How Much & How Often Should You Feed Your Cat? (Vet Guide)

For most adult cats in Australia, the daily target is around 50 kcal per kg of ideal body weight.

That translates to roughly 200 kcal a day for an average 4 kg desexed indoor cat — about 50 g of dry cat food, two and a half 85 g wet pouches, or any mix of the two that hits the same calorie number. Active or outdoor cats need more (up to 70 kcal/kg); cats on a weight-loss plan need less (around 35–40 kcal/kg of ideal, not current, weight).

Start with the feeding guide printed on your cat's food packet, weigh out one day's portion on a kitchen scale, then fine-tune based on body condition over the next four to six weeks — not on how loudly your cat asks for breakfast.

This chart is a starting point based on a typical premium Australian adult dry cat food (~380–420 kcal per 100 g). Always cross-check with the feeding guide printed on your specific bag, as calorie density varies between brands and recipes.

A 4 kg indoor, average-activity cat on 65 g a day gets ~32 g morning and ~33 g evening. A study from Cornell University found that owners who eyeball cat portions overfeed by 30% or more on average — a $20 digital kitchen scale solves that overnight.

Feeding wet cat food only? Multiply the dry-food figure by 3.5–4 to get the wet equivalent in grams (wet food is ~75% moisture and far less calorie-dense). For our 4 kg cat on average activity, that's roughly 200–280 g of wet food a day, or 2–3 standard 85 g pouches.

The 4 am yowl, the leg-rub at the kitchen door, the begging at every meal — for most healthy cats, that's a frequency problem, not a quantity problem. Cats evolved to hunt and eat 8–10 small meals a day, so two large bowls 12 hours apart can leave them ravenous in between even when their daily total is correct.

If your adult cat is hassling you between meals, try redistributing the same daily ration into three or four smaller portions. A timed feeder set for a small pre-dawn meal is the single most effective fix for the 4 am wake-up routine. Puzzle feeders and snuffle mats also slow eating, work the brain, and tap into the hunting instinct that bowl-feeding ignores.

Given kittens are in the middle of their biggest growth spurt, they need 2–3 times the calories per kilogram of an adult, plus higher protein, more taurine, more calcium, and DHA for brain and eye development. That's why a kitten food formula (or a quality "all life stages" food) is non-negotiable until 12 months.

Portions depend on the kitten's expected adult weight, not their current weight.

Grams above are total dry kitten food per day at ~400 kcal/100 g. Adjust ± 10% based on body condition.

A few notes for Aussie kitten parents:

• Most cats reach adult frame size by 12 months — that's the time to transition.
• Large and giant breeds (Maine Coon, Ragdoll, Savannah, Norwegian Forest) keep filling out until 18–24 months; stay on kitten or all-life-stages food until your vet says otherwise.
• Weigh weekly. A healthy small or average kitten gains around 100 g a week in the first six months. If growth stalls — or the belly becomes pendulous — adjust by 10% and reweigh in a week.
• Don't diet a kitten without veterinary guidance. Restriction during growth can cause permanent issues with skeleton, immunity and coat.

From around 11 years, two changes quietly stack on top of each other in older cats: sarcopenia (age-related loss of lean muscle), and declining kidney concentration ability. The first means your senior cat needs more high-quality protein, not less — the old "low-protein for seniors" idea has been debunked for over a decade. The second means hydration is suddenly doing real medical work.

Practical rules for the senior years:

• Re-check Body Condition Score every 4–6 weeks — unintentional weight loss is one of the earliest signs of hyperthyroidism, kidney disease and dental pain.
• Choose a senior cat food that's higher in highly digestible animal protein, fortified with omega-3s for joints and cognition, and moderate in phosphorus.
• Lift the wet-food ratio. Most cats over 10 do better on at least 50% of their daily calories from wet food. Warm it slightly to release aromas — fussy senior eaters will often accept warm wet food when they refuse it cold.
• Consider a pet water fountain or two extra water bowls placed away from the food, and at least one upstairs if you're in a multi-level home.
• Split the daily total into three smaller meals if your senior is grazing or vomiting — older guts handle smaller portions better.
• For more on choosing a quality, highly digestible food with real meat and an appropriate life-stage profile, see our vet's guide to the best cat food brands in Australia.

