How Much Wet Food Should I Feed My Cat?

How Much Wet Food To Feed a Cat

Many pet food manufacturers include feeding guidelines on their cans of wet food. Take Farmina® N&D Prime Chicken & Pomegranate canned wet food, for example. Farmina recommends feeding 3.25 cans per day for a 10-pound cat.

However, you might need to tailor these guidelines to your individual cat, so always consult your vet about the right amount for your specific pet. The amount of food you feed your cat depends on several factors, including age, activity level, health status, and genetics.

For example, your cat might naturally have a faster metabolism for their age and weight than another cat of the same age and weight.

Similarly, cats with hyperthyroidism might have an increased metabolism requiring them to eat many more calories per day than a healthy cat of the same age and weight.

Age: Age is one of the most important factors determining how much wet food your cat needs. Young, growing kittens need about twice the calories as mature cats do.
Weight: The more a cat weighs, the more energy they need each day for normal body functions and maintenance of lean muscle tissue.
Activity level: All cats have a baseline metabolism, a resting energy requirement for maintaining their body functions and muscle tissue even before factoring in activity level. More active cats generally need more food to support their activity than cats who are less active.
Pregnant or nursing: Female cats who are pregnant or who are nursing kittens will need about 25–50% more calories per day—and thus more wet food—than other adult female cats.
Spay/neuter status: When a female or male cat is spayed or neutered, their baseline metabolism will drop by about 30%. This is important to keep in mind if you’ve just had your cat spayed or neutered; you’ll need to decrease their food intake so they can maintain a healthy weight.

Wet Food Feeding Chart for Cats

The following daily feeding chart assumes that you’re feeding your cat wet food that contains 90 calories per 2.5-ounce can, that wet food is the only food source in your cat’s diet, and that your lean cat is spayed or neutered.

This chart is meant to provide general guidance. Talk with your veterinarian to confirm the proper food portions for your individual cat or kitten.


Cat's Weight	Kitten	Lean Cat	Overweight Cat	Pregnant	Nursing
5 pounds	320 calories 3.5 cans	160 calories 1.75 cans	130 calories 1.5 cans	260 calories 2.75 cans	260 calories 2.75 cans
10 pounds	550 calories 6 cans	275 calories 3 cans	220 calories 2.5 cans	450 calories 5 cans	450 calories 5 cans
15 pounds	720 calories 8 cans	360 calories 4 cans	300 calories 3.25 cans	585 calories 6.5 cans	585 calories 6.5 cans
20 pounds	880 calories 9.75 cans	440 calories 5 cans	370 calories 4 cans	715 calories 8 cans	715 calories 8 cans

Let’s look at a couple examples:

If you have a 5-pound kitten, you would feed 3.5 cans per day of Farmina N&D Prime Chicken & Pomegranate Kitten Food (2.46-ounce cans).

If you have a 10-pound overweight adult cat, you would feed 2.5 cans per day of Farmina N&D Prime Lamb & Blueberry Wet Cat Food (2.46-ounce cans).

How Often To Feed Cats Wet Food

How often you feed your cat wet food will depend on their needs.

If your cat is on a diet of all wet food, you can divide their daily feeding amount into two or three meals of wet food per day.

If you feed your cat dry food and supplement with wet food, they might eat wet food only once or twice during the day.

Either way, be sure to factor in the calories from all food and treats so that you are not accidentally overfeeding your feline friend, since this can contribute to unintentional weight gain and lead to other associated health problems.

Other cats might need to eat wet food only when they’re having dental issues, when they have nasal congestion, or when a special diet has been prescribed to help them recover after a hospital stay.

You might also choose to feed wet food to your cat as a treat on special occasions or if they are not feeling well, to encourage their appetite.

Why Cats Need Wet Food

Wet cat food has many benefits, from improved hydration to appetite stimulation to weight management, and it may even provide enhanced nutrition, making it an essential part of your cat’s diet.

Provides Hydration

Wet food contains about 70% more water than dry cat food. Cats often aren’t great drinkers, so this is a good way to support their hydration.

High moisture content aids in digestion, prevents constipation, and supports urinary health by diluting urine, reducing the risk of urinary crystals.

Wet food also can be helpful for cats with kidney disease, who need more water in their diet to support kidney function.

Stimulates Appetite

Wet cat food is known for its palatability, thanks to its strong aroma and flavor. This can stimulate a cat’s appetite, which is especially important for picky eaters or cats with a reduced appetite.

Aids in Weight Management

Because wet food has fewer calories compared to the same amount of dry food, wet food is great for cats who need to lose weight. Cats can eat just as much (if not more) wet food and take in fewer calories.

Offers Enrichment

Wet cat food comes in a variety of textures and flavors, providing sensory enrichment and an enjoyable eating experience.

Easier To Chew

Wet food can be lifesaving for cats with severe dental disease. For those who need extensive tooth extractions, the soft texture of wet food allows them to eat more comfortably and maintain balanced nutrition.

