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 Real Chicken Recipe Grain-Free is one of the more calorie-dense dry cat foods we track: at 505 kcal per cup it has more energy than 85% of the 55 dry cat foods in our list. You will pour less of it than you might expect.
To show how much the food matters: a 10 lb spayed or neutered cat needs about 261 kcal a day. That is ½ cup of this food, but ⅜ cup of Purina Pro Plan Kitten Complete Essentials Chicken & Rice and ⅞ cup of Kirkland Signature Healthy Weight. Same cat, same day, very different scoops.
A level 8 oz measuring cup holds about 117 g of this kibble. If you have kitchen scales, weighing is more accurate than scooping, because a heaped cup holds noticeably more than a level one.
Instinct Original Real Chicken Recipe Grain-Free feeding chart
Daily amounts for healthy adult cats with no treats, from the label calories and the AAHA 2021 energy factors. Split the amount into meals.
| Weight | Lazy indoor | Spayed or neutered | Intact |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 lb 2.3 kg | ¼ cup30 g | ¼ cup36 g | ⅜ cup42 g |
| 6 lb 2.7 kg | ¼ cup34 g | ⅜ cup41 g | ⅜ cup48 g |
| 8 lb 3.6 kg | ⅜ cup43 g | ⅜ cup51 g | ½ cup60 g |
| 10 lb 4.5 kg | ⅜ cup51 g | ½ cup61 g | ⅝ cup71 g |
| 12 lb 5.4 kg | ½ cup58 g | ⅝ cup70 g | ¾ cup81 g |
| 14 lb 6.4 kg | ½ cup65 g | ⅝ cup78 g | ¾ cup91 g |
| 16 lb 7.3 kg | ⅝ cup72 g | ¾ cup86 g | ⅞ cup101 g |
Label values: 505 kcal per cup, 4,300 kcal per kg. Source: chewy.com, checked 18 Oct 2026.
Questions
How much Instinct Original Real Chicken Recipe Grain-Free should I feed a 10 lb cat?
About ½ cup or 61 g a day for a spayed or neutered cat, before treats. That is 261 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 Real Chicken Recipe Grain-Free?
The label states 505 kcal per cup, 4,300 kcal per kg (checked 18 Oct 2026). Recipes change, so check your bag.