How do you calculate carbs in cat food?

Carbs = 100 − protein − fat − fiber − moisture − ash, from the guaranteed analysis. To compare foods, divide by the dry matter (100 − moisture) so the water is taken out. If the label leaves out ash, use about 3% for wet food.

What is a low-carb number for wet cat food?

On this site, under 10% carbs once the water is out. Your vet may set a different target, for diabetes for example. See how many carbs are in wet cat food.

Why does the calculator show under 1% for some cans?

Labels give protein and fat as minimums and moisture as a maximum, so very meaty cans can come out at zero or below. Brand lab tests on such cans run a few points higher.

How do I find the calories in a can?

The label lists calorie content (kcal per kg and usually per can). A 10 lb neutered adult cat needs about 261 calories a day by the Merck formula.

Cat food carb calculator

Type the numbers from the guaranteed analysis on any can. The calculator shows carbs, protein and fat once the water is taken out, so cans and pouches compare fairly. Or search the 838 wet cat foods we have already read.

By Curiouser Cats editors · Published October 27, 2026 · Numbers from each brand's own labels and lab tests

Work out the carbs on a label

The example values are Fancy Feast Classic Tender Beef Feast: about 10% carbs once the water is out.¹ Turn on scripts to calculate your own.

Carbs = 100 − protein − fat − fiber − moisture − ash, then divided by the dry matter (100 − moisture). Labels give minimums and maximums, so for very meaty cans the result reads low; brand lab tests, where published, run 2 to 9 points higher. Why labels read carbs low.

Look up a wet cat food

Brand or recipe

838 recipes from 29 brands.

Brands we have read: 9Lives (1), Blue Buffalo (73), Canidae (5), Diamond Naturals (3), Dr. Elsey's (10), Fancy Feast (42), Friskies (31), Fromm (23), Fussie Cat (21), Hill's Science Diet (57), Instinct (9), Meow Mix (1), Merrick (12), Natural Balance (16), Nulo (18), Open Farm (9), Purina Beyond (3), Purina ONE (7), Purina Pro Plan (16), Rachael Ray Nutrish (4), Royal Canin (29), Sheba (33), Solid Gold (3), Stella & Chewy's (2), Taste of the Wild (2), Tiki Cat (130), Wellness (49), Weruva (219), Ziwi Peak (10). The same data is in the wet cat food finder and free as JSON.

Questions people ask

How do you calculate carbs in cat food?: Carbs = 100 − protein − fat − fiber − moisture − ash, from the guaranteed analysis. To compare foods, divide by the dry matter (100 − moisture) so the water is taken out. If the label leaves out ash, use about 3% for wet food.
What is a low-carb number for wet cat food?: On this site, under 10% carbs once the water is out. Your vet may set a different target, for diabetes for example. See how many carbs are in wet cat food.
Why does the calculator show under 1% for some cans?: Labels give protein and fat as minimums and moisture as a maximum, so very meaty cans can come out at zero or below. Brand lab tests on such cans run a few points higher.
How do I find the calories in a can?: The label lists calorie content (kcal per kg and usually per can). A 10 lb neutered adult cat needs about 261 calories a day by the Merck formula.

Review log

Prices checked on Amazon October 27, 2026.
October 27, 2026: Published

Notes and sources

We read 917 wet cat food labels from 30 brands; 838 have enough numbers to look up. See how we do the math.
Prices come from Amazon.

Fancy Feast label: Classic Tender Beef Feast, read October 2026.