Kitten Feeding Chart: How Much Dry Food by Age
By Pettings · Published Nov 1, 2026 · Scores and prices as of Nov 9, 2026
Every bag of dry kitten food has a feeding table on the label, and the tables rarely agree. We put the tables from 11 dry kitten foods on Pettings side by side, so you can see the daily amount at 2, 4 and 8 months for each one.
| Food | 2 months | 4 months | 8 months | Calories per cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Buffalo BLUE Wilderness Kitten Chicken | 3/8 cup | 5/8 cup | 7/8 cup | 453 |
| Hill's Science Diet Kitten Chicken Recipe | 1/3 cup | 1/2 cup | 1/2 cup | 553 |
| Iams ProActive Health Healthy Kitten | 1/3 cup | 1/2 cup | 1/2 cup | 521 |
| Iams ProActive Health Kitten with Salmon | 1/3 cup | 1/2 cup | 1/2 cup | 515 |
| Meow Mix Kitten Li'l Nibbles | 5/8 cup | 5/8 cup | 7/8 cup | 327 |
| Purina Cat Chow Kitten Chow Year One Essentials with Real Chicken | 1/2 cup | 1/2 cup | 5/8 cup | 503 |
| Purina Fancy Feast Kitten With Savory Chicken & Turkey | 3/8 cup | 3/8 cup | 5/8 cup | 457 |
| Purina ONE Plus Healthy Kitten Chicken | 3/8 cup | 3/8 cup | 5/8 cup | 518 |
| Purina Pro Plan Kitten Complete Essentials Chicken & Rice | 1/3 cup | 1/2 cup | 5/8 cup | 633 |
| Purina Pro Plan Kitten Sensitive Skin & Stomach Salmon & Rice Formula | 1/3 cup | 3/8 cup | 5/8 cup | 583 |
| Royal Canin Kitten | 1/2 cup | 3/4 cup | 2/3 cup | 367 |
The amounts are cups per day, taken from each label, and apply only to the food in that row.
Why the Amounts Differ So Much
A cup measures volume, not calories. Among these foods, one cup holds anywhere from 327 to 633 calories, so a food with fewer calories per cup takes more cups to give the same energy. At 4 months the daily amount ranges from 3/8 to 3/4 cups. That is why the number on one bag does not carry over to another, even if both say "kitten."
If you switch foods, read the new label instead of keeping the old amount. Most bags also print the calories per cup, which is the number to compare.
How We Read the Tables
Labels usually give a range, such as 1/3 to 1/2 cup. We show the middle of the range. Where a label lists different ages, we use the nearest column. 9 kitten foods on Pettings are not in the table because we do not have an age-based feeding table for them yet: 9Lives Kitten Essentials Chicken & Ocean Fish, Acana First Feast Kitten, Blue Buffalo BLUE Tastefuls Kitten Chicken & Brown Rice, Halo Holistic Grain Free Cage-Free Chicken Kitten Recipe, Halo Holistic Grain Free Wild-Caught Salmon & Whitefish Kitten Recipe, Now Fresh Grain Free Kitten Turkey, Salmon & Duck Recipe, Nutro Wholesome Essentials Kitten Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe, Orijen Kitten and Royal Canin Kitten Spayed/Neutered.
The Label Amount Is a Starting Point
The amount on the bag is the maker's suggestion for an average kitten. Kittens grow at different rates and some are far more active than others. Your vet can tell you whether your kitten is growing as expected and whether the amount should change.
To compare these foods by what is in them rather than how much to pour, see Best Dry Cat Food for Kittens, ranked by our Ingredients score.
