Every cat owner likes to spoil the cat every now and then. When you’re shopping in the pet aisle, it’s hard to pass up on the array of cat treats available. Don’t immediately write the treats off either. The right kind of cat treat will serve as a wonderful addition to your cat’s day.
Not every cat treat on the market is going to be the best choice for your cat, but if you balance nutrients and enrichment, it’ll surely make for one happy cat!
Treats Are a Small Part of Your Cat’s Diet
White and black long-haired cat eating treat
Gone are the days of shaking a pile of treats onto the floor or bowl in front of your cat. Before you give your cat enough small treats to fit in the palm of your hand, you should consider what your cat’s overall diet looks like. Keeping your cat healthy means limiting the number of treats they’re given each day.
Cats should only be given a small number of treats per day. In fact, treats should make up less than 10% of your cat’s diet. With how little cats eat in a day, you should expect to only give your cat one or two treats per day.
Treats Give Your Cat Variety
Cat accepting treat
Cat treats can be a great way to give your cat some variety to their diet. Treats keep your cat’s meals fun and interesting. Most cats prefer one kind of cat food to another for their regular food, but many cats will be adventurous when it comes to treats.
If you give your cat mostly wet food, mix your cat’s treat up by giving him or her hard treats. Conversely, if your cat prefers hard food, then try a lickable, squeezable treat to introduce a different texture. Your cat will get tired of the flavor before they get tired of the texture of their cat food, but it can provide you with peace of mind if there is something to change up what your cat expects.
The Treats Use Quality Ingredients
Tan cat eating
You can rest easy knowing your treats are good for your cat if the treats are made with high quality ingredients. Much like what you and I eat every day, cat food can be made of low quality, unhealthy ingredients that will cause weight gain. Check the back of the package of the cat treats before you blindly purchase a bag next time; if you can’t recognize the ingredients, then they could likely be filler ingredients.
Quality ingredients do not mean that they are luxurious either. In fact, the best kind of treats that you can choose for your cat are the snacks you can make with simple ingredients!
Choose Treats That Are Nutritious, Not Just Tasty
Cat with popcorn and honey
Cats recognize flavor – your cat may prefer fish or chicken – but cats will not worry about how tasty their food is. Humans are often attracted to food based on how good it is, but cats are not the same.
You may choose salmon and rice for your cat over plain chicken flavor because it sounds tastier. Your cat, on the other hand, does not care as much about that. Instead, you should focus on treats that are going to add to your cat’s nutrition.
Cats need protein and vitamins to be healthy, so you should look for treats with chicken or fish flavor. At the same time, you should also avoid any treats that include sugar or carbohydrates because cats do not need either to survive.
Treats Can Help with Dental Hygiene
Tan cat showing teeth
Regardless of the flavor or health of a treat, one benefit of crunchy treats is that they can help with your cat’s teeth.
Some cat treats are designed specifically to help with your cat’s dental health, which can be helpful if you don’t know what to choose. Any type of treat that has a crunch can also be useful, especially if your cat traditionally prefers wet cat food. Crunchy treats will naturally help remove plaque and build up from your furry friend’s teeth.
Cat Treats Enhance Your Bond
Tan cat sitting on kitchen table
We all know that the person who feeds the animals is usually the one who is most loved by the animals – and treats are no exception! Treats are a great way to form or strengthen your bond with your cat. This means that not everything always has to be about nutrition; treats can also be a great way to deepen relationships. Be on alert for those indicators of a strong bond!
Treats can be used to tame feral cats when they realize that you are giving them food and not hurting them. Shy or scared cats will begin to warm up to you if they learn that they get a treat whenever they interact with you. Your cat that already adores you will be even happier to see a treat when they come around.
Provide Entertainment and Distraction
Gray cat licking lips
At the end of the day, cat treats – healthy or not – can provide enrichment for your cat because treats can break up your cat’s day. Keep an eye on the signs of a bored cat.
When your cat hears the treat box, they’ll inevitably come skidding into the kitchen where you’re about to dole out their serving of treats. It becomes something that your cat will look forward to each day; they may even learn the routine better than you, and wait for their treats before you even realize what time it is. A predictable routine keeps your cat healthy.
Some cat owners also use treats as a means of distraction. For example, if you need to clip your cat’s claws or give them a bath, a squeezable treat could be the perfect way to distract your cat from what is happening to them. I can’t guarantee a treat will make your cat behave, but it will make what you’re doing easier!
