Cat Food Calculator Documentation
Features
- Cat Information Collection: Input your cat's name, neutering status, weight status, activity level, age category, and current weight.
- Food Information Management: Add multiple dry and wet food options with detailed nutritional breakdowns.
- Automatic Calculations:
- Calculates carbohydrate content (NFE) automatically based on other nutritional values.
- Determines daily caloric needs based on cat's characteristics.
- Recommends portion sizes for a balanced diet with adjustable wet/dry food distribution.
- Customizable Food Distribution: Adjust the percentage of wet and dry food using an interactive slider.
- User-Friendly Interface: Step-by-step process with a progress indicator.
- Print Functionality: Print your feeding recommendations for easy reference.
Calorie Calculation
The daily caloric needs are calculated based on a comprehensive formula that accounts for multiple factors:
1. Base Calculation
Intact cats:
- Outdoor cat: 100 × (weight in kg)^0.67
- Playful indoor cat: 90 × (weight in kg)^0.67
- Couch potato: 85 × (weight in kg)^0.67
Neutered/Spayed cats:
- Outdoor cat: 75 × (weight in kg)^0.67
- Playful indoor cat: 62.5 × (weight in kg)^0.67
- Couch potato: 52 × (weight in kg)^0.67
2. Age Adjustment
- Young Adult (1-7 years): × 1.0 (no adjustment)
- Mature Adult (7-12 years): × 0.95 (slightly reduced needs)
- Senior (12+ years): × 1.05 (slightly increased needs)
3. Weight Status Adjustment
- Overweight: × 0.9 (for weight loss)
- Underweight: × 1.1 (for weight gain)
- Ideal weight: × 1.0 (for maintenance)
Food Energy Calculation
The caloric content (metabolizable energy) of each food is calculated in two steps:
1. NFE (Nitrogen Free Extract) Calculation
NFE represents the carbohydrate content
Formula: NFE% = 100% - (Moisture% + Protein% + Fat% + Fibre% + Ash%)
Example: If a dry food has 10% moisture, 30% protein, 15% fat, 3% fibre, and 7% ash:
NFE = 100 - (10 + 30 + 15 + 3 + 7) = 35%
2. Energy Density Calculation
Using the Modified Atwater factors for pet foods:
- Protein: 3.5 kcal/g
- Fat: 8.5 kcal/g
- NFE (carbohydrates): 3.5 kcal/g
Complete formula:
Energy (kcal/100g) = (Protein% × 3.5) + (Fat% × 8.5) + (NFE% × 3.5)
Example calculation for the dry food above:
- Protein contribution: 30% × 3.5 = 105 kcal
- Fat contribution: 15% × 8.5 = 127.5 kcal
- NFE contribution: 35% × 3.5 = 122.5 kcal
- Total: 355 kcal/100g or 3.55 kcal/g
Why Modified Atwater Factors?
- Standard Atwater factors (4/9/4) are based on human food digestibility
- Modified factors (3.5/8.5/3.5) account for:
- Lower digestibility of pet foods
- Different processing methods
- Varying ingredient quality
- These factors are recommended by AAFCO and FEDIAF for pet food calculations
Important Note
This calculator is designed for adult cats only (12 months and older). For kittens, please consult with your veterinarian for appropriate feeding recommendations.
Disclaimer
This tool provides general recommendations and is not a substitute for professional veterinary advice. Always consult with your veterinarian for personalized feeding recommendations for your cat.