For cats, the treat problem is a matter of scale. A cat eats a small amount of food a day, so the calories in a treat that would be a rounding error for a dog are a large share of the cat’s day. One commercial treat of 10 kcal is 5% of a 198 kcal day. A creamy lickable treat of 30 kcal is more than the whole allowance. This guide turns the common 10% rule into counts of treats for cats from 3 to 6 kg, shows how kibble can serve as a reward, lists the usual traps in a household and gives a pot-based system that keeps every person to the same total. The numbers are the ones used by the Cat Treat Calculator; the plan for your own cat should be checked with your vet.
The allowance
Daily energy for an adult cat is RER (70 × kg^0.75) times a factor: 1.2 for a neutered adult and 1.0 for an inactive adult. The treat allowance is about 10% of that.
| Cat | RER | Factor | Daily kcal | 10% allowance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 kg, inactive | 160 | 1.0 | 160 | 16.0 |
| 4 kg, inactive | 198 | 1.0 | 198 | 19.8 |
| 4 kg, neutered | 198 | 1.2 | 238 | 23.8 |
| 5 kg, neutered | 234 | 1.2 | 281 | 28.1 |
| 6 kg, neutered | 268 | 1.2 | 322 | 32.2 |
The allowance is a practice guideline, not an NRC requirement. A cat on a weight-loss plan may have less; see cat weight loss calories and pace.
How many treats
Divide the allowance by the calories in one treat. The table uses the 4 kg inactive cat (19.8 kcal) and 5 kg neutered cat (28.1 kcal).
| Treat type (example) | kcal each | Treats for 19.8 kcal | Treats for 28.1 kcal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crunchy treat, 2 g at 4,000 kcal/kg | 8.0 | 2 | 3 |
| Small soft treat, 1 g at 4,000 kcal/kg | 4.0 | 4 | 7 |
| Dental treat, 3 g at 3,500 kcal/kg | 10.5 | 1 | 2 |
| Lickable sachet, 14 g at 1,000 kcal/kg | 14.0 | 1 | 2 |
| Kibble piece, 0.26 g at 3.8 kcal/g | 1.0 | 19 | 28 |
(Examples; check your own packs. Round down.) The kibble row shows why many owners use dry food: 19 pieces for the small cat take up the same allowance as two crunchy treats. For how to convert a label to a count, see treat calories per treat.
Subtract from the day
Treats are part of the daily energy. For the 4 kg inactive cat:
| kcal | Dry food at 3.8 kcal/g | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily need | 198 | 52 g |
| Treats (two at 8 kcal) | 16 | |
| Meal energy | 182 | 48 g |
The meals are 48 g, not 52 g. Feed 4 g less in the bowl for 16 kcal of treats. A cat that gets the full meal and the treats is eating 8% more than its need, every day.
Kibble as treats
Using the cat’s own food as a reward needs no sums beyond the weighing.
- Weigh the day’s food into a container.
- Take out a small handful as the “treat pot”.
- Give the pieces through the day.
- When the pot is empty, treats are finished.
For a cat with 52 g a day, a pot of 5 g holds about 19 pieces. The meals are the remaining 47 g. This avoids the question of how many treats are allowed, and it works with puzzle feeders and with training.
The usual traps
| Trap | Why it matters | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Lickable sachets | One sachet can be most of the allowance | Check the kcal; use part of a sachet |
| Dental sticks | Often more than 10 kcal each | Count them as treats |
| Table scraps | Unmeasured and variable | Avoid, or weigh |
| Several people | Each gives “just one” | Use a shared pot |
| Toppers on food | Calories on top of the meal | Count them |
| Medication in treats | Not for the treat budget | Ask your vet about the right food to use |
If a treat is used to give a medicine, ask your vet how to count it.
A household pot
The simplest control is a labelled pot or jar. Each morning, the person who feeds the cat counts or weighs the day’s treats into it. Everyone gives treats from the pot only. At the end of the day the pot is empty, and the cat has had the right number. A card on the fridge saying “Max: 2 crunchy treats or 19 kibble pieces” stops arguments.
| Day | Treats in pot | Given | Left | Meal reduced by (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 2 crunchy (16 kcal) | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Tue | 19 kibble (19 kcal) | 19 | 0 | 5 |
When the cat is not eating well
If a cat is eating less than usual, do not use treats to make up the difference without asking your vet. A cat that will only eat treats may have a problem. Report it. The treat budget is for a healthy cat on a regular diet.
A worked example
Sofia has a 5 kg neutered cat with 281 kcal a day and a 3 kg inactive cat with 160 kcal. She has crunchy treats of 8 kcal and dry food of 3.8 kcal/g.
| Step | 5 kg cat | 3 kg cat |
|---|---|---|
| Allowance (10%) | 28.1 kcal | 16.0 kcal |
| Crunchy treats | 3 (24 kcal) | 2 (16 kcal) |
| Meal energy | 281 − 24 = 257 | 160 − 16 = 144 |
| Dry food in the bowl | 257 ÷ 3.8 = 67.6 g | 144 ÷ 3.8 = 37.9 g |
Sofia keeps the treats for each cat in a separate pot, and feeds them in different rooms. She weighs the cats monthly. If either gains weight, she reduces the treats first and tells the vet.
