Cat treats!

Hi everyone, what cat treats do you buy your fur babies? Recommend your kitties favorite choice.

I am planning to go to Walmart tomorrow and as a mother to two dogs, I know there are some brands they love, some they'll take if there's nothing else around, and some they won't touch. Amira is my first cat and I had her for three months and have yet to buy treats. So since I am going to do some shopping tomorrow, I would like an idea of which treats are more preferable to cats.

You're not going to find any bio appropriate treats at walmart. You need to hit up a pet store. You want to feed 100% freeze dried meat treats only. Cats are obligate carnivores and need meat, so don't buy any of those crappy temptations or anything like that. Good brands are

Whole Life

Bravo

Orijen

Pure bites

missmimz said:

You're not going to find any bio appropriate treats at walmart. You need to hit up a pet store. You want to feed 100% freeze dried meat treats only. Cats are obligate carnivores and need meat, so don't buy any of those crappy temptations or anything like that. Good brands are

Whole Life
Bravo
Orijen
Pure bites

Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip! Unfortunately, the nearest pet store is about three hours away. I'm from a one horse town lol[emoji]129303[/emoji], even Walmart is in the next town from me. Maybe I can order them online? Thanks again[emoji]9786[/emoji]

Lea98 said:

 Maybe I can order them online? Thanks again[emoji]9786[/emoji]

Click to expand...

Yes for sure! Amazon carries them, so does Chewy.

https://www.chewy.com/s?rh=c:325,c:391,c:1554

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_...s=freeze+dried+cat+treats&tag=&tag=thecatsite

Many healthy treats can be bought online from various pet supply web sites and Amazon Here's a TCS thread with brands members feed: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/314398/what-treats-do-you-feed-your-cat

The occasional "junky" treat like Temptations or Friskies is not a problem, like how many people on an otherwise healthy diet indulge in a slice of cake or other treat for a birthday or something. Just keep the "junky" treats to the rare special treat. Healthy treats can be fed more often but I'd still limit it to a few pieces a day or even less often than that.

Plain cooked meats make great treats If you're cutting up chicken or something for your own dinner prep, reserve a small piece and poach it in plain water until cooked. Many cats love cooked chicken. Some cats will even eat raw chicken. Whichever your cat prefers, make sure the meat you buy hasn't been enhanced with flavorings or broth or solutions. Read the fine print on the label.

I give my cats junky treats, but it's certainly not very often. They go mental over Dreamies and Temptations but they get a little few each if they've behaved themselves (or admittedly sometimes if I need to coerce them out of a particular room...) 

I don't see any issue with it. The treats are locked away, they don't beg for them until they hear the bag, and they're otherwise very healthy little things.

My cat goes absolutely nuts for the PureBites treats (chicken and shrimp are his favorites) so I use those for training. His absolute favorite treats, though, are these Friskies Party Mix Puffs things. I know they're straight-up junk food for him so he only gets those when we have to do something he REALLY hates, like trim his nails or give him medication. He loves them so much that he'll start purring when I get out a syringe because he knows he's getting the good treats at the end!

My cat loves Pure Bits in chicken and turkey flavor. He's also partial to the Natural Balance in rabbit. I'm unsure about how healthy Natural Balance treats are (can anyone tell me?) but it's first ingredient is rabbit and I only give that occasionally.

cheshirebite said:

 
 He's also partial to the Natural Balance in rabbit. I'm unsure about how healthy Natural Balance treats are (can anyone tell me?) but it's first ingredient is rabbit and I only give that occasionally.

Click to expand...

Yeah they're not great. The ideal cat treat should be meat only. 

cheshirebite said:

 
My cat loves Pure Bits in chicken and turkey flavor. He's also partial to the Natural Balance in rabbit. I'm unsure about how healthy Natural Balance treats are (can anyone tell me?) but it's first ingredient is rabbit and I only give that occasionally.

Click to expand...

Nope, not great treats but the occasional one or two is fine. They may also be useful as a bribe to get your cat to take medicine or get into the carrier.

LTS3 said:

 
Nope, not great treats but the occasional one or two is fine. They may also be useful as a bribe to get your cat to take medicine or get into the carrier.

Click to expand...

missmimz said:

 
Yeah they're not great. The ideal cat treat should be meat only. 

Click to expand...

I see. I'll definitely keep that in mind. Guess I should buy another to use more often. Do you have any rec aside from Pure Bites?

WalMart carries Purely Fancy Feast treats, chicken, tuna & salmon. One ingredient, the fillet comes in a single serve foil packet. There is another brand similar on the shelf.

