Cat Treats Both You and Your Kitty Will Love

There are lots of reasons cat owners love kitty treats. They are useful for training. They can help prevent feline dental disease. They are good for hiding pills, and they help us bond with our cats. And what cat lover doesn't love to see their cats happy?

Cats, on the other hand, can be quite discerning in their preferences for kitty treats. There are treats your cat will like and treats your cat won't. Here are six kinds of treats your cat will love. We will start with a treat that you may love, too.

Lickable cat treats

Lickable cat treats provide a moment for bonding with your cat.

You hold the lickable cat treat while your cat licks it for protein and flavor. Your cat takes in the flavor of the treat—along with the scent of your hand. Your cat learns to associate you with food, protection, and, as cats understand it, fun. The treat helps you bond with your cat.

Lickable treats are great for bonding with rescue cats. They can help your cat overcome any fear of their new home.

INABA Churu Lickable Cat Treats are a great example of this kind of product. Their only downside is that, like all other lickable treats, they come with a lot of packaging. You shouldn't leave plastic with a food scent out where your cat might swallow it.

Cat treats with protein and a crunch

Crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside describes kitty treats that have softer protein, omega-3 essential fatty acids for a healthy coat (usually from salmon oil), and just a bite of the protein all cats crave.

The potential problem with this kind of treat is that the crunch comes from grain. Not all cats can have grain. A very small number of cats are allergic to grains. You would probably discover this when they had skin reactions to eating dry cat food.

A good example of this kind of kitty treater is Greenie Feline SmartBites Healthy Skin & Fur Salmon Flavor Cat Bites.

Grain free cat treats

Even if your cat is not allergic to wheat, corn, soy, or other grains used to add bulk and texture to dry cat food, there are two good reasons to give your cat grain-free treats. One is that the feline metabolism runs on protein and fat, not carbohydrates. Humans make blood glucose from carbohydrates, but felines make blood sugar from protein.

The other reason to give your cat a grain-free treat is that your kitty likes the taste.

PureBites Freeze-Dried Chicken Breast Cat Treats is a great example of grain-free cat treats. The only problem with this product? It tends to crumble if you put something on top of the bag when you store it.

Treats to help keep your cat calm

Anxious cats and fraidy cats can do things that upset their owners. They may miss the litter box. They may claw the furniture. They may become escape-prone.

Certain kinds of treats contain safe, effective, and natural ingredients that keep your kitty calm without causing lethargy and sedation. The best brands feature a therapeutic dose of vitamin B1 (thiamine) and L-theanine, both nutrients that support normal function of the nervous system. Both ingredients have been scientifically tested.

VETRISCIENCE Composure Calming Treats for Cats is an example of a product in this category.

Cat dental treats to reduce tartar

Nearly all cats develop tartar on their teeth, gum disease, and missing teeth. According to the veterinary website DVM 360, on any given visit to the vet, about one in seven cats will show signs of painful gingivitis. The figure is a lot higher for diabetic cats.

You don't have to let this happen to your cat. You can train your cat to accept getting his teeth brushed several times a week. You will need a feline toothbrush and a specially formulated feline toothpaste, usually liver-flavored and detergent-free. In between brushings, you can give your cat treats to keep tartar from forming on their teeth.

Dental treats for cats get their crunch from grain. You will need to give them to your cat about 15 times a day to make a difference in their dental health. A place to start looking for teeth-cleaning treats for your cat is Greenies Feline Tempting Tuna Flavor Adult Cat Dental Treats.

There is even a treat that will distract your cat from going mousing!

Cats naturally hunt mice. As a pet owner, you may do other things to keep your home rodent-free, but you don't use your cats - there’s too much risk from parasites and diseases they can pick up from their prey. Yet sometimes Kitty goes hunting anyway.

Here's a way to give your cat the sensation of catching prey without the disease potential and the mess. Give your cat a meat stick. They will carry off the stick of meat and eat it at their leisure. You can give them as much or as little meat as you want, but you need to make sure the meat is not out of the package for more than four hours without refrigeration.

There is one category of treats you should not give your cat. Table scraps are never ideal for cats. Any food flavored with onion, garlic, chocolate, or avocado can be toxic to your cat