For cats, mixing wet and dry is a hydration strategy. Cats evolved to get most of their water from prey, and they're notoriously bad at drinking enough to make up the shortfall when fed dry-only. That low-grade dehydration is one of the reasons feline lower urinary tract disease is so common in Australian indoor cats.

Quick conversion: roughly 100 g of wet food ≈ 25–30 g of dry food in calories.

So if your cat normally eats 60 g of dry food a day, you could swap one of those meals for an 85 g wet pouch and keep the other 30 g dry meal as is. A vet-favourite routine for an average adult cat: dry food in the morning (often left in a puzzle feeder for slow grazing), a wet pouch in the evening for hydration and palatability. Fresh water on offer 24/7 in a wide, shallow ceramic bowl — placed away from the food bowl and litter tray, which cats instinctively avoid.

Treats, dental sticks, lickable tubes, freeze-dried meat toppers, and the rind off your bacon all count. The rule: treats should make up no more than 10% of daily calories.

For our 4 kg indoor cat on a 200 kcal/day target, that's about 20 kcal in treats — roughly:

• 2–3 small dental treats, or
• One full lickable wet treat tube, or
• A small pinch of freeze-dried chicken / salmon, or
• A 1 cm cube of cooked plain chicken breast

Every time you hand a treat over, subtract a roughly equivalent amount from the next meal. The single most common cause of slow weight creep we see in Aussie indoor cats isn't the main meal — it's the daily collection of "just one tiny treat" moments, especially when more than one person in the house is feeding the cat. A whiteboard on the fridge with daily treats ticked off works better than you'd think.

Can I free-feed my cat? 

For most cats — especially indoor and desexed cats — free-feeding leads to slow weight gain and makes it impossible to spot appetite changes, which are often the first sign of illness. A small minority of cats genuinely self-regulate, but they're rare. Scheduled meals are the safer default.

Should I leave dry food out all day? 

When feeding dry food, you can leave a measured portion of the day's allowance out in a puzzle feeder for grazing if your cat prefers that — just measure it at the start of the day so the total doesn't quietly climb. What you shouldn't do is top up the bowl on demand.

How do I know if I'm feeding the right amount? 

You can determine if you're feeding the right amount by assessing your cat's body condition. You should feel ribs easily without padding, and see an hourglass waist from above. Adjust portions by ~10% at a time and recheck in two weeks.

Can my cat drink cow's milk?

Cats can't drink cow's milk. Almost all adult cats are lactose-intolerant, and cow's milk causes diarrhoea, gas and dehydration. If you want to give a milky treat, use a commercial cat milk made from lactose-reduced or plant-based ingredients, and count it toward the 10% treat allowance.

My cat is always hungry — am I underfeeding? 

When a cat is showing hunger signs, it's usually it's habit, boredom or learned behaviour rather than true hunger, particularly in indoor cats. Try splitting the same daily ration into more, smaller meals, add a puzzle feeder, and play with a wand toy before meals to mimic hunting. If the hunger is sudden, paired with weight loss, or your cat is over 10, book a vet check — hyperthyroidism and diabetes both cause ravenous appetite alongside weight loss.

How do I feed multiple cats with different weights? 

If you have a multi-cat household, try feeding them in separate rooms (or at opposite ends of a room) for 15 minutes per meal, then pick up bowls. Cats are happy to time-share space if the food disappears between meals. For cats on different diets — for example one on a prescription urinary food — a microchip-activated feeder is the cleanest solution and one of the best welfare investments in a multi-cat home.

Feeding your cat the right amount, at the right frequency, is one of the simplest yet most important ways to support their long-term health and wellbeing. By understanding their natural eating behaviour and adjusting portions based on age, lifestyle, and body condition, you can help prevent common issues like obesity and poor nutrition.

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach—what matters most is consistency, observation, and making small adjustments as your cat’s needs change. With a balanced diet, structured feeding routine, and regular vet guidance, you can ensure your cat stays healthy, satisfied, and thriving at every life stage.

Want to learn more about how to choose the best cat food? Check out our vet-approved guide to the best cat food brands in Australia.

This article was written by Dr. Jack Ayerbe

FEDIAF Nutritional Guidelines – science-backed standards for pet food formulation and energy requirements. Available at https://fediaf.org/self-regulation/nutrition/

International Cat Care (iCatCare) – globally recognised feline welfare organisation providing practical feeding advice. Available at https://icatcare.org/advice/feeding-your-cat/