IMO if you are feeding the healthiest canned food that you can afford, get whatever treats you want. The operative word is 'treat' and a few pieces each day isn't going to hurt. My friend has fed Friskies for decades, her cats have all lived to be mostly healthy 16-22 years old. Canned foods and lot's of water is what is important, unless your cat has a specific health issue that requires a special diet? Check out www.catinfo.org   and also this site for articles on feeding recommendations. Expensive doesn't automatically translate into healthy ingredients.

cheshirebite said:

 Do you have any rec aside from Pure Bites?

Click to expand...

I posted a link to healthy treats in my link above. Here it is again: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/314398/what-treats-do-you-feed-your-cat

PureBites is definitley not the only brand of freeze dried treats out there My cats like Vital Essential treats. Independent pet stores have a much better selection of healthy treats than a chain like Petco. Ordering online is always an option from various pet supply web sites and Amazon and the like.

Greypaws said:

 
WalMart carries Purely Fancy Feast treats, chicken, tuna & salmon. One ingredient, the fillet comes in a single serve foil packet. There is another brand similar on the shelf.

Click to expand...

Yes but the litte bag only contains a few pieces of freeze dried meat. That's why many people recommened to buy the PureBites for dogs. The bigger bag only costs a few dollars more but you get more treats than if you buy the cat PureBites. You just break the larger PureBite pieces into smaller pieces for a cat so one bag of PureBites for dogs might be at least 2 or 3 bags of the PureBites for cats.

Many freeze dried meat treats for dogs can be fed to a cat so look in the dog treat aisle of the store. Just be sure that the only ingredient is meat. Avoid the treats that are more jerky-like since those may be too tough for a cat.

Greypaws said:

 
WalMart carries Purely Fancy Feast treats, chicken, tuna & salmon. One ingredient, the fillet comes in a single serve foil packet. There is another brand similar on the shelf.

IMO if you are feeding the healthiest canned food that you can afford, get whatever treats you want. The operative word is 'treat' and a few pieces each day isn't going to hurt. My friend has fed Friskies for decades, her cats have all lived to be mostly healthy 16-22 years old. Canned foods and lot's of water is what is important, unless your cat has a specific health issue that requires a special diet? Check out www.catinfo.org   and also this site for articles on feeding recommendations. Expensive doesn't automatically translate into healthy ingredients.

Click to expand...

I dont have a nearby WalMart but I'll check online. Thanks.

LTS3 said:

 
I posted a link to healthy treats in my link above. Here it is again: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/314398/what-treats-do-you-feed-your-cat

PureBites is definitley not the only brand of freeze dried treats out there

My cats like Vital Essential treats. Independent pet stores have a much better selection of healthy treats than a chain like Petco. Ordering online is always an option from various pet supply web sites and Amazon and the like.

Click to expand...

Okay, thank you! So would treats meant for dogs be okay for cat? My dog has a Spot Farms sausage treat, so now I'm wondering if that's safe/okay for my cat too? Or does that only apply to freeze dried treats since it's only got one ingredient?

cheshirebite said:

 
I dont have a nearby WalMart but I'll check online. Thanks.

Click to expand...

The Fancy Feast treats are sold at any grocery store in the cat food aisle. Target, if you have one, sells it too. Other stores like Tractor Supply and definitely pet stores will have it.

cheshirebite said:

 
Okay, thank you! So would treats meant for dogs be okay for cat? My dog has a Spot Farms sausage treat, so now I'm wondering if that's safe/okay for my cat too? Or does that only apply to freeze dried treats since it's only got one ingredient?

Click to expand...

Stick to only the freeze dried treats for dogs that only contain one ingredient which should be either meat or seafood.

I did a search fo the Spots Farm treats and they are definite no-nos to give to a cat

LTS3 said:

 
The Fancy Feast treats are sold at any grocery store in the cat food aisle. Target, if you have one, sells it too. Other stores like Tractor Supply and definitely pet stores will have it.

Stick to only the freeze dried treats for dogs that only contain one ingredient which should be either meat or seafood.

I did a search fo the Spots Farm treats and they are definite no-nos to give to a cat

Click to expand...

Ah, I see. I'll check that out. Thank you. I've not given my cat that treat though he comes sniffing around and will def make sure never to do it. Again, thank you!  

My house, the treat is canned tuna.  My cats couldn't care less about actual cat treats.  But when I open a can of tuna and sit down and start eating it, next thing I know I'm being circled by furry sharks.  So they usually get a forkful or two each.