How much should I feed my cat?

According to the Animal Medical Center in New York, the active 8-lb adult cat requires about 30 calories per pound per day and that is about 240 calories per day.

Typically, dry food contains about 300 calories per cup, and canned food contains about 250 calories in each 6 oz. can. Using these counts as a guide, an 8-lb cat would need 4/5 of a cup of dry food and just under a full 6 oz. can (or two 3 oz. cans) of wet food per day. You can adjust the proportions whether your cat prefers more or less dry or wet food. If you’re free feeding dry food each day, measure out the day’s allotment of food into your dry food feeder. This decreases the amount of food that gets stale and needs to be discarded and helps you monitor how much your cat is eating.

Portioning out the food will keep your cats from over eating. Free choice feeding is one of the top contributors of feline obesity.