Want to find healthy cat treats for your beloved kitty?  Learn what to avoid and what to choose when looking for the best cat treats.  

Every cat parent wants to spoil their fur baby with treats.  But don’t just settle for any treat.  Instead, carefully choose high-quality products that promote good health.  

Need some help?  Read this article.  It will teach you how to choose the best cat treats.  

Always Check the Ingredient List

When looking for cat treats, you must follow one basic rule.  

What’s that rule?  

ALWAYS look at the product’s ingredient list.  

Taking this step is the only way to find out if the treats are good or bad for your cat.  And that’s definitely something you need to know!    

What To Avoid

So, what ingredients are bad for cats?  Here are some examples:

• Artificial colorings
• By-products
• Grains
• Flavors
• Fillers
• Preservatives
• Sugars
• Plant proteins

Don’t buy treats that contain any of the above ingredients.  It’s best to pass those products up and look for other, better options.  

But what’s so bad about those ingredients?  

For starters, cats are carnivores.  They don’t need any grains or plant proteins.  Unfortunately, many cat treats contain wheat.  

As for the other ingredients (artificial colors, preservatives, etc.), they aren’t good for anyone.  That’s why you should avoid any treats that contain those poisons.       

What to Choose

Now that you know what to avoid, let’s talk about what to look for.  Here are some helpful pointers:

• Meat-based Treats – When looking at the ingredient list, meat should be listed first.  Make sure the list specifies the type of meat and doesn’t just say “meat” or “meal.”

• Real Food Ingredients – If the product you are considering contains high-quality meat, that’s a great start.  But you must also look at the other ingredients to make sure they are healthy for your fur baby.   

• Grain-free – Due to consumer demand, grain-free treats are becoming more common.  You should definitely look for a product that falls into that category.   

• Short-ingredient List – A long list is far more likely to include harmful ingredients.  That’s why in this case, shorter is better.  

• Made in America – Check to see if the company sources its ingredients from America.  If not, you can’t be sure the product is safe.       

• Made for Cats – Your feline’s needs differ from a canine’s needs.  With that in mind, choose treats that are made specially for kitties.   

Making Your Own Healthy Cat Treats

If all else fails, you could make cat treats at home.  Don’t worry.  It’s not nearly as hard as it sounds.  You just need to find a good cat treats recipe.    

Check out this recipe from Pet Parenting Reset with Jessica L. Fisher.  With only three ingredients, these treats are super easy to make.  

This recipe from Cat Lady Fitness is another great choice.  It’s got healthy ingredients that will nourish your furry friend.    

If you go searching for other homemade cat treats, carefully evaluate the ingredients being used.  Make sure each one is cat-safe.  

This evaluation isn’t much different from analyzing the ingredient lists of store-bought treats.  

In Conclusion 

It’s fun to give your kitty some treats.  It’s even better when you know those treats are healthy for your cat.  

And don’t you think your feline deserves nothing less?   

We sure do!  And we know you do too.