Wet vs dry food split
Enter your pet's daily kcal target and the percentage split you want. The calculator returns daily grams of wet food and daily grams of dry kibble.
Defaults use typical kcal densities; override with values from your specific bag/can.
How this works
wet_grams = (kcal × wet_fraction) ÷ wet_density · dry_grams = (kcal × dry_fraction) ÷ dry_density
The split adds to 100%. The calorie target stays constant; only the form of food changes.
Sources: Manufacturer label kcal/g disclosures (per AAFCO requirements). NRC 2006 for kcal targets — use our dog or cat calorie calculator for the daily target.
Frequently asked questions
Is mixing wet and dry food okay?
Yes — and often better than either alone. Wet food adds hydration and palatability; dry kibble adds calorie-density and (some) dental abrasion. A 50/50 split is common in households where the cat or dog likes both. The key is keeping total daily calories at the maintenance target — the calculator handles the math.
What's a typical kcal/g for each?
Dry kibble: 3.0–4.5 kcal/g (average ~3.5). Canned wet food: 0.8–1.2 kcal/g (average ~1.0). Read the calorie content on your specific bag/can — labelled "ME" (metabolisable energy) per kg or per cup/can. The calculator defaults to typical averages but accepts your specific values.
Does the order matter (feed wet first, then dry)?
Behaviourally yes for some pets. Some cats and dogs prefer wet food (higher palatability) — feeding wet first satisfies the initial hunger, then dry follows as filler. For others, mixing the two is fine. There's no nutritional reason to insist on one order.
Why not just go wet-only or dry-only?
You can — both work nutritionally if the food is complete-and-balanced. Wet-only is excellent for cats (hydration, urinary health) but expensive. Dry-only is cheaper but lower hydration. A split captures most of the wet-food upside at lower cost.
What about senior cats or cats with kidney disease?
Push the wet share to 70–100%. For an IRIS-staged CKD cat or any senior cat with elevated kidney values, the moisture from canned food is one of the highest-leverage interventions you can make at home — sustained dehydration accelerates CKD progression. The "wet is expensive" framing in the answer above does NOT apply to these cats; the wet food IS the therapy. Coordinate with your vet on a renal-formulated wet diet (Hill's k/d, Royal Canin Renal, Purina NF) once stage 2+ is diagnosed.