The maths, with your numbers
No guesswork and no brand chart. This is the same calculation a vet does on paper, so you can check it.
What this means for the bowl
Hill's Science Diet Kitten Chicken Recipe sits in the middle of the 55 dry cat foods we track, at 407 kcal per cup.
To show how much the food matters: a 4 lb kitten needs about 274 kcal a day. That is ⅝ cup of this food, but ⅜ cup of Purina Pro Plan Kitten Complete Essentials Chicken & Rice and ⅞ cup of Kirkland Signature Healthy Weight. Same cat, same day, very different scoops.
A level 8 oz measuring cup holds about 100 g of this kibble. If you have kitchen scales, weighing is more accurate than scooping, because a heaped cup holds noticeably more than a level one.
Kittens need about two and a half times their resting energy until they are a year old. The Merck Veterinary Manual notes that kittens can also be fed free choice. If you portion meals, weigh your kitten weekly and recalculate.
Hill's Science Diet Kitten Chicken Recipe feeding chart
Daily amounts for growing kittens with no treats, from the label calories and the AAHA 2021 energy factors. Split the amount into meals.
| Weight | Kitten |
|---|---|
| 1 lb 0.5 kg | ¼ cup24 g |
| 2 lb 0.9 kg | ⅜ cup40 g |
| 3 lb 1.4 kg | ½ cup54 g |
| 4 lb 1.8 kg | ⅝ cup67 g |
| 5 lb 2.3 kg | ¾ cup80 g |
| 6 lb 2.7 kg | ⅞ cup91 g |
| 8 lb 3.6 kg | 1 ⅛ cups113 g |
Label values: 407 kcal per cup, 4,067 kcal per kg. Source: hillspet.com, checked 18 Oct 2026.
Questions
How much Hill's Science Diet Kitten Chicken Recipe should I feed a 4 lb kitten?
About ⅝ cup or 67 g a day for a kitten, before treats. That is 274 kcal a day divided by the food’s label value. Use the calculator above to adjust for your pet.
How many calories are in Hill's Science Diet Kitten Chicken Recipe?
The label states 407 kcal per cup, 4,067 kcal per kg (checked 18 Oct 2026). Recipes change, so check your bag.
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