg is the most common).
- Set the number of meals and, if you feed treats, their share of the day’s calories.
- Read the daily amount, then check it against the feeding guide on the bag and weigh your pet regularly.
Worked example
A neutered adult dog of 44 lb (19.96 kg) on a food with 3,600 kcal/kg. Resting energy is 70 × 19.96^0.75 = about 661 kcal. With the midpoint factor 1.5 the target is about 991 kcal a day, which is about 275 g of that food, or about 138 g in each of 2 meals. The published factor range (1.4–1.6) gives 257–294 g. If the dog starts gaining weight on this amount, ask your veterinarian before cutting.
Why this tool exists and where its numbers come from
Owners need a starting daily amount of food from a pet's weight and life stage. The tool applies the resting-energy formula and life-stage multipliers published in the AAHA 2021 guidelines; individual animals vary, so adjust by body condition and ask your vet.
Sources
For the full method, see the Methodology section just below.
Methodology
The tool takes two steps. First the resting energy requirement: RER = 70 × body weight (kg)0.75 kcal per day. Then the daily energy target = RER × life-stage factor. The factors come from Box 1 of the 2021 AAHA Nutrition and Weight Management Guidelines. For dogs: 1.4–1.6 neutered adult, 1.6–1.8 intact adult, 1.0–1.2 inactive or prone to gain, 3.0 puppy under 4 months, 2.0 from 4 months, 1.0 weight loss. For cats: 1.2–1.4 neutered, 1.4–1.6 intact, 1.0 inactive, 2.5 kitten, 0.8 weight loss. Where AAHA prints a range, the headline uses the midpoint and the range is shown beside it. The energy is then turned into food: grams per day = energy target × (1 − treat share) ÷ kcal per gram of food, divided by the number of meals. For weight loss the formula uses the ideal weight, as AAHA instructs. Inputs outside the allowed ranges (dogs 0.5–100 kg, cats 0.5–12 kg, food 500–7,000 kcal per kg) show “—” instead of a number.
Sources and documentation
The energy formula and the life-stage factors come from the first two entries. The rest give context on body condition, treats, labels and other formulas. Pages were checked in October 2026; guidelines get updated, so check the originals.
- AAHA 2021 Nutrition and Weight Management Guidelines: Box 1Box 1, “Energy Requirement Calculations”: RER formula and the life-stage factors used here.
- AAHA 2021: Weight reduction in the obese petWeight-reduction page: weight-loss calculations are based on ideal weight.
- MSD Veterinary Manual: Daily Maintenance Energy Requirements for Dogs and CatsTable of daily maintenance energy requirements for dogs and cats; calculated intake is only a starting point.
- WSAVA Global Nutrition GuidelinesToolkit with body and muscle condition charts, calorie-needs charts and label guides.
- Body Condition Score chart for dogs and cats (WSAVA file, hosted by Ohio State University)The 9-point body condition scale: 5 is ideal for cats, 4–5 for dogs (chart hosted by Ohio State University).
- WSAVA: Feeding treats to your dogOwner guide for dogs: treats no more than 10% of daily calories, never a meal replacement.
- WSAVA: Feeding treats to your catOwner guide for cats: treats no more than 10% of daily calories, never a meal replacement.
- FEDIAF Nutritional Guidelines 2025European nutritional guidelines for complete pet foods; a different reference-intake approach, shown for context only.
- AAFCO: Calories in pet foodExplains calorie statements on labels (kcal per kg and per cup) and why the vet estimates individual needs.
- Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats (NRC, 2006)Reference book for dog and cat nutrient requirements (National Academies Press, 2006).
- MAPA, Instrução Normativa nº 30/2009: rotulagem de alimentos para animais de companhiaBrazilian labeling rules for pet food, including the recommended consumption range on the pack (in Portuguese).
