Treats!! Do you treat or not?

p3 and the king · Jul 24, 2014

Mine love Temptations treats. I know it's not the healthiest but they don't get a lot. I've tried natural, organic, holistic, and all the premium treats and they turn their noses up at them... But love their Temptations. I try to make sure they get natural chicken or turkey flavor. No fish flavors. Do any of your kitties love these treats or any treats? Do you treat at all? I can't even say the word without being swarmed in my household!

southern belle · Jul 24, 2014

I have a love/hate relationship with Temptations.

An overweight, neighborhood cat has slowly adopted up. He was a kibble addict. I tried everything healthy I could think of as a topper (meat baby foods, sardines, healthy meat treats, raw and cooked chicken, etc.) Finally, I pressed a few Temptations into his wet and Voila! But, it was taking about a dozen treats to get him to clean his plate, far too fattening.

So using a flat meat pounder, I half filled a freezer bag, laid it on the garage floor, and released my frustrations! I poured my Temptations powder into a jar and sprinkled the top of his wet food.

But now I have another monster.... He finally loves wet food but turns his nose up and stares at me until he gets his sprinkles!

They still get whole Temptations in addition to other bagged healthy treats. I don't have to say a word, just shake the bag! But I make them work for it. I throw the treat as far as I can, and they race after it. But they won't get another until they run back to me. Back and forth they go! Now, if someone would throw Hershey's Kisses for me, I might get a little more exercise!

Oh, here's a good one. I had to be out of town last month. I told my son (summer break from college) to feed the boys. They must have been two very happy cats because they got to free feed off a huge bowl of Temptations for over a day! I should have know that expecting a 21 yo to actually open a can was too much work!

catsallaround · Jul 24, 2014

I do not give "cat treats" I give them wet food or cooked chicken as they hate it raw. Raw ground beef too if I know they were settled a while and more likely to eat it.

p3 and the king · Jul 24, 2014

Southern Belle said:
I have a love/hate relationship with Temptations.

An overweight, neighborhood cat has slowly adopted up. He was a kibble addict. I tried everything healthy I could think of as a topper (meat baby foods, sardines, healthy meat treats, raw and cooked chicken, etc.) Finally, I pressed a few Temptations into his wet and Voila! But, it was taking about a dozen treats to get him to clean his plate, far too fattening.

So using a flat meat pounder, I half filled a freezer bag, laid it on the garage floor, and released my frustrations! I poured my Temptations powder into a jar and sprinkled the top of his wet food.

But now I have another monster.... He finally loves wet food but turns his nose up and stares at me until he gets his sprinkles!

They still get whole Temptations in addition to other bagged healthy treats. I don't have to say a word, just shake the bag! But I make them work for it. I throw the treat as far as I can, and they race after it. But they won't get another until they run back to me. Back and forth they go! Now, if someone would throw Hershey's Kisses for me, I might get a little more exercise!

Oh, here's a good one. I had to be out of town last month. I told my son (summer break from college) to feed the boys. They must have been two very happy cats because they got to free feed off a huge bowl of Temptations for over a day! I should have know that expecting a 21 yo to actually open a can was too much work!

I don't have to say the word, either, really. I just have to open the cabinet they are in. There's only one reason I go in that cabinet and they know it!!

I make them "talk" to me or do something to earn it. They get maybe 5 treats at most at one time. Never more. I look at it like candy. It's called a treat for a reason. I'd die if someone I entrusted to look after them used the treats instead of food!!

A bag last me about 2 weeks, sometimes longer. A plastic container last about a month or more. But, they really do turn their noses up at the "good" treats... They look at me as if to say "Healthy 'treats"? Who are you trying to fool, lady? We're not working for THAT!"

nora1 · Jul 24, 2014

I give treats for sure! Treats are for after vet visits and after teeth brushing. And when I say treats, I mean 2-3 max lol!

p3 and the king · Jul 24, 2014

catsallaround said:
I do not give "cat treats" I give them wet food or cooked chicken as they hate it raw. Raw ground beef too if I know they were settled a while and more likely to eat it.

I do that, too. Although, I don't give them beef because it is likely to flare up Phoebe's tummy troubles (too much acid).

p3 and the king · Jul 24, 2014

Nora1 said:
I give treats for sure! Treats are for after vet visits and after teeth brushing. And when I say treats, I mean 2-3 max lol!

