How Much Raw Food Should I Feed My Cat, and How Often?
One of the most common questions we get is how much raw food a cat should eat.
The honest answer is that there is no exact number that suits every cat. Appetite, metabolism, activity level, age, season, and overall health all play a role.
That said, there are some very good starting points.
How much should an adult cat eat?
As a general guide, adult cats eating a balanced raw diet will usually eat around 2 to 4% of their body weight per day.
For many healthy adult cats, around 3% is a good place to start.
For example, a 5kg cat eating 3% of its body weight per day would eat:
5kg x 3% = 150g per day
That is not a rule. It is a starting point.
Some cats will need more. Some will need less. A very active cat may eat more. A less active cat may eat less. Some cats also eat a little less in summer and a little more in winter.
The most important thing is to watch the cat in front of you.
How do you know if you are feeding enough?
Ask yourself:
Is your cat eating at least around 2% of their body weight each day?
Are they active and bright?
Are they maintaining a healthy weight?
Are they toileting normally?
Are their eyes clear and bright?
If the answer is no, it is worth looking more closely at what is going on.
How often should you feed?
Cats are built to eat multiple small meals, not one giant meal and not a bowl of food left out all day.
Feeding smaller meals across the day is much more natural for them and usually works far better than grazing.
As a general guide, try to feed at least 3 meals a day, and more if you can.
That does not mean they have to be perfectly spaced or follow some rigid schedule. Just work with your day.
A routine might look something like this:
early morning
before work
after work
evening
before bed
The exact timing matters less than the overall pattern of offering regular small meals.
Feed the cat in front of you
This part matters most.
Guidelines are helpful, but they are still only guidelines.
Some cats are naturally bigger eaters. Some are not. Some are highly food motivated. Some are much more casual. Some need a bit more to hold condition. Others gain weight easily.
And remember, these numbers are for a balanced raw diet. Cats eating commercial diets higher in carbohydrates often eat differently because they are not getting the same type of nutrition from the food.
Your job is not to force your cat into a formula. Your job is to start with the guideline, then adjust based on body condition, appetite, and energy levels.
Feeding kittens
Kittens are completely different.
They are growing rapidly and need much more food relative to body weight than an adult cat.
A kitten may eat anywhere from 5 to 10% of its body weight per day, depending on age and stage of growth.
Kittens should be fed as much as they want, as often as they want, within reason. Growth spurts will often mean they suddenly eat a lot more, then back off a bit again later.
That is normal.
A simple way to start is to offer a portion and see what happens. If they eat it all and are still looking for more, offer more. If they leave some behind, pop it in the fridge and offer it later.
Over time, you will learn their normal appetite.
As a general guide, kittens should be fed at least 5 times a day, and more if they are hungry.
That should continue until adulthood, which is around 12 months for most cats and closer to 2 years for larger breeds.
If a kitten stops eating for more than 12 hours, that is not something to ignore.
The bottom line
Use the percentages as a starting point, not a rigid rule.
For adults, start around 2 to 4% of body weight per day.
For kittens, expect more, often 5 to 10%, with frequent meals and appetite-led feeding.
And above all, feed the cat in front of you.
A healthy raw fed cat should be maintaining good weight, good energy, normal toileting, and overall good condition. That tells you far more than obsessing over exact grams ever will.