When it comes to the feline diet, there is a dizzying array of options. This is especially true when it comes to the best cat treats aisle.
Selecting a treat isn’t as simple as picking up a bag from your local grocer’s shelf or a bag of the best cat food on your local pet store. Now there are a myriad of options ranging from natural, crunchy or soft, hairball formulas, tartar control, freeze-dried, joint health, and much more.
So how do you choose the right cat treat for your feline? This answer is complex. You must take into account your cat’s age and weight, as well as any special health requirements. There are many treats available that help add additional nutrition and benefits that aren’t obtained from your cat’s regular food, supplementing your cat’s diet.
In addition to affecting your cat’s overall health, treats can go a long way in strengthening your bond with your cat. Giving your cat a treat when you leave for work and when you come home at night can give your cat a comforting routine.
However, the benefits of choosing the right cat treat for your cat goes beyond showing your cat affection throughout the day. Treats can help with training, positive behavioral reinforcement, supplementing your cat’s diet, assisting in health condition control, and aiding towards your cat’s overall health.
With the amount of options available today, choosing the right cat treats can be a bit overwhelming. Start by looking at your cat food’s ingredients and reading this review of 5 popular cat treats on the market to help you make the right decision for you and your feline.
Comparison Chart
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Best Cat Treats Reviews
1. Hartz Delectables Gourmet
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Looking for a tasty snack to feed your furry friend in between meals? Each bite of Hartz Delectable Gourmet cat treats is produced with premium flavors and a delicious crunch that your cat will crave.
Product Highlights
Hartz Delectable Gourmet cat treats were created to give your cat a delicious reward with each and every bite. Each of these crunchy snacks provides your cat with 100% complete and balanced nutrition and is based in delicious flavors your felines will absolutely go crazy for.
This crunchy cat treat comes in mouthwatering braised chicken and tuna flavors and your choice between 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 packs! Crunchy texture is satisfying for your cat to chew and the perfect way to reward your cat in between meals.
Each Hartz Delectable Gourmet treat product is made entirely in the USA with promises to give your cat the taste that they are looking for. Your cat is sure to come running every time.
What’s to like about the Hartz Delectables Gourmet
These Hartz Delectable Gourmet cat treats come at an amazing value, less than $2 for a single pack! Cat seems to enjoy it as a tasty treat and come running every time. We also like that this product is made in the US and meets US regulations for balanced and complete nutrition.
What’s not to like about the Hartz Delectables Gourmet
While this product does contain some vitamins and minerals essential to adult cat maintenance, the first few ingredients contain ground corn, wheat flour, and corn gluten – fillers that do not benefit your cat’s health. Furthermore, this product contains artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives, salt, and sodium – formulas that we don’t recommend in cat treats.
PROS
- checkAmazing value
- checkComplete and balanced nutrition
- checkCats enjoy it
CONS
- Contains artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives
- Grains and fillers are the first ingredients on the ingredient list
- Contains levels of salt and sodium
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2. Wellness Kittles
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Our pets are our family, so naturally you only want to feed them the best. This includes snack and treat time too. Wellness Kittles is your number one choice for an all-natural, grain-free crunchy treats that also benefits your cat’s health.
Product Highlights
Wellness Kittles is a 100% natural and grain-free crunchy cat treat designed to give your cats more of what they need and less of what they don’t while benefiting their health and keep your cat’s teeth clean.
These irresistibly tasty treats are 100% grain and wheat free and made entirely in the USA. Wellness Kittles are not only as tasty as they are healthy. They also have a crunchy texture that benefits your cat’s teeth.
Every bite is packed with big taste and amazing flavors including whole-food ingredients like chicken, turkey, duck, tuna, whitefish and salmon paired with cranberries and blueberries. These treats are under 2-calories each and contain absolutely nothing artificial.
What’s to like about the Wellness Kittles
We love that real meat is Wellness Kittle’s #1 ingredient, followed by premium veggies and fruits. All-natural ingredients contain no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives and are produced right here in the USA. Wellness backs all of their products proudly by the Wellness Guarantee to ensure that your feline is receiving nothing but the best.
What’s not to like about the Wellness Kittles
While consumers inherently agree that these cat treat are jammed packed with healthy cat ingredients, some users found these treat sizes to be large in size.
PROS
- checkFirst ingredient is real meat
- checkPremium veggies and fruits
- checkAll-natural with no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives
CONS
- Large treat size may not be good for small cats
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3. Purine DentalIfe
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You adore your cat, so naturally you want to share treat time with her. Choose Purine Dentalife for a flavor she loves and the wellness she deserves.
Product Highlights
Purina Dentalife is made with delicious poultry and seafood flavors that cats can’t get enough of. This treat doesn’t just taste good, Dentalife adds a crunchy texture that cats love while cleaning their teeth, freshening her breath and helping to keep her gums healthy.