Yes, especially after vet visits or some stressful event. I also do it for birthdays. I don't do it every day but each time I do, it's never more than 5. They maybe get them 2 or 3 times a week. Usually I offer them cooked chicken instead of treats.

catsallaround · Jul 24, 2014

P3 and The King said:
I do that, too. Although, I don't give them beef because it is likely to flare up Phoebe's tummy troubles (too much acid).

Only issue with giving them meat is when I make something...they line up with the sad eyes lol. "Puss in boots" from Shrek

p3 and the king · Jul 24, 2014

catsallaround said:
Only issue with giving them meat is when I make something...they line up with the sad eyes lol. "Puss in boots" from Shrek

Mine are pretty good about not begging... Unless it's macaroni and cheese with tuna or chicken in it, or mac and cheese by itself or anything cheesy... They are all over that and I have to stand up eating!

thehistorian · Jul 24, 2014

The only treat my cat gets are the Vermont Pet Naturals Hip and Joint Support Chews:

http://www.petnaturals.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=70065

She is at too much of a weight risk to get treats just for the sake of getting treats. The good news is she loves the Hip and Joint chews. Haha, doesn't even know it is good for her. She gets one or two a day tops, most of the time she is only given one a day.

p3 and the king · Jul 24, 2014

Thehistorian said:
The only treat my cat gets are the Vermont Pet Naturals Hip and Joint Support Chews:

http://www.petnaturals.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=70065

She is at too much of a weight risk to get treats just for the sake of getting treats. The good news is she loves the Hip and Joint chews. Haha, doesn't even know it is good for her. She gets one or two a day tops, most of the time she is only given one a day.

They used to have a pet specialty store here that wasn't a chain, just locally owned and it made it's own cat treats. They loved them! But they went out of business.

I occasionally make them homemade cat treats myself, but it being the middle of summer, the less I use my oven, the more comfortable it is.

bigperm20 · Jul 24, 2014

My girls couldn't live w/o their Temptation after their play session.

2cats4me · Jul 25, 2014

Our cats love Greenies ..

oneandahalfcats · Jul 25, 2014

Yes, treats in the form of sardines, shrimp, bits of cooked chicken. No commercial dry treats.

pinkdagger · Jul 25, 2014

I only give commercial treats like Temptations after claw trims. While Pure Bites are a treat, I only use them very sparingly and crumbled as a topper for any foods the cats are feeling stubborn about. I use kibble as an end of day "treat" for Kismet though - big winner.

lisahe · Jul 25, 2014

I give certain foods as treats, like small servings of Rad Cat or a little container of Natural Balance's Catatouille split between two cats. They love those as much as dry treats!

malt · Jul 26, 2014

My Mama cat is exceedingly selective when it comes to treats. She is the least food-motivated cat I have ever encountered! I would buy her meat every week if I thought she would eat it, but I've tried giving her chicken, liver, and my flatmate has offered her offcuts of steak and bacon... she leaves it all for her kitten to eat (meanwhile the kitten is a feline garbage disposal). However she does like fish, so sometimes I give her a tin of tuna in springwater. She gets that on special occasions like birthdays, or as compensation for something nasty like going to the vet or taking a pill. My mum's cat gets this dry food she LOVES for the same situations.

mservant · Jul 26, 2014

My boy's never shown interest in any treat offered apart from Thrive's freeze dried white fish - which he will pretty much do anything for but never gets more than 3 or 4 a day (usually less). Tried other Thrive flavours, other freeze dried makes, sardines, pilchards, mackerel, tiny pieces of cooked chicken but he just won't bite. His usual kibble he will hunt down anywhere, and he'll run the length of the apartment if I say 'tooth time, nomanom' and have a smudge of his poultry falvour enzyme toothpaste on my finger or on his little tooth brush.

Oh yes, he'll still come running and look me lovingly in the eye if he gets to lick water from a dripping plastic syringe too. Most of the time he just laps up attention and isn't that motivated by food so giving him a big fuss and ruffling his fur works pretty well too.

stephanietx · Jul 26, 2014

If I do treats, they are grain free or freeze dried. I usually use their regular kibble as "treats".

micknsnicks2mom · Jul 26, 2014

the treats i give snick as treats are: a little hard boiled egg yolk, some cooked (boiled in water) chicken liver, and i used to give her a little spring water from the canned (people) tuna.

snick gets freeze dried chicken treats instead of almost all kibble -- she gets offered in the dish with these treats about 12 kibble per day, which she eats maybe 7-10 of.

i give snick freeze dried chicken treats from my fingers when she lets me brush her (which she hates). it's her special treat for being so brave and so good for mommy.

Treats!! Do you treat or not?

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