Cat Wet vs Dry Food Split & Daily Grams
Turn daily cat calories into cans and grams
Wet vs dry cat food split and daily grams FAQ
Where do I get the daily calories number from?
You can pull it from a cat calorie needs calculator, a feeding plan from your vet, or the calories suggested on your cat food bag. This tool only splits and converts that number.
Why split by calories instead of scoops?
One scoop of dry food and one can of wet food rarely have the same kcal. Splitting by calories keeps total energy consistent, even when wet and dry foods are very different densities.
What if I only feed wet or only dry?
Pick 100% wet or 100% dry in the split box. The calculator then sends all calories to that one side and still shows cans or grams and AM/PM portions.
Can I use different brands for wet and dry food?
Yes. Just enter the kcal per can for your wet food and the kcal per 100 g for your dry food. The tool does not mind if they are different brands.
What if my label lists kcal per cup for dry food?
Look for a second line that shows kcal per 100 g or kcal per kg. If it only shows cups, you can weigh one level cup with a kitchen scale and work out calories per 100 g.
Is the AM/PM schedule fixed?
The calculator assumes two meals per day: morning and evening. If you feed three or more meals, you can divide the daily cans and grams again by the number of bowls you use.
How do I know if the split is working for my cat?
Track your cat’s weight, body condition and appetite. If weight creeps up or down, tweak calories or the wet/dry mix and ask your vet for help, especially if your cat has health issues.
How to use this cat wet vs dry food split calculator
This tool takes a single number—daily calories—and turns it into a clear wet and dry mix with real bowls you can serve: cans and grams per day and per meal.
1. Start with a daily calorie target
First, enter the total kcal per day you want your cat to eat. Many people use a cat calorie needs calculator for this, then fine-tune it with their vet or by watching weight and body condition over a few weeks.
2. Pick your wet vs dry percentage
Use the split dropdown to choose how much of those calories should come from wet food and how much from dry food. Options cover common patterns like all wet, all dry, 75/25 or 50/50. The remaining calories automatically go to the other type.
3. Add the calorie values from each label
To turn calories into a shopping list and scoops:
- Enter kcal per can or pouch from your wet food label.
- Enter kcal per 100 g from your dry food label.
- Fill in one or both, depending on what you actually feed.
The calculator can still split calories without labels, but it can only show exact cans and grams when those numbers are present.
4. Read the cans, grams and AM/PM portions
When you tap Calculate split, the summary card shows:
- Your daily calories and the chosen wet/dry percentage.
- How many calories go to wet and dry separately.
- Wet food in cans per day and per meal (if the label was entered).
- Dry food in grams per day and per meal (if the label was entered).
The AM/PM lines assume two equal meals, which suits many adult cats that like breakfast and dinner. You can divide again if you feed more often.
5. Copy the plan and tweak it over time
Use the Copy summary button to save the plan in a notes app or send it to family. Over time, keep an eye on your cat’s weight and body condition score and adjust calories or the wet/dry mix if your vet suggests a change.
Think of this page as a portion math helper, not a full nutrition plan. It keeps the numbers tidy so you can spend more energy watching how your cat actually feels and behaves.
How the wet vs dry cat food split math works
The calculation is built to stay as small as the form. You give it a daily calorie target, a percentage split and the energy density of each food, and it does the rest.
1. Splitting daily calories into wet and dry
Let C be the total calories per day and p the wet share as a decimal. The calculator works out:
Wet calories = C × p
Dry calories = C × (1 − p)
For a 50/50 split, p = 0.5, so wet and dry each get half the daily calories.
2. From calories to cans of wet food
If the wet label lists kcal per can, and wet calories per day are W, then:
Cans per day = W ÷ kcal_per_can
The result is rounded to two decimal places, and then divided by two again for a simple AM/PM number of cans.
3. From calories to grams of dry food
If the dry label lists kcal per 100 g, and dry calories per day are D, then:
Grams per day = D ÷ kcal_per_100g × 100
That total is rounded to the nearest 5 g, then halved again for AM/PM grams.
The equations are simple on purpose so you can sanity-check them with a calculator if you like and reuse the same method for different foods or updated calorie targets over time.
References and further reading on cat calories and feeding plans
Use these guides with this wet/dry split calculator when planning meals:
- WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines — framework for assessing calories, body condition and feeding amounts for dogs and cats.
- WSAVA Cat Body Condition Score Chart (1–9) — visual tool for checking if your cat is underweight, ideal or overweight.
- International Cat Care — How much should I feed my cat? — practical advice on portion sizes, food types and monitoring weight at home.
Always use your own vet’s recommendations as the final word, especially if your cat has medical conditions, is very young, very old or on a special diet.