Cups to grams for dog and cat food

There is no single number of grams in a cup of pet food, because kibble differs in size and density. The reliable way is to use the calories printed on your food. Enter your pet's weight and the two energy numbers from the label to get the daily amount in grams and cups.

Pet
Weight unit
lb

For weight loss, enter the target weight.

Both numbers are printed on the bag under calorie content. The values above are examples, so replace them with yours. If the bag lists kcal per 100 g, multiply by 10 to get kcal per kg.

Per day
—grams

—

Cups a day
—
Grams per meal
—
Grams in one cup
—
Daily calories
—

How it works

grams per day = daily calories ÷ kcal per kg × 1000
grams in one cup = kcal per cup ÷ kcal per kg × 1000

Daily calories come from the standard veterinary formula, the same one used in the dog and cat feeding calculators. Grams then follow from how much energy the food holds. Because the cup weight comes from your food's own label, the answer fits your food and not an average kibble.

Why a cup is not a fixed weight

A cup measures volume. A cup of small dense kibble weighs more than a cup of large airy kibble, and a scoop can be packed or loose. That is why weighing food on a kitchen scale is more accurate than using a cup. Once you know the grams per cup for your food above, you can check how much your usual scoop really holds by weighing it.

Questions

How many grams are in a cup of dog food?

It depends on the food. Divide the kcal per cup by the kcal per kg printed on the bag and multiply by 1000. The calculator does this for you.

How many grams are in a cup of cat food?

The same way. Dry cat food is often denser in calories than dog food, so the cup weight can differ. Use the numbers from your bag.

Where do I find kcal per kg?

On the bag, usually near the feeding guide under calorie content or metabolizable energy. It may be listed as kcal/kg, and sometimes as kcal per 100 g.

Is weighing better than using a cup?

Yes. A scale removes the difference between loose and packed scoops and between kibble shapes.

How much should I feed my pet?

See how much to feed a dog or how much to feed a cat. For calories alone, use the dog or cat calorie calculator.

Sources

Last reviewed 2026-10-26. This page is general information and not veterinary advice.