Using regular dry food as cat treat?

I am in the progress of switch my cat from Meow Mix to Natural Balance. He still clearly prefers Meow Mix. After the switch over is done, I plan to use Meow Mix as cat treat for training and other purposes, (since he doesn't like products marketed specifically as "cat treats"). Would this be effective?

Personally I'd find something else. Don't like MM - not with the dyes. Try one of the other crunchy treats. Charlie loves the Temptation ones (little green fish). I take them to the show and mix them with his dry that he eats at the show for a treat.

Originally Posted by yiplong

I am in the progress of switch my cat from Meow Mix to Natural Balance. He still clearly prefers Meow Mix. After the switch over is done, I plan to use Meow Mix as cat treat for training and other purposes, (since he doesn't like products marketed specifically as "cat treats"). Would this be effective?

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In general, using a dry kibble in place of a treat is a good idea.

However, you should NOT use the dry that you are trying to switch AWAY from, as the cat may stop eating and demand only "treats."

MM dry is one of the lowest quality dry foods out there - as GK said, it's loaded with dye in addition to being loaded with fillers.

I would try to find a higher quality dry to use as a treat and eliminate the MM dry completely once you have switched your kitty off of it.

I am currently mixing Nature's Variety Raw Instinct Lamb kibble in with the dry treats my kitties love, and they are loving it up - and I have zero guilt about giving them their "snackies."

I use one food ( mid grade true premium ) and a no grain and I alternate which is food and which is treats... I too suggest finding better quality than MM

I've been using Royal Canin Indoor for treats. Swanie loves it, but I don't like it for his regular food, so he gets it for treats. He loves it so much every time I go upstairs he follows me and stands in front of the closet to show me where they are.

Originally Posted by GingersMom

However, you should NOT use the dry that you are trying to switch AWAY from, as the cat may stop eating and demand only "treats."

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That's a very valid point. Maybe I should find another cat food that he likes to use as treat. A problem with using regular dry food as treat is they come in such huge package, it will take the cat forever to finish a bag and the food invariably goes stale before it can be consumed.

I am not concerned about the quality of Meow Mix, as it is a type of product fit for feline consumption and, won't be a big portion of his diet.

I use Fancy Feast Gourmet Gold as treats. It's small pieces and comes in a 1 lb bag. Nabu goes crazy for the stuff.

Originally Posted by yiplong

A problem with using regular dry food as treat is they come in such huge package, it will take the cat forever to finish a bag and the food invariably goes stale before it can be consumed.

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Back when I was shopping around for different foods, I kept an eye out for trial sizes- Petco and the smaller pet stores would usually have one or two brands available.

Edit: or there are smaller sizes, as mentioned by littleraven7726. I think Chicken Soup also sells a small size.

Trial sizes are a great idea. I actually buy them to use as treats now--that way if they like the food and I think it's a good food, I can put it on my list of potentials should we have to switch. Otherwise I'll just grab a few pieces out of the regular food bag and use that for treats.