You already know the awesome power of a cat treat if you've ever opened a cabinet door and had your cat suddenly appear out of nowhere. Treats are a wonderful tool for connecting with your pet, reinforcing good behaviour or just showing them some love.

But the pet supply aisle can be daunting. How do you know what is truly best for your furry friend?

Read The First Ingredient

Cats are obligate carnivores. This means that their bodies are biologically made to process meat and not plants, grains or artificial fillers.

When you buy a bag of cat treats, turn it over and look at the ingredients list. Ingredients are listed by weight, from highest to lowest, just like human food.

• The Good: Always look for a recognisable animal protein as the first ingredient. Look for specific words like chicken, turkey, salmon, beef or duck.
• The Bad: If the first ingredient is corn, wheat, soy or 'by-product meal', the treat is mostly fillers. They don't have much nutritional value and can add unnecessary empty calories to your kitty's diet.

 

The 10 Per cent Rule

The golden rule when it comes to pet treats is that treats should never make up more than 10% of your cat's daily calories. The remaining 90% must be from a complete and balanced standard cat food.

Think of treats like cookies or chips for people. No matter how good they are, overfeeding your cat on treats can lead to unwanted weight gain or depriving them of vital vitamins found only in their regular food. If the calorie count per treat is not on the back of the bag, skip that treat brand.

Understand the Different Types of Treats

Cat treats generally fall into four major categories. Each type has its own unique benefits, depending on what your cat likes best.

Choose The Right Treat For Your Cat’s Life Stage

Just as human babies and grandparents eat different things, cats need different treats as they age.

 

For Energetic Kittens 

Kittens are growing fast and burning a massive amount of energy. Look for treats specifically labelled for kittens, as these often contain extra protein and healthy fats to help support brain and muscle development. Make sure to give the treats small and soft enough to chew with their tiny teeth.

 

For House Cats (Adult)

Indoor cats, as most adult cats, spend a lot of time sleeping, so they tend to get fat. Lean heavily towards low-calorie foods for adult cats. Choose treats that are less than 2 calories per piece so you can reward them guilt-free.

 

For Smart Senior Cats

Older cats often have sensitive teeth, sore gums or a reduced sense of smell and taste. Soft chews or lickable purees are great for seniors. It smells great like a lickable treat, and it is soft so there is no painful chewing at all.

Avoid Hidden Nasties

When you check the back of the package, try to keep the ingredient list as short and natural as possible. Ideally, there are three things you want to avoid:

 

Artificial Colours

Cats couldn’t care less about the colour of their food! Artificial dyes (such as Red 40 or Yellow 5) are added to make the food more appealing to human buyers, but they can upset a cat’s stomach on occasion.

 

Chemical Preservatives

Opt for natural preservatives like mixed tocopherols (which is a fancy way of saying Vitamin E) instead of synthetic chemicals like BHA or BHT.

 

Too Much Sugar

Sometimes, cheap treats are made to taste better by adding ingredients like molasses, corn syrup or sucrose. Cats do not taste sweetness very well, and too much sugar can lead to them becoming overweight.

The Single-Ingredient Test

If you want to avoid the headache of reading complicated labels altogether, look for single-ingredient freeze-dried treats.

Typically, these treats are made from a single ingredient, like 100% freeze-dried chicken breast or 100% freeze-dried salmon. They’re incredibly healthy, with no grains, no chemicals and no mystery fillers and very unlikely to cause any digestive upset. They are the closest thing to what a cat would eat in the wild.

Checklist For Your Next Grocery Trip

Next time you’re in the pet store aisle, run through this quick mental checklist to find your kitty’s ultimate prize:

• Is it real meat?
• Does the package clearly state the number of calories per treat?
• Is the texture appropriate for my cat’s age and teeth?
• Is the ingredient list short and does not contain artificial colours?

Cats are all individuals. Some people will go crazy for fish flavours; some will like chicken. Feel free to buy a few small bags of different varieties to see what makes your cat purr the loudest. Happy treating!