Find your kitten’s weight today, not the adult weight. The cups are for a typical dry kitten food: the middle value of the 7 US kitten foods in our list, 518 kcal per cup (4,075 kcal per kg). Your own food may be richer or lighter, so for its exact amount use the kitten calculator or one of the food pages below.
| Weight today | Kitten (up to 12 months) |
|---|---|
| 1 lb 0.5 kg | ⅛ cup24 g · 97 kcal |
| 2 lb 0.9 kg | ⅜ cup40 g · 163 kcal |
| 3 lb 1.4 kg | ⅜ cup54 g · 220 kcal |
| 4 lb 1.8 kg | ½ cup67 g · 274 kcal |
| 5 lb 2.3 kg | ⅝ cup79 g · 323 kcal |
| 6 lb 2.7 kg | ¾ cup91 g · 371 kcal |
| 7 lb 3.2 kg | ¾ cup102 g · 416 kcal |
| 8 lb 3.6 kg | ⅞ cup113 g · 460 kcal |
Daily totals with no treats. Split into meals. Worked out from resting energy (70 × kg0.75) and the AAHA 2021 growth factors.
How often to feed
Kittens grow fastest in their first months and 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 weekly and move up a row as they grow.
Kitten foods with exact charts
- Purina Pro Plan Kitten Complete Essentials Chicken & Rice
- Purina ONE +Plus Healthy Kitten Chicken
- Hill's Science Diet Kitten Chicken Recipe
- Royal Canin Kitten
- Purina Pro Plan Kitten Sensitive Skin & Stomach Salmon & Rice
- Meow Mix Kitten Li'l Nibbles
- Iams Proactive Health Kitten - Healthy Development, Chicken
- Blue Buffalo Tastefuls Kitten Natural Chicken & Brown Rice
- Royal Canin Kitten
- Purina Pro Plan Kitten Healthy Start Chicken
- Hill's Science Plan Kitten with Chicken
- James Wellbeloved Kitten Turkey
Sources
- AAHA. 2021 Nutrition and Weight Management Guidelines for Dogs and Cats.
- Merck Veterinary Manual. Daily maintenance energy requirements for dogs and cats.