General Cat Care and Tips

Cat Feeding Basics: How much should you feed your big cat?

Bringing a cat into your home is an exciting experience. Many people around the world enjoy their large domestic cats. However, you need to know how to care for them once you bring them home. You have all the supplies you need, now you may be wondering how and what to feed your big cat.

How much should I feed my big cat?

How much do you feed your big cat?


According to the Animal Medical Center in New York, a healthy, active 8-pound adult cat requires about 30 calories per pound per day.


Using that as a guide I have created this table that shows you how much to feed your adult large cat by weight. This is a guide and you may need to adjust based on the activity of your cat.

8 Pound Cats240 Calories per Day
9 Pound Cats270Calories per Day
10 Pound Cats300 Calories per Day
11 Pound Cats330 Calories per Day
12 Pound Cats360 Calories per Day
13 Pound Cats390 Calories per Day
14 Pound Cats420 Calories per Day
15 Pound Cats450 Calories per Day
16 Pound Cats480 Calories per Day
17 Pound Cats510 Calories per Day
18 Pound Cats540 Calories per Day
19 Pound Cats570 Calories per Day
20 Pound Cats600 Calories per Day
21 Pound Cats630 Calories per Day
22 Pound Cats660 Calories per Day
23 Pound Cats690 Calories per Day
24 Pound Cats720 Calories per Day
25 Pound Cats750 Calories per Day

You will have to figure out how many calories each serving of the food you choose is. Cat food vaires in calorie content just like human food does. The back of your bag should give you an idea of how many calories are per serving.

However, it is not required so your choice of food may not have that information. If you run into this, a simple online search can usually get you the information you are looking for.

How often should I feed my big cat?


Kittens, age 0-1 year, should be fed two or three times a day. However, once your cat has reached the year mark you can start feeding them less, usually one to two times a day.


Kittens will eat more than an adult cat, they are growing and they burn the calories from their food faster. Large Kittens, who will become large cats will need almost twice as much food as the same adult cat. That does not mean to overfeed them. In the wild cats will eat bugs, and small game thoughout the day. Allowing your cat consistant access to food can work if you have had your cat since they were young and is a great option if you notice your cat not wanting to eat right away.

You also need to pay attention to your cat, large cats do need more food then smaller cats, so if you have both large and small cats in the home you want to be sure your large cat is getting enough food, while your small cat is not eating too much. If you can, feed them separately to avoid this issue.

If your large cat is starting to look like it’s not getting enough food, increase the amount a little each week until they start to look healthy. If, after doing this for a couple of weeks you don’t see improvement be sure to make an apointment with your vet. They can tell you if your cat needs more food, or if something else is wrong.

What should I feed my big cat?

There is a debate from cat owners as to whether dry or wet food is best. The truth is feeding both to your cat is the best thing to do. You just have to make sure you not overfeeding your cat. As long as you follow the guide above you should be fine feeding your cat both.

A new trend in cat food is providing food that is closer to what your cat would eat in the wild. That means whole chunks of meat and veggies. There is food out there that provides this type of whole diet. However, you can also make your own if you would like. You can find some great homemade cat food recipes here.

How much should you feed your big cat?

Why should you add wet food to your large cat’s diet?

Cats need moisture that wet food provides. When drinking from a dish or fountain a cat only gets about 3/100 of a teaspoon with each lap. However, when eating wet food they are able to get moisture from that as well.

When it comes to feeding your large cat you want to make sure you are giving them the best food you can, monitoring how much they eat and making sure that the recoomended amount is enough for them. Some cats are more active then others and they may reqire more food.

Your cat will let you know if that is the case, they will tell you by bothering you about it or you can pay attention to how they look. Underfed cats will have a very skiny look to them. If you do notice your cat does eat but isn’t a healthy size you will want to talk to your vet.

Owning a large cat is an experance. They have amazing personalities and are wonderful pets for the right person.