Purina Dentalife’s unique porous design is scientifically proven to surround your cat’s teeth for the ultimate clean and control over tartar buildup. These treats work well in addition to your cat’s daily healthy diet. A single treat a day helps to keep your cat’s mouth and teeth clean, creating a healthy happy feline friend without overindulging her.
What’s to like about the Purine DentalIfe
Purina Dentalife was designed specifically towards feline dental health, and it does just that. We like that this product comes in two flavors that cats seem to love. Plus Purina Dentalife treats don’t have any artificial colors or flavors and seem to be less fatty than other treats.
What’s not to like about the Purine DentalIfe
In order to properly surround your kitty’s teeth, these dental treats are rather large. This however, poses some issues for smaller/younger cats who may have trouble handling larger treats.
PROS
- checkLarge crunchy treats help with dental prevention and treatment
- checkTartar control
- checkNo artificial flavors or preservatives
CONS
- Large treat size difficult for small cats
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4. TEMPTATIONS Classic Treats
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“TEMPTATIONS” is a popular cat treat available on the market with claims to being America’s #1 favorite (based on sales data). With a variety of flavor and treat options to treat certain conditions, Temptations may very well be your best bet.
Product Highlights
“TEMPTATIONS” is a low-calorie nutritionally complete and balanced cat treat for your adult cat. These irresistible treats come in 9 unique formulas including turkey, tuna, shrimp, seafood, salmon, dairy, chicken, catnip, and beef.
A unique pocket shape gives you cat’s the crunchiness they enjoy on the outside, with a soft and creamy inside they simply can’t get enough of. Whether you need assistance with hairball control, dental cleaning, or just a treat for you and your furry friend to bond over, Temptations is one of the best and most popular options available for you and your kitty.
What’s to like about the TEMPTATIONS Classic Treats
Temptations cat treats are great for use anytime. We like that they come in so many flavors, with a unique crunchy outside and soft inside design your cats are sure to love. The design and formula are also created to help with dental and hairball control, two common problems among cats.
What’s not to like about the TEMPTATIONS Classic Treats
The very first ingredient on this packaging is chicken by-products, which we know isn’t beneficial for cats. Furthermore, this product contains lots of grains and unhealthy carbohydrates along with artificial flavoring, coloring, and preservatives.
PROS
- check9 unique flavor options
- checkCrunchy outside and soft inside that cats love
- checkDesigned to help with dental and hairball control
CONS
- Contains poultry by-products
- Grains and carbohydrates
- Artificial coloring, flavoring, and preservatives
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5. Bellrock Growers Pet Greens
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Are you looking for a top-rated all-natural treat supplement to feed your cat? Look no further than Bellrock Growers Pet Greens as a treat alternative. Keep reading to learn more!
Product Highlights
Bellrock Growers Pet Greens is committed to providing your pet a completely green alternative to cat treats. Cereal grasses are known to contain tons of chlorophyll and are packed with minerals, antioxidant vitamins, and other nutrients that promote optimal health.
This product is completely free of harmful soy, corn, and wheat gluten ingredients, containing absolutely no artificial colors and flavors. Bellrock Growers Pet Greens promises your cat a superior source of green nutrition, along with fiber for improved digestion system.
Bellrock Growers Pet Greens semi-moist mouthwatering cat treat contains real meat as the very first ingredient, plus nourishing Omega-3 fatty acids that support coat and skin health. These bite-sized morsels contain nutrient-rich wheatgrass for essential fiber, antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins.
Available in 4 delicious recipes Bellrock Growers Pet Greens provides your pet with great tastes that they will love and satisfies their natural instinct to eat chemically-treated outdoor grass and harmful houseplants.
What’s to like about the Bellrock Growers Pet Greens
Bellrock Growers Pet Greens is the ideal choice for owners who want to feed their cat the very best. This product not only contains all of the ingredients that you would look for in a cat treat, it also has a ton of extra vitamins and minerals to support a healthy cat. This product is ideal for cats that have sensitive stomachs.
What’s not to like about the Bellrock Growers Pet Greens
This product has a very specific smell that some cats aren’t too fond of. Cat owners with picky eaters may have trouble getting their cat to eat these healthy treats.
PROS
- checkAll-natural with no artificial ingredients
- checkReal meat is #1 on ingredient list
- checkTons of added nutrients and benefits for a healthy cat
CONS
- Picky eaters may not love this cat treat. It has a very specific smell and taste
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BUYER’S GUIDE
As a responsible cat parent, you lavish your feline with attention, love, and of course – treats! Attention and love are calorie-free, while treats are not. This means that the diet that you choose to feed your cat including treats can easily make your cat overweight. So before you pick up a treat bag, check the label and choose healthy options.
