Pet Food Calculator
Calculate a recommended daily food amount for a dog or cat from its weight and activity level using standard feeding guidelines.
Recommended Daily Amount
2.25 cups
per day of dry food, split across mealsHow to Calculate Your Pet's Daily Food Amount
Select your pet type and activity level, enter their weight, and this calculator looks up a recommended daily food amount from a standard veterinary feeding reference table — cups of dry food per day for dogs, and grams per day for cats — then adjusts it up or down based on activity level.
Example
A 35 lb dog at moderate activity falls in the 30-40 lb bracket, recommending about 2.25 cups of dry food per day. A 9 lb cat at moderate activity falls in the 7-10 lb bracket, recommending about 70 grams per day. A highly active pet in either bracket gets roughly 20% more.
Common Use Cases
- Getting a starting daily feeding amount for a new pet or new food.
- Adjusting portions after a change in your pet's activity level or weight.
- Sanity-checking the feeding guide printed on a specific bag of pet food.
FAQs
Is this exact for my specific pet and food?
No — this is a general reference based on typical calorie density, but exact needs vary by food brand, since different foods pack different amounts of calories per cup or per gram. Always treat your specific food packaging's feeding guide, or your veterinarian's recommendation, as the final word for your pet.
Why does activity level change the amount so much?
More active pets burn more calories and need more food to maintain a healthy weight, while sedentary pets need less to avoid excess weight gain. This calculator adjusts the baseline reference amount up to 20% higher for high activity and about 15% lower for low activity.
Should I feed this amount all at once?
Most vets recommend splitting the daily total into two or more meals rather than one large feeding, which can help with digestion and prevent overeating at a single sitting.