How much cat food a cat can eat in a day? I believe that many masters are not very clear about the answer to this question. Today I will take you to understand the calculation methods of cat food intake at various stages, so that you can have an accurate answer to how much cat food your cat can eat in a day.
The formula for calculating how much cat food a cat can eat in a day
The calculation formula is universal, you only need to know the relevant value, and then you can easily calculate the cat food weight that your cat needs every day through the formula. First of all, we need to know how much energy is contained in the cat food or canned food we are using. Generally, the energy value is marked on the ingredient list of canned cat food and cat food packaging bags, for example: 375kcal/100g, 3750kcal/1kg and other similar words.
After knowing the energy value of cat food, you also need to know two values, one is the weight, and the other is the cat’s daily calorie requirement. For example, the calorie requirement of a 10-month cat is 80kcal/kg. The final formula is as follows:
The weight of cat food consumed by cats each day (g) = (weight * daily calorie requirement) / cat food energy value
Suppose I have a 10-month-old cat weighing 2.5kg, and the energy value of cat food consumed by the cat is 375kcal/100g, then the calculation result is as follows:
(2.5kg*80kcal/kg)/375kcal/100g=53g
So I have to feed the cat three times a day with 18g of cat food each time, for a total of 53g. This formula is more reliable. This formula is more reliable. It can be increased or decreased according to the cat’s weight. Next, let’s talk about the amount of energy a cat needs every day in each growth stage and how to ensure that the cat has a balanced intake of nutrients.
Kitten
Kittens will start weaning after 4 weeks of birth. Cats in the weaning period need to gradually adapt to drinking water from a basin. You can buy some kitten products to help them adapt to new eating methods under the advice of a doctor.
Cats from 3 to 4 months old have been completely weaned. At this time, they can consume kitten food by themselves. The recommended daily intake is 250kcal/kg. When choosing cat food, pay attention to nutritional balance and ensure that nutrients such as protein, fat, and vitamins are included in the cat food. Due to the small stomach capacity of kittens at this stage, they should eat less and more meals during feeding, which can be fed 4-5 times a day.
The size and weight of cats aged 5 to 7 months have changed drastically compared to a few months ago. At this time, cats will still maintain high nutrition and high-frequency intake, and they will eat more and more, with a daily nutrient intake of 130kcal/kg.
The daily energy intake of 8-month-old cats is 100ckal/kg. The feeding method of kittens at this stage can gradually transition to the feeding method of adult cats. The number of feedings can be reduced by 1-2 times a day (maintain 3 or 2 feedings a day), and the kitten food should be changed to adult cats. grain. The transition method is very simple. In the beginning, add a little adult cat food to kitten food, and then gradually increase the amount of adult cat food mixed into it, so that the cat’s stomach can gradually adapt to the adult cat food.
When the cat is 9-11 months old, it can already eat adult cat food. At this time, it needs to consume 70~80kcal/kg of energy every day, and its exercise ability is also increasing, and it will become very fond of exercise.
Adult cat
For a long time over one year old belongs to adulthood, and the personalities of each cat will gradually show up. Some cats are less active, so an energy intake of 60kcal/kg per day is recommended. This intake will not make the cat overweight or feel hungry. If your cat is very lively and runs around the house every day, the recommended daily energy intake is 80kcal/kg. The calorie intake of other cats can be controlled at about 70kcal/kg.
In the process of accompanying the cat, we must observe its living habits and physical condition, and carefully observe the condition of its drinking, nutrient intake, defecation and other aspects. Because cats are very fragile, but they have strong tolerance, when the symptoms appear, they are already in a more serious state.
Pregnant cat
The female cat may become pregnant after mating, and the cat may lose appetite a few days after conception, and have a little vomiting symptom, and then no longer estrus, this proves that the cat is pregnant. Cats eat more during pregnancy. At this time, the cat food you choose should be high-protein, high-calcium, and vitamin-rich foods, such as eggs, vegetables that cats can eat, cooked meat, prescription food for pregnant cats, etc. It should be noted that do not feed cats high-carbohydrate and high-sugar foods, because these foods will increase the cat’s weight and increase the chance of dystocia.
Old cat
Cats enter old age after the age of eleven. At this stage, the cat’s body functions will gradually decline and the bite ability will become worse and worse, so at this time, the old cat should be fed wet food or small pellets of cat food to make it easier to eat. At the same time, you can also steam some meat to feed it. As time goes by, the amount of food consumed by old cats will get worse, and you should take them to check their bodies regularly to help them spend their old age comfortably.