Dog portions by weight, and a weight-loss case
Values from the tool for a neutered adult dog on a food with 3,600 kcal/kg, two meals and no treats. Heavier dogs need more food, but not in proportion: doubling the weight raises the energy by about 68%, because of the 0.75 exponent.
| Dog weight | Resting energy (RER) | Daily energy target | Food per day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 kg (11 lb) | 234 kcal | 351 kcal | 98 g |
| 10 kg (22 lb) | 394 kcal | 590 kcal | 164 g |
| 20 kg (44 lb) | 662 kcal | 993 kcal | 276 g |
| 30 kg (66 lb) | 897 kcal | 1346 kcal | 374 g |
| 40 kg (88 lb) | 1113 kcal | 1670 kcal | 464 g |
A real-life case. Dana’s cat Biscuit weighs 6.2 kg, and her veterinarian names 4.8 kg as the ideal weight. On the weight-loss factor 0.8, the resting energy for 4.8 kg is 227 kcal and the target is 182 kcal a day. Dana feeds a 3,900 kcal/kg food in 2 meals and keeps treats at 10%, which is 18 kcal. That leaves about 42 g of food a day, or 21 g per meal (47 g a day with no treats at all). Using today’s 6.2 kg by mistake would give 220 kcal and 51 g, about 21% too much for a cat that needs to lose weight. This is a starting estimate, not a diet plan: the pace and the check-ups belong to the veterinarian.
Handy for Measured Feeding
Three practical items for feeding the same amount every day
Etekcity Food Kitchen Scale, Digital Grams and Ounces, 11 lb, Tare Function, 304 Stainless Steel
A digital scale that reads in grams and ounces and has a tare function, according to the listing. Weighing a portion in grams is easier to repeat than a scoop, and it is the unit this page gives you.
IRIS USA Airtight Pet Food Storage Rolling Container, 30 lb Capacity, Black
A rolling container with an airtight seal and 30 lb (about 13.6 kg) capacity, per the listing. Keep the bag’s label or batch code with it, so you can still look up the calories later.
VOLUAS Automatic Cat Feeder, 4L Timed Dry Food Dispenser for Cats & Dogs
A timed dry-food dispenser with programmable portions and up to 4 meals a day, per the listing. It repeats the amount you set, so enter the grams from this page and check what it really delivers.
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Frequently asked questions
How much should I feed my dog or cat each day? ▼
It depends on weight, life stage and the energy of the food. A neutered 44 lb (19.96 kg) dog on a 3,600 kcal/kg food comes to about 991 kcal, or about 275 g a day. A neutered 4.5 kg cat on a 3,800 kcal/kg food comes to about 281 kcal, or about 74 g. Treat the result as a starting point, compare it with the feeding guide on the bag, and adjust by watching weight and body condition.
Why does the calculator ask for the calories of the food? ▼
Foods differ widely in energy, so grams alone mean little. The same 281 kcal is 74 g of a 3,800 kcal/kg food but 78 g of a 3,600 kcal/kg food. Calorie statements are not mandatory everywhere: AAFCO’s Model Pet Food Regulations call for them and states are adopting them gradually. If your bag has no figure, ask the manufacturer rather than guessing.
How many treats are acceptable? ▼
WSAVA’s owner guides say treats should be no more than 10% of daily calories and should not replace a meal. For the 281 kcal cat above that is about 28 kcal. Enter your treat share and the tool lowers the food amount to make room, and it warns you above 10%.
Is the result safe for puppies, kittens or a weight-loss plan? ▼
The tool uses the AAHA growth factors (3.0 for a dog under 4 months, 2.0 from 4 months, 2.5 for kittens) and the weight-loss factors (1.0 dogs, 0.8 cats) on ideal weight. An 8 kg puppy of 4 months or more on a 3,800 kcal/kg food comes to about 666 kcal and 175 g. Growth and weight loss are where mistakes cost the most, so use the figure to talk with a veterinarian rather than to act alone.
When should I skip the calculator and call a veterinarian? ▼
For pregnant or nursing animals, illness, recovery after surgery, a prescription diet, quick weight change, or loss of appetite. A veterinarian can also score body condition on the 9-point WSAVA scale, where 5 is ideal for cats and 4–5 for dogs, which says more about your pet than any formula.