The maths, with your numbers
No guesswork and no brand chart. This is the same calculation a vet does on paper, so you can check it.
What this means for the bowl
Instinct Original Grain-Free Pate Real Chicken Recipe Wet Kitten Food is one of the more calorie-dense wet cat foods we track: at 1,470 kcal per kg it has more energy than 100% of the 42 wet cat foods in our list. You will pour less of it than you might expect.
To show how much the food matters: a 4 lb kitten needs about 274 kcal a day. That is 1 ¼ × 5.5 oz can of this food, but 1 ¼ × 5.5 oz can of Instinct Original Grain-Free Pate Real Chicken Recipe Wet Kitten Food and 3 × 5.1 oz can of Royal Canin Feline Weight Care Thin Slices in Gravy. Same cat, same day, very different bowls.
Wet food is mostly water. Gram for gram, the average dry cat food in our list has about 2.6 times the calories of this one, which is why the wet portion looks so much bigger.
Kittens need about two and a half times their resting energy until they are a year old. The Merck Veterinary Manual notes that kittens can also be fed free choice. If you portion meals, weigh your kitten weekly and recalculate.
Instinct Original Grain-Free Pate Real Chicken Recipe Wet Kitten Food feeding chart
Daily amounts for growing kittens with no treats, from the label calories and the AAHA 2021 energy factors. Split the amount into meals.
| Weight | Kitten |
|---|---|
| 1 lb 0.5 kg | ½ × 5.5 oz can66 g |
| 2 lb 0.9 kg | ¾ × 5.5 oz can111 g |
| 3 lb 1.4 kg | 1 × 5.5 oz can150 g |
| 4 lb 1.8 kg | 1 ¼ × 5.5 oz can186 g |
| 5 lb 2.3 kg | 1 ½ × 5.5 oz can220 g |
| 6 lb 2.7 kg | 1 ½ × 5.5 oz can252 g |
| 8 lb 3.6 kg | 2 × 5.5 oz can313 g |
Label values: 1,470 kcal per kg, 229 kcal per 5.5 oz can. Source: thatpetplace.com, checked 18 Oct 2026.
Questions
How much Instinct Original Grain-Free Pate Real Chicken Recipe Wet Kitten Food should I feed a 4 lb kitten?
About 1 ¼ × 5.5 oz can or 186 g a day for a kitten, before treats. That is 274 kcal a day divided by the food’s label value. Use the calculator above to adjust for your pet.
How many calories are in Instinct Original Grain-Free Pate Real Chicken Recipe Wet Kitten Food?
The label states 1,470 kcal per kg, 229 kcal per 5.5 oz can (checked 18 Oct 2026). Recipes change, so check your bag.