10 May 2010
How to Select Healthy Cat Treats
I’ve written a lot about feline nutrition recently (look below for links to recent articles), but one aspect I haven’t covered yet is treats. While treats should always be used judiciously, especially for pets that have a tendency to gain weight, realistically, most pet parents want to occasionally spoil their pets with a special treat. Treats also have their place when it comes to training pets (and yes, cats, too, can be trained). So since most of us will give our pets treats, how do we choose healthy ones for them?
The same thing that applies to food applies to treats as well: cats are obligate carnivores, and as such, do not only not need carbohydrates, but they tend to do poorly on a diet that’s too high in carbs, especially grains. In my quest to find healthy treats for my own cats (I confess that Amber has a penchant for Greenies), I’ve come across three brands that meet my standards of what constitutes a healthy treat for cats.
Wellness Pure Delight Cat Treats are grain-free, wheat-free and contain no soy. I’ve tried these with Amber, but she didn’t care for them. I haven’t tried them with Allegra yet. For more information, visit the Wellness website.
EVO’s Wild Cravings line is a grain-free, all natural dry treat for those kitties that don’t eat dry food but still like to crunch on something every once in a while. They even offer a weight-management line. Amber and Allegra both enjoy these occasionally. For more information, visit the EVO website.
Halo ‘s Liv-a-Little Freeze-Dried Protein Treats come in chicken, wild salmon and beef flavors. These are single ingredient treats and contain just what the name indicates – freeze dried chicken, salmon or beef. As far as Amber and Allegra are concerned, these deserve five paws up. For more information, visit Halo’s website.
Other articles on feline nutrition:
Feeding Raw Food – Separating Myth from Fact
You’ll also find great feline nutrition information on the following websites:
Feline Nutrition Education Society
Feeding Your Cat – Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition
FTC full disclosure: Halo sent me the Liv-a-Little treats to try in hopes that I might review them.
Well sounds like your testers are saying that the Freeze Dried treats are the most popular. I will have to check those out and try some of them. Thanks to those two great testers for letting us know which ones are the best.
Amber, sure hope you are feeling better.
marg
May 10th, 2010 at 8:27 ampermalink
Thank you so much, Ingrid! I’m glad you wrote about this subject. Finding healthy cat treats is not an easy task. We’ll test them here.
Daniela Caride
May 10th, 2010 at 9:33 ampermalink
My kitties also love the Halo freeze-dried treats! But, I keep a small bag of Evo grain free dry food on hand at all times. Since my cats only eat canned Evo, a 10 or so pieces of that dry cat food is just like a treat for them. And since I have 5 cats, buying the bag of dry Evo food is less expensive than buying the little bags of treats.
Thanks for another great post, Ingrid! Sending healing thoughts to Amber!
Danielle Denhardt
May 10th, 2010 at 11:06 ampermalink
I’ll have to check in these treats for Little One and Gum Drop. Thanks for the tips.
Mason
Thoughts in Progress
Mason Canyon
May 10th, 2010 at 12:13 pmpermalink
Our gang are big fans of Greenies.
Layla Morgan Wilde
May 10th, 2010 at 2:14 pmpermalink
Kitty loves Liv-a-little freeze dried chicken and Cat-man-doo bonito flakes. Both are natural treats with no additives or preservatives.
Ivy
May 14th, 2010 at 9:36 pmpermalink
ingrid..yes..trying to get her off temptations (i know) and theonly one she sort of won’t snub all the time is -well-it is no grain..and ..etc. no worries w it.
i just want to ask…aside from how to find the best foods..etc…do you have a way to link up to (that is if you wrote on this) : feline scratching and allergies. and why is it assumed it is food allergy all the time? i am doing my best to switch eliz. over. wont do raw..worry-mostyly cuz she has hcm-and..i don’t know..maybe i worry too much..just bacterias..i know..canned food does too. but..
anyway..have you written on allergies-VARIOUS tyes..and how to ask ones vet to really REALLY help to find the source of the allergy as well as assuming food is it..and..the problems that can occur on the stuff given to help allergy (ie -by means of using a food never eaten)-personally-i need to know more..and my vet-very excellent-but isn’t fond of questions. altho next time i go with elizabeth to vet hospital -i will have written notes. so little time -and i am asking for an ear culture (of the wax) and a full blood-i need to know things for myself. i knoiw some by reading a lot..but not nearly like a vet. but i feel..i don’t always agree with my vet..and they get huffy. i don’t want to LOSE my vet-or -i do trust her–i just..is it wrong to have some doubt??? it is ..hard..with vets.and human dr’s alike.
andrea
andrea
May 24th, 2010 at 2:20 pmpermalink
My cat just loves the Wild Side Salmon cat treats. whats good about them they are high in protien, low in ash and there 100% pure Wild Alaskan Salmon.
Dawn
August 21st, 2010 at 1:17 pmpermalink
Dawn, I’ll have to check out those Wild Side Salmon treats – they sound great!
Ingrid
August 21st, 2010 at 4:56 pmpermalink
Ingrid you can find them here at http://www.onlinepetdepot.com they have the best price on them.
Dawn
August 21st, 2010 at 5:10 pmpermalink