Compare cat food by the cost of an appropriate day's feeding, not simply the price of a pouch or bag. First establish that each food is suitable and what daily amount your cat needs; then calculate what that amount costs. A cheaper packet can work out dearer per day, and a larger bag is not a saving if much of it is wasted.
Start with suitable foods and a confirmed ration
Cats Protection advises choosing complete food and using the packet's feeding guidance, with veterinary advice where needed. Different foods have different feeding amounts. Do not compare them by giving the same number of grams automatically.
This worksheet calculates cost; it does not calculate your cat's nutritional requirements. For the earlier decision, read what a Maine Coon should eat. If a diet has been prescribed, discuss alternatives with the veterinary team rather than changing it solely because another food is on offer.
The basic calculation
Daily cost = pack price ÷ food quantity in the pack × daily quantity served. Keep the units consistent. Use grams throughout for weighed food, or pouches throughout when the ration is expressed in whole or partial pouches of that exact size.
Here are two fictional examples, not feeding recommendations or current retail prices:
- A 2,000g bag costs £18. If the established daily ration for that particular food is 60g, the cost is £18 ÷ 2,000 × 60 = £0.54 per day, or £16.20 for 30 days.
- A box of 12 pouches costs £9. If the established daily ration is three of those pouches, the cost is £9 ÷ 12 × 3 = £2.25 per day, or £67.50 for 30 days.
These examples do not establish nutritional equivalence or show that one format is better. They demonstrate the arithmetic using assumed, already-established rations.
For mixed feeding, price both parts
If the agreed plan uses wet and dry food, work out the cost of each actual portion and add them. Do not add the full wet-only feeding recommendation to the full dry-only recommendation. Our mixed-feeding portion guide explains that distinction.
Keep a note of the full product name and pack size. Two similar-looking pouches may contain different quantities, and a new bag design may conceal a changed pack weight.
Allow for food you cannot use
Record discarded food for a few ordinary days. If you buy 12 pouches but can use only ten safely, divide the price by the ten usable pouches when reviewing value. Investigate serving and storage arrangements; do not keep food beyond its label instructions to make the figures look better.
A bulk purchase also requires somewhere suitable to store it and enough time to use it. Check our food-storage guide before choosing the biggest pack.
Keep the bowl budget separate
Reusing a suitable dish can avoid an unnecessary purchase. The pictured Purr-celain bowl is feeding equipment; it does not reduce the amount of food your cat requires. Compare food costs using the ration, not how full a new bowl looks.
If essentials are becoming unaffordable, Cats Protection lists routes to practical support. Seek help rather than deliberately underfeeding.
Guidance checked 12 September 2026. All prices and portions in the worked examples are fictional.