Treats can be invaluable to reinforcing learned behavior and rewarding positive behavior during training. They are also a fun and inexpensive way to show your cat affection.
However, between 40% and 50% of cats suffer from obesity, therefore cat treats should be rationed responsibly. No more than 10% of your cat’s daily calorie intake should derive from cat treats, while the rest should come from healthy pet food.
Some felines are rather finicky, while others will happily enjoy anything that is put in front of them. It’s okay to indulge your pet in a delicious snack every now and again, but you want to be sure that the ingredients to these snacks are as safe as the food you feed her. When choosing a treat for your cat, be sure to consider:
Key Feature 1: Intended Use
If you plan on using your treats during positive reinforcement training, you’ll want to choose a smaller, low calorie choice. Look for treats that are consumed quickly and easily to provide minimal distraction from the training task at hand.
Key Feature 2: Treat Frequency
There’s nothing wrong with giving your cat a lot of treats, if that’s what you like to do. However, if you plan are treating your cat often, it’s a good idea to consider lower-calorie and low-fat options to ensure that your feline maintains a healthy weight. In general, veterinarians recommend keeping treats to only 5%-10% of your cat’s diet, depending on their weight and health.
Key Feature 3: Age and Relevant Medical Conditions
If your older cat has a dental condition that makes eating crunchy foods difficult, you’ll want to search for a softer option. The same goes for allergies and other medical conditions. Before you make a treat purchase, it’s a good idea to consult with your veterinarian about the best treat for your cat’s age and condition.
Key Feature 4: Your Cat’s Preferences
Last but not least, you’ll want to take your cat’s preferences into account. There are a plethora of treats available in-store and online today, ranging in styles, flavors, and forms to fit your cat’s unique tastes and personality. When trying out a new treat, purchase a small bag and see if your cat enjoys it before investing in something larger.
Cat Treats F.A.Q.
What ingredients should I look for in a cat treat?
Just like your cat’s everyday food, you’ll want to consider the ingredients provided in your cat treats. To ensure healthy maintenance look for labels that suggest “complete and balanced nutrition”. These types of treats will have the right types of vitamins and nutrients needed to keep your feline healthy and balanced. However, don’t be fooled into thinking that treats with this label are the healthiest for your pet only that they meet the minimum regulation for healthy and balanced pet food. The fewer and simpler the ingredients are, the better. Look for treats that contain raw meats as their number one ingredients with little to salt or sodium, as this can cause trouble with your cat.
Can cat treats help with health conditions?
There are a plethora of treats that claim to be beneficial for your cat’s teeth by preventing gingivitis and reducing tartar. However, it’s always a good idea to reach out to your veterinarian for the best dental care treats. There are many great but affordable cat foods that are designed to manage health conditions for you cat. If you cat happens to be on a therapeutic food diet or special food, their treats should follow the same protocol as their wet or dry food. Also, bear in mind to keep and maintain clean water for your cats to drink or get the best cat water fountain for them.
What cat treat ingredients should I steer clear of?
When you set out shop for cat treats, take a pass on products that are full of artificial preservatives, fillers, flavors, and coloring. Always avoid treats that contain grains, meat by-products, and sugars that are high in carbohydrates. These treats can alter your cat’s blood sugar balance contributing to obesity and heart problems. Additionally, treats that are produced from plant protein rather than animal protein work against the metabolic design of the carnivorous feline. If the ingredients contain a long list of chemical names you can’t identify, it’s best to put it back on the shelf in favor of something more natural.
FINAL VERDICT
Although cat treats are well…treats, they are still an important part of your cats diet apart from relaxing in comfortable, best cat house. When choosing the best cat treat for your pet, you have to take into consideration ingredients, calories, and health benefits just like you would their daily cat food. Similarly to cat food, you want to stay away from treats that contain harmful fillers, sodium, and meat by-products instead of the real deal. Last but not least, you have to consider your cat’s preferences and what kind of treats they enjoy.
Based on these considerations and the above review our clear winner is Bellrock Growers Pet Greens. This all-natural “green” cat treat is jam-packed with healthful ingredients that are beneficial for your cat. Furthermore, their very first ingredient is real meat, and they don’t have any artificial flavors, coloring, or preservatives. Bellrock Growers Pet Greens is making some cool scientifically backed advancement in pet care that your cat is sure to look and feel great from.
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The only downside to this product is that some cats didn’t enjoy the smell or taste. We’re guessing that this may be a little too “green” for some cats and may take some time to get used to. If you need a delicious alternative that still has many of the same benefits, we recommend Wellness Kittles as a second option.
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Wellness Kittles also has real meat at the very top of their ingredients list, no artificial flavoring or colors, no grains, and no by-products. If your cat is a picky eater, they are sure to find something that they love with 6 different all-natural meat and berry flavors, along with premium and healthful ingredients.