Cat food cost per month UK (2026), and per year

How much does cat food cost per month in the UK?

Cat food costs about £13.80–£15.60 a month for a 4 kg adult cat on the 3 complete dry foods in our comparison, and £23.70–£95.10 a month on the 5 complete wet foods, at zooplus UK one-off prices checked on 21 October 2026. The published estimates are wider because they assume a mix of foods and allow for treats: Cats Protection says £20 to £50 a month, Battersea £20 to £55, and Perfect Fit (Mars Petcare) £22.20 for a budget diet up to £85.83 for a luxury one. A cat fed only dry food can come in below every charity range; a cat fed only premium wet pouches can come in above it.

How much does cat food cost per year?

Over a year, feeding a 4 kg adult cat costs about £167.90–£189.80 on complete dry food and £288.35–£1,157.05 on complete wet food, taking each food's daily cost from our comparison (prices checked 21 October 2026) and multiplying by 365. On the charities' monthly ranges, food comes to £240 to £600 a year (Cats Protection) or £240 to £660 (Battersea). Both charities put the whole cost of a cat far higher: Cats Protection at over £1,000 a year and Battersea at around £1,500, re-read 22 October 2026. The table gives the same foods per week, month and year, so you can budget at whichever interval you pay.

How much does it cost to feed a cat per day?

Feeding a cat costs from £0.46 to £3.17 a day for a 4 kg adult, across the 8 complete foods we priced. The 3 dry foods sit close together at £0.46–£0.52 a day; the wet foods spread from £0.79 to £3.17. Each figure is the one-off price divided by the pack, times the maker's daily amount for a 4 kg cat, so you can redo the sum for your own cat's weight. Our cat food portion calculatorgives the daily amount from your cat's weight and the calories on the label.

Prices are from the zooplus UK product pages linked in our cat food comparison, checked on 21 October 2026. Kittens eat more for their size than adults: our kitten food comparison works out the cost for a growing kitten.

Is wet or dry cat food cheaper?

Dry food is cheaper per day. The 3 complete dry foods we compared cost £0.46–£0.52 a day for a 4 kg cat, or £13.80–£15.60 a month; the cheapest complete wet food costs £0.79 a day and the dearest £3.17, or £23.70–£95.10 a month (prices checked 21 October 2026). Dry food is denser, so a cat needs only 52 to 60 g a day of the dry foods here against 2½ to 4 pouches of wet. Price is not the only factor: wet food is about 80% water, and International Cat Care says cats tend to concentrate their urine rather than drink more, so cats on dry food should be encouraged to drink. Many owners feed a mix, which lands in between. Our cat food comparison also compares protein per 100 kcal.

How much does wet cat food cost?

Wet cat food costs £0.79–£3.17 a day for a 4 kg cat across the 5 complete wet foods we priced, or £23.70–£95.10 a month. Supermarket brands sold in big multipacks are the cheapest: Whiskas 1+ Poultry Feasts and Felix As Good As It Looks both work out at about £1.01 a day at the low end of their feeding guides. Lily's Kitchen Smooth Paté ranges from £0.79 a day for an indoor or neutered cat to £1.83 for an active one, because its guide gives different amounts. The grain-free Bozita pouches cost £3.17 a day. If your cat needs a gentler recipe, our sensitive stomach cat food comparison prices those too.

Is cat food cheaper at a supermarket?

Not always. Our cat food comparison checked four of the wet foods at Ocado as well as zooplus on 21 October 2026, using the same feeding guides. Purina Pro Plan Sterilised was slightly cheaper at Ocado. Whiskas and Felix cost more there, in 40-pouch packs against zooplus's 84 and 80, and the same 32-pouch Lily's Kitchen pack was more than twice the price at Ocado even on offer. Compare the price per pouch or per kilo rather than the pack price, and check whether a supermarket offer has an end date.

What moves the cost

Wet versus dry

The biggest single factor. On our figures a cat fed only complete dry food costs £13.80–£15.60 a month; the same cat on the dearest wet food costs £95.10. Many owners feed a mix, which lands in between.

Prescription diets

If your vet prescribes a diet for kidney, urinary or weight problems, Cats Protection notes it may cost more than its £20 to £50 range. Ask your practice for the price and how long your cat will need it.

Pack size and subscriptions

Larger bags and repeat orders lower the price per kilo. Our cat food subscription comparison sets out the discounts and delivery terms of the main UK services, dated. Compare the price per kilo or per pouch, not the headline discount. An automatic cat feeder can help you stick to a measured portion of dry food.

Your cat's size and breed

A bigger or more active cat eats more. Breed pages such as the one in our cat breeds hub give typical adult weights, which you can put into the portion calculator.

Food cost vs the total cost of owning a cat

Food is one of the largest regular costs, but on the charities' figures litter and flea and worm treatment add another £30 to £50 a month. Our cost of owning a cat guide builds the full monthly figure from dated prices, with insurance as your own quote, and the pet cost calculator uses the same food figures as this page.

Cats Protection estimates the typical annual cost of a cat at over £1,000. Battersea says around £1,500 a year, and its worked example comes to £1,590.50 including one-off set-up costs (page updated 6 July 2026). The PDSA, using prices it calculated in 2024, puts the minimum at £79 a month and £11,400 to £13,600 over a cat's lifetime. All re-read on 22 October 2026. Bringing home a kitten? Our kitten checklist lists the set-up costs.

Related: Cat foods compared on cost per day · Cat insurance UK · Dog food cost guide