A 4 to 6 month kitten is not a small adult cat on a small adult diet. Its energy need runs about 2.5 times resting energy requirement, it still wants 3 to 4 meals a day, and a single wet meal lands between 20 and 30 g. Weigh it once a week and the whole plan stays honest, because the calorie target is recalculated from today's weight rather than from the age on the bag.
Start with 2.5 times RER
Resting energy requirement is 70 times body weight in kilograms to the 0.75. For a 1.9 kg kitten at 4 months that is 109 kcal, and 2.5 times that is 272 kcal a day. At 2.4 kg and 5 months the same arithmetic gives 135 and 337. At 2.8 kg and 6 months it gives 152 and 379.
Notice what happens to the per-kilo number as the kitten grows: 272 kcal for 1.9 kg is 143 kcal/kg, while 379 for 2.8 kg is 135 kcal/kg. Energy per kilo falls even though the daily total rises, which is why a bag label that quotes one figure per kilo cannot be right for the whole 4 to 6 month window.
Three or four meals, 20 to 30 g each
At 4 months, 4 meals a day with 5 to 6 hours between them. At 5 months, 3 to 4. At 6 months, 3 meals, with the last one about 1 hour before your bedtime so the 3 a.m. wake-up does not restart. A 1.9 kg kitten eating 272 kcal takes 90 g of wet food a day if wet is the whole diet, which is 22 to 23 g per meal across 4 meals.
The 20 to 30 g range is not arbitrary. A kitten stomach holds roughly 40 to 50 g at this age, and a meal that fills it to the top produces a kitten that walks away at 35 g and comes back hungry in 90 minutes. Keep each meal at 60 to 75 percent of capacity and the schedule holds.
Wet and dry, with the arithmetic shown
Wet food at 80 to 100 kcal per 100 g delivers 20 to 30 kcal in a 25 g portion. Dry food at 3.6 to 4.2 kcal per gram delivers 18 to 21 kcal in a 5 g piece. A mixed plan for a 1.9 kg kitten: 4 wet meals of 25 g, which is 100 g and about 90 kcal, plus 48 g of dry at 3.8 kcal per gram for the remaining 182 kcal.
Do not free-feed dry food beside a wet plan. A bowl that is never empty adds 40 to 90 kcal a day, which on a 272 kcal target is a 15 to 33 percent overshoot, and the kitten that grazes stops finishing wet meals within 2 weeks.
The numbers by age band
| Age band | Weight | Energy per day | Energy per kg | Wet per meal | Meals | Dry per day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 to 4 weeks | 150 to 250 g | 42 to 62 kcal | 280 to 247 kcal/kg | 10 to 15 g gruel | 6 | 0 g |
| 4 to 8 weeks | 400 to 800 g | 88 to 148 kcal | 220 to 185 kcal/kg | 25 to 28 g | 4 to 5 | 5 to 10 g |
| 8 to 12 weeks | 800 to 1200 g | 148 to 201 kcal | 185 to 167 kcal/kg | 35 to 42 g | 4 | 10 to 15 g |
| 16 weeks | 1.8 to 2.0 kg | 272 to 294 kcal | 151 to 147 kcal/kg | 25 to 30 g | 4 | 40 to 50 g |
| 20 weeks | 2.2 to 2.6 kg | 318 to 365 kcal | 145 to 140 kcal/kg | 35 g | 3 | 58 to 70 g |
| 24 weeks | 2.6 to 3.0 kg | 358 to 419 kcal | 138 to 140 kcal/kg | 37 to 40 g | 3 | 68 to 82 g |
The dry column is what remains after the wet meals, divided by 3.8 kcal per gram. If your wet food is 100 kcal per 100 g rather than 90, the dry column drops by 5 to 8 g, which is why the label matters more than the brand.
Weigh once a week, same day, same scale
Use a kitchen scale that reads to 5 g, before the first meal, on the same weekday. A kitten at 4 to 6 months gains about 0.3 to 0.5 percent of body weight a day, so 50 to 100 g a week at 1.9 to 2.8 kg. Two flat weeks in a row means add 10 percent to the daily total. Two weeks of 150 g or more means cut 10 percent, because that rate belongs to a younger kitten.
Weight alone is noisy; the body condition score settles it. At 5 out of 9, the ribs feel like the back of your hand with light pressure, there is a waist behind the ribs from above, and the belly tucks up slightly from the side. Ribs like knuckles means feed more; ribs you cannot feel means cut 10 percent and re-check in 14 days.
Treats, water and the 10 percent cap
A treat is 2 to 3 kcal. On a 272 kcal plan, 10 percent is 27 kcal, which is 9 to 13 treats a day and no more; the same cap applied to a 379 kcal plan is 38 kcal. Count training treats in the total, because 4 handling sessions a day at 4 treats each is 32 to 48 kcal, a sixth of the day.
Water is 40 to 60 mL per kg, so 76 to 114 mL for a 1.9 kg kitten. A wet diet supplies 70 to 80 percent of that, and a dry diet supplies under 10 percent. If the kitten eats mostly dry, add a second water bowl 2 m from the food and change it twice a day.
Changing food at this age
Move from kitten to junior food over 7 days: 25 percent new on days 1 and 2, 50 percent on days 3 and 4, 75 percent on days 5 and 6, 100 percent on day 7. Stop and hold at the last tolerated ratio if the stool loosens for 48 hours, and give it 5 days before the next step. Kittens at this age handle change better than adults, but not in 1 day.
When the numbers mean a vet call
Call for 12 hours without food, 10 percent weight loss, diarrhea for 48 hours, vomiting 3 or more times in 12 hours, or a kitten that eats well and still loses weight across 3 weekly weigh-ins. Growth slowing is normal; a falling line is not. The week-by-week expectations are in kitten milestones, and the size limits for food toys and chew toys are in kitten toy safety, since a 3 cm ball is the smallest safe size at this age.
A week of meals, written down
- Weigh on the same weekday, before food, and write the number on the fridge.
- Split the daily total into 4 meals at 4 months, 3 at 6 months, 20 to 30 g wet each.
- Measure the dry top-up in grams, not by eye, at 3.8 kcal per gram.
- Cap treats at 10 percent of calories, roughly 9 to 13 pieces a day.
- Re-run the 2.5 times RER sum every 2 weeks, or after any 100 g change.
If the breed is a large one, expect the same arithmetic at a higher weight: a Maine Coon at 6 months can sit at 3.4 to 4.0 kg, which is 438 to 495 kcal a day at 2.5 times RER, and that is normal rather than overfeeding. The breed quiz gives the adult size range if you are unsure what you are feeding.
Frequently asked
How much should a 5 month kitten eat per day?
A 2.4 kg kitten needs about 135 kcal of resting energy, so 337 kcal a day at 2.5 times RER. That is roughly 4 wet meals of 25 g plus 55 g of dry food at 3.8 kcal per gram.
Is 20 to 30 g of wet food per meal enough at 4 months?
Yes, if it is part of a measured daily total. A 1.9 kg kitten at 272 kcal a day takes 90 g of wet food across 4 meals, which is 22 to 23 g each, with dry food making up the remaining 182 kcal.
How often should I weigh a 4 to 6 month kitten?
Once a week, same weekday, same scale, before the first meal. Expect 50 to 100 g a week. Two flat weeks means add 10 percent to the daily total, and two weeks over 150 g means cut 10 percent.