If you’re wondering ‘How much should I feed my cat?’ then you’re not alone.

Even as nutritionists, we recognise that feline nutrition can be tricky. Luckily at Burns, we try to make it easy if your cat is proving to be one of the more complicated ones! Below you will find the top things to consider.

Common Cat Nutrition Questions

What age should I change my cat's food?

We tend to advise staying on our kitten food until 9 months old – at this stage they should be fine to move onto our adult & senior diets for cats. We have different feeding guides for kittens, adult and senior cats (see below) so we need to follow this accordingly.

There is no particular age when a cat becomes a senior but when they start to slow down, we will look at reducing their feeding amounts. Our standard cat foods are suitable for both adult and senior cats.

Do indoor and outdoor cats need a different diet?

The Burns diets tend to be suitable for most cats, but we may need to adjust their feeding amounts accordingly. Outdoor cats will often be burning more calories, especially in the colder weather so will need to be fed off our adult feeding guide.

Indoor cats may need to be fed off our senior/ neutered feeding guide if they are not particularly active, as they will not need as many calories to maintain their bodyweight.

With any cat, we want to monitor their body condition and adjust accordingly.

Do different breeds of cat need a different diet?

The breed of the cat doesn’t really matter too much when choosing a food. We need to look at the individual cat and consider their health and lifestyle.

How often should I feed my adult cat?

This is personal preference and the best option depends on what your cat prefers as well as what fits your lifestyle best. 

Free Feeding is when you distribute your cat’s allowance in the morning and they can choose to eat this at any point.

Of course, if your cat is greedy-guts and likely to devour the whole thing in one, this may not be the best option. Conversely, if your cat has the ability to self-regulate their mealtimes and graze throughout the day, free feeding is a viable option. This is all down to appetite and every cat will be unique.

Scheduled Feeding is feeding your cat at set mealtimes with their daily food ration spread out between meals is another option. Ensure your cat eats at least two meals per day because cats usually prefer to eat little and often.

Can I give my cat treats?

We all enjoy giving treats to our cats but moderation is key! Your cat will need a bit less food to account for any treats as they should be given within their daily feeding amounts. Treats or extras should not make up more than 5% of your cat’s diet.

Select your cat's age:

Burns Adult & Senior Cat Feeding Guide

Our feeding amounts are based on your cat’s ideal weight rather than their actual weight. It’s important to remember that the amount your cat eats will change if they have an upset stomach or digestive problems. If your cat has any health issues, we recommend contacting your vet for advice on how much you should feed your cat and what type of food they should eat.

Burns Kitten Feeding Guide

When feeding kittens, we base their daily feeding amounts on their current weight as well as their age so you will need to keep increasing this as they grow. We recommend moving to adult food at around 9 months old.

Need even more cat advice? Check out these guides:

  • How to enrich your cat's life

    Satisfy your cat's basic needs with these tips.

  • Urinary health & diet in cats

    How to make sure your cat drinks enough.

  • Is my cat overweight?

    What to do if your cat piles on the pounds.
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