A week of treats for a 4 kg inactive cat
Varying the type keeps interest up while the total stays at or under the daily 19.8 kcal.
| Day | Treats | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 2 crunchy treats (8 each) | 16.0 |
| Tuesday | 19 kibble pieces (1 each) | 19.0 |
| Wednesday | 1 dental treat (10.5) + 2 small soft (4 each) | 18.5 |
| Thursday | Half a lickable sachet (7) + 1 crunchy (8) | 15.0 |
| Friday | 4 small soft treats | 16.0 |
| Saturday | 1 sachet (14) + 5 kibble pieces (5) | 19.0 |
| Sunday | 2 crunchy treats | 16.0 |
| Week | 119.5 |
The week’s total of 119.5 kcal is under the 138.6 kcal allowance (7 × 19.8), which leaves room for an occasional extra. Reduce the meals by each day’s treat calories, as in the earlier table.
Kittens, seniors and cats with health needs
The 10% guide is for healthy adults. A kitten’s energy needs and food choices are different, an older cat may need a changed diet and a cat with a health condition may have a restricted plan. Ask your vet before you set a treat allowance for any of them, and follow the plan they give.
Reading a treat packet
Packets differ in what they tell you. Look for kcal per treat, per 100 g or per kg; if there is none, ask the maker or estimate from the analysis, as in treat calories per treat. Check the feeding suggestion too: a suggestion of “up to 10 pieces” may be more than the allowance for a small cat. Choose the smaller figure.
Common mistakes
- Using dog treat sizes for a cat.
- Forgetting to subtract treats from the meal.
- Counting a lickable sachet as one small treat.
- Using the same allowance for cats of different sizes.
- Letting every family member give treats.
- Using treats to cover a poor appetite.
- Not weighing the cat.
Quick summary
- Treats are about 10% of daily energy: 19.8 kcal for a 4 kg inactive cat, 28.1 kcal for a 5 kg neutered cat.
- At 8 kcal a treat that is two or three; kibble pieces of about 1 kcal give 19 or more.
- Subtract treats from the meals: 16 kcal of treats is 4 g less food.
- Use a pot for the household’s treats.
- Ask your vet if the cat is overweight or eating poorly.
- Use the Cat Treat Calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How many treats can a cat have a day?
About 10% of daily energy is a common guide. Divide that by the calories in one treat.
How many calories is that for a cat?
For a 4 kg inactive cat it is about 19.8 kcal; for a 5 kg neutered cat about 28.1 kcal.
Can I use kibble as treats?
Yes. A piece of dry food is about 1 kcal. Take the pieces from the meal so the total stays right.
What about a lickable treat or a topper?
Check the kcal on the packet. A single sachet can be most of the day's allowance.
Should an overweight cat have treats?
Ask your vet. A cat on a weight plan may have a smaller allowance or none.
How do I stop everyone in the house giving treats?
Pre-measure the day's treats in a pot, and when the pot is empty, treats are finished.
Sources
- Treat allowance of about 10% of daily energy: common practice guideline, not an NRC requirement
- NRC (2006) Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats, National Academies Press: RER = 70 × kg^0.75; adult cat factors 1.0 (inactive) and 1.2 (neutered)
- AAFP/AAHA (2021) Feline Life Stage Guidelines. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 23:211-233
Related calculators
- Cat Treat Calorie CalculatorCheck how many treats your cat can have a day without unbalancing its diet: the 10% rule.
- Pet Treat Energy ConverterTurn kcal per 100 g and the weight of one treat into the calories in each treat.
- Cat Calorie CalculatorWork out how many calories your cat needs each day, from its weight and life stage.
Keep reading
- How Many Treats Can a Cat Have a Day?How many treats a cat can have a day under the 10% rule: allowance in kcal by cat weight, pieces per day at common calories, and rewards that are not food.
- Treat Calories per Treat from kcal per kgTurn a treat label's kcal per kg into calories per treat: kcal/kg × grams ÷ 1,000, a 1 to 10 g table, and how many fit a 10% allowance for a dog and a cat.
- Indoor Cat Calorie NeedsHow many calories an indoor cat needs: RER × 1.0 if inactive versus 1.2 if neutered, a 3 to 6 kg table in kcal and grams, and how to adjust by weight trend.
- A Treat Budget for Dog Training SessionsHow to plan treats for training: a 106 kcal allowance split over 60 rewards is 1.8 kcal each, about 0.5 g of a 3,500 kcal/kg treat. Meal-as-reward and a session log.