Every number here comes from NRC & WSAVA methods and is published as open data (CC BY 4.0). See how we check our numbers →
For a typical dry cat food at 3,800 kcal/kg and a 125 g cup, one cup is about 475 kcal. Lighter foods run nearer 432–450 and denser ones up to 494–520. That is why a scoop of cat food is not interchangeable with a scoop of dog food — cup for cup, cat kibble usually carries more calories.
This number is what turns a feeding guide that says "one cup" into something you can compare against your cat’s daily target.
Calculated as grams per cup × kcal per kg ÷ 1000. Find your food’s kcal/kg on the label, then read across to your scoop weight.
| Cup weight | 3,600 kcal/kg | 3,800 kcal/kg | 4,000 kcal/kg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 120 g | 432 kcal | 456 kcal | 480 kcal |
| 125 g | 450 kcal | 475 kcal | 500 kcal |
| 130 g | 468 kcal | 494 kcal | 520 kcal |
Dry cat food prints energy as kcal/kg or kcal/cup in the "Calorie Content" line, sometimes both. If you only have kcal/kg, you need the cup weight as well — which for cat kibble usually lands between 120 and 130 g.
The typical dry cat food figure used across this site is 3,800 kcal/kg (380 kcal per 100 g). Check your own bag: premium and weight-management formulas sit above and below that.
Once you know kcal per cup, the daily amount is daily kcal ÷ kcal per cup. A neutered 4 kg indoor cat needs about 238 kcal a day — that is roughly half a cup of a 475 kcal/cup food, or more meals of a lighter one. See cat calorie needs for the table, and how long a bag lasts for what that means over a month.
Is a cup of wet food the same? No — wet food is about 75–80% water, so a cup is far fewer calories. See wet vs dry cat food.
My bag says 4,000 kcal/kg but 520 kcal/cup. Which do I use? Both can be right; divide kcal/cup by kcal/kg to see the grams per cup the brand assumed (here 130 g).
Do treats count? Yes — they come out of the daily total. The cat treat calculator works the limit out by weight.
How long a bag lasts → · Cups in a bag → · Cat calorie needs → · Cat portion calculator →