How much food should you give your pet each day? Choose your pet and the calculator shows the amount of food in grams per day for dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas, hamsters, gerbils, cockatiels, budgies, canaries, lovebirds and fish. For dogs and cats, it uses the energy formula vets use; for the other pets, we show the daily menu with hay, greens, pellets and treats.

Pet

Weight (kg)Meals per day

Life stage and routine

Food energy (kcal/kg)

It is on the label as "metabolizable energy". If you can't find it, keep the suggested value.

Approximate daily menu of pellets per day of food per day Unlimited 🌾 Unlimited hay, all day long. It should be about 80% of the diet and it wears down the teeth. 🌾 Unlimited hay, all day long. It's the foundation of a chinchilla's diet. 🥬 {a} g of greens per day, mixing different leaves (arugula, endive, chicory, carrot tops). 🫑 {a} g of greens and veggies per day, with sources of vitamin C (bell pepper, kale, parsley). 🥣 {a} g of pellets made for the species. 🥣 Unlimited pellets for young animals, along with the hay. 🥬 Greens in small portions, introduced slowly, one at a time. 🍎 Fruit only as a treat: up to {a} g per day, 2 or 3 times a week. 💊 Guinea pigs can't make their own vitamin C. Yours needs about {a} to {b} mg per day, from food. 🚫 Avoid fruit, fresh greens and seeds. Treat: at most a small piece of dried apple or dried flowers per day. 🛁 Dust bath 2 to 3 times a week (never water). 💧 Unlimited fresh water, changed every day. 🥣 {a} to {b} g of pellets or mix per day (about {c}). 🥒 1 teaspoon of veggies or greens per day (cucumber, broccoli, carrot). 🥚 Protein 1 to 2 times a week: a small piece of boiled egg or a mealworm. 🍬 Dwarf hamsters are prone to diabetes: avoid fruit and sweet treats. 🍎 Fruit only now and then, in pea-sized pieces. 1 teaspoon2 teaspoons1 tablespoon1 to 1.5 teaspoons1 to 1.5 tablespoons1.5 to 2 teaspoons 🥣 {a} to {b} g of {food} per day (about {c}). pelletsseed mix 🥦 Chopped greens and veggies every day: about {c} (kale, broccoli, carrot, zucchini). 🍎 Fruit 2 to 3 times a week, in small pieces, with no apple seeds and no avocado. 💡 A seed-only diet is low in vitamins and high in fat. Gradually switch to pellets. 💡 Pellets should be about 70% of the diet. Seeds are just a treat. How to feed 2 to 3 pellets 🐟 2 to 3 betta pellets per meal, 2 times a day. 🦐 You can swap one meal for frozen brine shrimp or bloodworms 1 to 2 times a week. Only what they eat in 2 minutes 🐠 A small pinch of flake food, 1 to 2 times a day: what they all eat within 2 minutes. 🧹 Remove leftovers that sink. Uneaten food dirties the water and harms the fish. What they eat in 1 to 2 minutes 🐡 Sinking pellets, 2 times a day, only what they eat in 1 to 2 minutes. 🫛 Once a week, offer a cooked, shelled pea: it helps digestion. 📅 Do 1 fasting day per week. Healthy fish handle it well and your tank will thank you. ⚠️ More food isn't better: overfeeding is the main cause of cloudy water and disease in the tank.

Dogs and cats: how the calculation works

First we calculate the pet's resting energy (70 × weight^0,75, in kcal per day). Then we multiply it by a factor for life stage and routine — for example, 1.6 for a neutered adult dog and 1.2 for a neutered adult cat. Finally, we divide the calories by the food's energy (kcal per kg) to get the grams per day.

Life stage and routine	Dog	Cat
Puppy/kitten (first months)	3,0	2,5
Puppy/kitten (4 to 12 months)	2,0	2,5
Spayed/neutered adult	1,6	1,2
Intact adult	1,8	1,4
Very active adult	2,0	—
Senior	1,4	1,1
Weight loss (ideal weight)	1,0	0,8

How much to feed rabbits, guinea pigs and chinchillas

These pets are herbivores and need unlimited hay all day long: it's the foundation of the diet and wears down their ever-growing teeth. Pellets are given in small amounts, based on weight.

Pet (adult)	Pellets per day	Greens per day	Note
Rabbit	about 20 g per kg	about 80 g per kg	Fruit only as a treat
Guinea pig	about 20 g per kg	about 90 g per kg	Needs vitamin C every day
Chinchilla	about 30 g per kg	Don't offer	Avoid fruit and seeds

How much to feed hamsters and gerbils

Pet	Pellets or mix per day
Syrian hamster	10 to 12 g (1 tablespoon)
Dwarf hamster	5 to 7 g (2 teaspoons)
Gerbil	8 to 10 g (1 tablespoon)
Fancy mouse	4 to 5 g (1 to 1.5 teaspoons)

Add a little bit of veggies or greens every day and a protein source (boiled egg or mealworm) once or twice a week. Dwarf hamsters are prone to diabetes, so avoid fruit for them.

How much to feed cockatiels, budgies, canaries and lovebirds

Bird	Pellets or seeds per day
Budgie (parakeet)	6 to 8 g
Cockatiel	12 to 18 g
Canary	4 to 6 g
Lovebird	10 to 12 g

Ideally, pellets should make up about 70% of the diet, with greens and veggies every day and fruit a few times a week. A seed-only mix is low in vitamins and high in fat.

How much to feed aquarium fish

For fish, the rule is to offer only what they eat in 1 to 2 minutes, once or twice a day. A betta eats 2 to 3 pellets per meal. Remove leftovers and do one fasting day a week: overfeeding is the main cause of cloudy water and disease in the tank.

Tips for getting the amount right

Use a kitchen scale: eyeballing it or using cups is one of the biggest causes of excess weight.
Split it into meals: at least two a day for adult dogs and cats and three or four for puppies and kittens.
Account for treats: they should not exceed 10% of daily calories.
Track the weight: weigh your pet every two to four weeks and adjust the amount gradually.
Make changes slowly: switch foods or add new ones gradually, over a week.

Frequently asked questions

How much food should a 10 kg (22 lb) dog eat?

A neutered adult dog weighing 10 kg needs about 630 kcal per day. With a food of 3,700 kcal/kg, that is roughly 170 g per day, split into two meals.

How much food should a 4 kg (9 lb) cat eat?

A neutered adult cat weighing 4 kg needs about 240 kcal per day. With a food of 3,900 kcal/kg, that is roughly 60 g per day.

How much should I feed a rabbit?

An adult rabbit weighing 2 kg eats about 40 g of pellets per day, plus unlimited hay and about 160 g of mixed greens. Pellets shouldn't be the base of the diet: hay is.

How much does a hamster eat per day?

A Syrian hamster eats 10 to 12 g of pellets or mix per day, about 1 tablespoon. A dwarf hamster eats 5 to 7 g.

How much should I feed a cockatiel?

An adult cockatiel eats 12 to 18 g per day, about 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of pellets, plus chopped greens and veggies.

Is the amount on the bag wrong?

Not necessarily. The feeding chart on the bag is a good starting point, but it usually assumes active, intact animals. That is why many pets need a little less. Adjust based on weight and body condition.

Informational content. It doesn't replace an assessment by a veterinarian (for rabbits, rodents, birds and fish, see an exotic pet vet).

Pet food calculator: how much to feed your dog, cat and other pets