Lower in Carbs

Wet food is often much lower in carbohydrates than dry food is, making it a good choice for cats with diabetes, who do better on low-carbohydrate diets.

What To Consider When Choosing Wet Cat Food

When choosing the best food for your cat, look for companies that offer research into their diets and conduct feeding trials to ensure their diets perform as intended.

For example, Farmina employs leading experts in nutrition, veterinary medicine, and food formulation to perform quality controls as well as leading scientific research to ensure their product is backed by nature and science.

Below are some factors to consider, but your veterinarian can help you choose the best food for your feline. They can also advise you on how to transition to a new food, which should be done gradually over a one- to two-week period to avoid causing gastrointestinal upset.

Life Stage

Selecting the appropriate food for your cat’s life stage helps ensure their specific nutritional needs are being met.

For example, if you have a kitten, look for a specifically formulated kitten food, such as the Farmina N&D Prime Chicken & Pomegranate kitten wet food mentioned above.

If you have an adult cat, select a specific adult diet, such as Farmina N&D Ocean Sea Bass, Sardine & Shrimps wet cat food.

Ingredients

To thrive, cats require certain nutrients in their diet, including protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, and water.

Protein helps cells grow, repair, and function properly. Protein sources typically found in cat food include fish and chicken, though some foods contain novel proteins, like the wild boar in Farmina’s N&D Prime Wild Boar & Apple wet cat food. Feeding a novel protein can help cats with food allergies or intolerances.

Fats, like fish oil, are energy-rich and a source of essential fatty acids. Vitamins and minerals are essential for supporting your cat’s overall health. Carbs are another energy source, though cats have relatively low carbohydrate needs, because they get most of their energy from protein and fats.

Look on the food’s packaging for the nutritional adequacy statement from the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). This ensures the diet is complete and balanced specifically for your cat’s life stage.

Health Conditions

Cats with certain health conditions might benefit from a veterinary diet. Veterinary diets are specially formulated to help manage specific conditions, and they are available only with authorization from your vet.

Two common cat health conditions that can be supported, at least in part, with a veterinary diet are:

Lower Urinary Tract Disease: Veterinary diets in this category, like Farmina’s Vet Life Urinary ST Management wet cat food, typically are formulated to prevent urinary stones.

Kidney Disease: Veterinary kidney diets, like Farmina’s Vet Life Cat Renal Recipe in Gravy wet cat food, generally are formulated to help reduce the kidneys’ workload.

Your vet might also recommend a veterinary diet if your cat is recovering from an illness that caused them to lose weight and/or become malnourished.

Farmina’s Vet Life Recoup Recipe wet cat food, for example, is highly palatable, highly digestible, and energy-rich to help debilitated pets recover.

Texture

Wet cat food comes in a variety of textures, such as shredded, chunks in broth or gravy, pâté, and puree. It might take some trial and error to determine which texture(s) your cat prefers.

How To Serve Wet Cat Food

Every cat has their own preference when it comes to how they enjoy eating their wet food. Some cats may like wet food cold, straight from the refrigerator, while others prefer it at room temperature.

Many cats also enjoy their wet food warmed in the microwave as the heat enhances both its flavor and scent, making it more appealing. (Take it out of the metal can before putting it in the microwave.)

Warming up wet food is particularly beneficial for cats with nasal congestion, as it helps release aromas that might be difficult for them to smell otherwise.

If you choose to warm your cat’s food, be sure to check the temperature with your finger before feeding. Extremely hot food can burn your cat's mouth, so allow it to cool to a safe temperature.

Additionally, avoid overheating the food repeatedly, as this can degrade its nutrients and alter its texture.

Regardless of the temperature, always discard any uneaten wet food within two hours of setting it out. Wet cat food can spoil and lose its freshness if left out for too long.

How To Store Wet Cat Food

Here are some tips for storing your cat’s wet food:

Keep unopened wet cat food in a cool, dark location, like the pantry.
Always check the expiration date. (Don’t serve spoiled food!)
Once opened, cover the can of food with an airtight can cover or lid and refrigerate it at 37 degrees Fahrenheit or below.
Throw out open, unused food after three days.

Feeding Wet Cat Food FAQs

Can I overfeed my cat wet food?

Yes, you can overfeed your cat wet food, which can lead to weight gain, obesity, and associated health issues. Be sure to refer to the manufacturer’s feeding guidelines, though be aware that your cat’s individual needs might vary.

Your veterinarian is the best resource for determining the appropriate amount of food to feed your specific cat.

What is the best ratio of wet food to dry food for cats when feeding both types of food?

Some pet parents like to feed their cats both wet and dry food, either in a mixture that combines the two or as part of a rotational diet, serving wet food for one meal and dry for another meal.

Check with your vet for the right ratio for your pet, but a general rule of thumb is 2/3 wet food to 1/3 dry food.

However, when mixing it can be hard to ensure you are not overfeeding or underfeeding your pet in terms of calories, so ask your vet to help you determine exactly what to feed your cat if you are going to do a mixture.