Does Everyone Give Their Cats Treats?

[Pjg8r]

i love this forum! The more I read, the more it seems that many/most people give their cats treats on a regular basis. I’ve never really done that. If I need to hide a pill I might use a piece of cheese or meat but other than that they just get their cat food. Is there a reason to give treats that I’m missing?

 

[Alejandra Rico]

Well, in my case, it all started nine years ago with my persian mix, Raistlin, and his hairballs problem. The treats I give him are supposed to help him get rid of those hairballs more easily. Once you start with one of your cats, how can you deny such pleasure to the other ones?

I also reward their good behaviour giving them treats of they do something I want them to repeat. And, sometimew, I just want to spoil them a little bit

 

[lisahe]

No, I don't give treats regularly. We had a cat who did get regular treats, as part of a routine, and she got so focused on them that I swore we wouldn't feed treats that way again. Now the cats just get occasional treats for things like being brushed if they're hesitant, finishing a meal they didn't really want to eat, or when they get underfoot and get a little kick by mistake, something one cat seems to do a lot, hmm.

 

[Merlin77]

No, there's not really a reason for treats. I guess for showing love, but a better way would be play time or a snuggling session if the cat is into those things.

Since you mentioned you use treats to get pills into your cats, you may might want to maintain the effectiveness by using the cats favourite treats only for that situation. Just a thought!

Some treats are marketed as "goood for dental health" (they aren't, really). A good homemade way to keep up with dental health is raw gizzards or chicken wings.

I guess some people also use treats for training, in which case you really need to find a low-calorie treat so you can use it without overfeeding.

Pieces of cheese and meat are pretty good treats, healthwise, though you don't want to give too much cheese.

I personally put some extra toppings on my cats' food when a special event comes up, like their birthday or the holidays. They love freeze-dried minnows and chicken hearts. And those little coffee creamers? They'd die for them!


So, to paraphrase, the basic rules for treats are:

1. Don't feed too much
2. Don't feed too often
3. Save for "special occasions" (like celebrations, training or pill-giving)
4. Make sure the treats are healthy

This just brought back to mind the time where my cat, Snake, needed to have eardrops after an earmite infestation. The poor kitty. She hated the drops. But we had to complete the schedule. 1 drop everyday for a week, one week off, then another week of drops.

After each dose, we'd give her a little freeze-dried minnow. After the second or third time, she would run away after we gave her the drops, but then she'd come back to get her minnow. It was a little heartbreaking. But adorable. We used the minnows because they are extremely low in calories. She went crazy for them! (We also used them to lure her back into our backyard after she snuck into the neighbours yard)


So, in conclusion, treats do have uses but we shouldn't throw them into a cat's mouth at random.

 

[orange&white]

Two of my cats don't get treats. The 3rd cat, who started as a neighborhood feral and who the shelter said was too wild to ever be socialized, gets a few treats out of my hand every day...still building up trust with her that "humans are pretty cool".

 

[duckpond]

My husband loves to give our cats a little treat most nights before bed. Just a few small pieces of freeze dried chicken breast, such as pure bites, or occasionally bonito flakes. They love it, he enjoys it , i just make sure its a healthy snack.

 

[LTS3]

No, there's not really a reason for treats.

Same with cookies, potato chips, etc for people. Do they add any nutritional value to the diet? No. Do we need to eat them daily / weekly / etc? Nope.

Cats don't need treats in their diet but it's nice to indulge in something yummy once in awhile Giving a treat also reinforces good behavior, like taking medicine without fussing.

Freeze dried meat treats are popular and healthy for cats. PureBites is one brand and there are many others. Plain cooked meat is also a healthy option. Some cats will even eat raw meat.

Treats should be limited to just a few pieces no more than a few times a week or even less than that. Some cats get addicted to eating treats and may refuse to eat regular food.

I rarely give treats to my cats.

 

[kristenann]

We use regular dry kibble for treats - which I can be a bit more liberal with than actual treats and they are still thrilled to get. But still we save it for good behavior/training purposes.

 

[lalagimp]

I think we do treats a few times a week. We were doing 'daily' when Tom was taking his Prozac, and the boys got Greenies chicken Pill Pockets every day. Now, the boys might get freeze dried minnows or freeze dried mussels. When I'm feeling generous, the four cats will get crunchy treats. The boys get Greenies dental treats (which do next to nothing beneficially) and the girls get Meow Mix Party Mix. I wish the girls would eat freeze dried treats, but they aren't very interested in PureBites chicken w duck liver. I tend to use PureBites for giving out Bach's Rescue Remedy Pet if a boy needs it, because the liquid drops like the texture.

 

[Ardina]

I mostly use treats for training. My cats love the Stella and Chewy's freeze dried raw food, but only if it's not rehydrated. So I break up a nugget into pieces and use them as treats for rewarding Saipha and Mishka when they remember their tricks. Or to reward them for sitting still when I clip their claws.

 

[Furballsmom]

We use regular dry kibble for treats

and also I'm working on getting a couple of supplements into his system, (joint, perio) and it all seems to go over more easily if I have pieces of those 'treats' mixed in with a few of Orijen's freeze dried treats or alternatively temptations .
He really liked ziwipeak dried venison but not so much lately

 

[Kat0121]

For us, treats are more often used as a topper to wet foods. We use Pure Bites. When they get treats aside from that, it's usually unseasoned grilled, baked or broiled meats that I cooked for myself. They love that. They might get this once a week or so. I stopped buying treats like Temptations in favor of the Pure Bites a while ago.

 

[oonawingedwolf]

I don't give treats any more, mine got addicted and stopped eating regular food trying to get treats.

 

[JamesCalifornia]

~ Probably most do. My cats steal treats from me ! One likes pasta . Another will take my cottage cheese or ice cream . I'm lucky if I get to have any of my own steamed chicken ...
They seem to like the flavor of grain-free kibble so that is used as a treat . FancyFeast grilled canned food is another. ( $$ ! )

 

[NewYork1303]

Our cats only get treats for things that they do. This is my approach for dogs as well. They get treats after getting their teeth brushed, or getting nails clipped, or doing specific tricks.

 

[Furballsmom]

We have to keep a close eye on our asparagus and green olives lol

 

[lavishsqualor]

Atticus and Thirteen each get one PureBites treat every night at bedtime. They know that after we finish brushing our teeth it's bedtime, and as soon as they see me put my toothbrush up they dart to the bed! After their treat they snuggle down and go to sleep.

 

[Furballsmom]

lavishsqualor awww, that's so cool!

 

[ailish]

I don't generally give treats. If I need to call her and she answers to her name I do give a treat. When she catches a mouse I tempt her with a treat so she will give up the mouse and feel like she got something for her troubles. The treats can be just a couple dry food pieces. She is a fanatic about Stella and Chewies and will just about turn somersaults when she sees that purple bag. I can see her getting to the point of eating only treats if I gave them to her too often.

 

[jcat]

Mowgli gets bits of freeze-dried meat or grain-free kibble when he performs his tricks (sit, jump up/down, high five, shake, etc.). We do a short session of clicker training every day, which he enjoys.