You can feed wet and dry cat food together, but count them as parts of one daily ration. Giving the full wet-food recommendation and the full dry-food recommendation can add up to two diets. Start with the mixed-feeding directions for the exact products, or ask your veterinary team or the manufacturer to help establish the combination.
PDSA's diet guidance confirms that a combination can be suitable and that the portions need to be worked out from both packets. The example below explains the arithmetic once an appropriate daily calorie allowance has already been established; it does not set that allowance.
Gather three figures
- The cat's agreed total daily calorie allowance.
- The energy in the wet food, stated per pouch, tin or 100g.
- The energy in the dry food, stated per gram, 100g or kilogram.
Use kilocalories, normally written as kcal, consistently. If the figures are missing or given in units you cannot reconcile, ask the manufacturer. Do not guess energy content from the size of a pouch or the percentage of meat.
A worked example with invented numbers
These figures are for calculation practice, not a recommended ration for a Maine Coon or any other cat. Suppose a cat's agreed allowance is 240 kcal a day, an 85g pouch supplies 80 kcal, and the dry food supplies 400 kcal per 100g.
| Calculation | Result |
|---|---|
| Dry-food energy: 400 ÷ 100 | 4 kcal per gram |
| Allowance after one pouch: 240 − 80 | 160 kcal remaining |
| Dry food: 160 ÷ 4 | 40g for the whole day |
In this example, one pouch plus 40g of that dry food reaches 240 kcal. Two pouches would leave 80 kcal, equivalent to 20g of the same dry food. These examples assume no treats or other foods; any extras must also fit within the agreed plan.
“Per 100g” is different from “per pouch”
If a different wet food supplies 90 kcal per 100g, its 85g pouch contains 76.5 kcal: 90 × 85 ÷ 100. It does not contain 90 kcal simply because you used one pouch. Likewise, divide a dry-food value stated per kilogram by 1,000 to obtain kcal per gram.
Changing products means redoing the sums. Matching packet weights or using the same scoop does not establish that the new serving provides the same energy.
Turn the result into a serving note
Write the day's wet-food quantity and dry-food weight separately, then show how they are divided between meals. Tick off servings so everyone knows what has already gone out. Mixed feeding does not require the foods to touch: separate dishes or serving times may fit your routine.
If you use Kitty Buffet's two ceramic bowls, give each an intentional role. See why bowl capacity cannot set a portion before using the bowl as a measuring scoop.
Use an individual veterinary plan for therapeutic diets or weight management. Source checked 12 September 2026.
