We all love to spoil our little feline friends with soft cat treats they truly love! And how can we not spoil them when we see their cute, irresistible faces?
With so many different kinds of treats on the market made with various ingredients, it may not be easy to find which treats your cat will love. Especially if your cat is a picky eater, you may have difficulty purchasing treats they enjoy. But trying out soft treats might be the way to go for a few reasons.
Although every cat has its own personality and food preference, the following will explore some delicious and healthy cat treats that will have your cat begging for more!
Why Do Cats Love Treats?
Just how humans enjoy having dessert once in a while, cats love treats because of the delicious taste. Some treats are made with salmon, tuna, duck, or chicken, so it is no wonder cats are constantly scratching for another.
Aside from the great taste, cats enjoy eating treats because they can promote a healthy lifestyle and boost their mood. Even if your cat is unaware of these effects, they crave healthy treats that make them feel good! Don't we all?
What Kind of Treats Do Cats Like?
Every cat is unique and has its own personal preference and taste. What one cat may enjoy from a treat may differ from that of another cat! With that being said, there are many kinds of treats such as dental sticks, lickable treats, crunchy catnip, soft chews, and pill pockets that can peak your cat's tastebuds.
All of these cat treats can include an array of different ingredients. Plus, these treats may also provide many health benefits such as coat enhancement, mood improvement, dental cleaning, and other nutritional benefits.
Are Soft Cat Treats Better Than Hard Cat Treats?
Again, whether soft treats are better than hard treats mostly depends on your cat's preference. Some cats can be extremely picky eaters and may prefer a certain type of treat over another. You may need to conduct a few trials before finding out what kind of treats your cat likes. But besides preference, there are some reasons to lean towards giving your cat softer treats rather than hard treats.
What Are the Benefits of Soft Cat Treats?
One benefit of choosing soft cat treats over hard treats is that they are easier to eat and can be less painful to chew. This is great for sensitive cats that are teething or have any mouth pain, making it difficult for them to chew hard food.
These treats can also be a perfect alternative for picky cats that find soft chews more enjoyable than hard treats. Some cats may just prefer to eat softer treats rather than crunchy ones.
Why are soft treats so preferred? They have a range of textures, and they may be made with different flavors. Plus, soft treats contain more water, so they can be a healthy alternative that provides hydration that hard snacks lack.
Aside from having a delightful taste, soft chew treats containing CBD can be an excellent snack for cats since it can calm their mood. CBD is a natural compound that can help your cat mellow out when they are dealing with any stress.
Plus, CBD eases discomfort, enhances appetite, and promotes mobility! Cat owners nationwide use CBD to help their jumpy cats chill out, and their older cats get back on their paws.
Should I Pay Attention to the Ingredients in Cat Treats?
Of course! Just as with any product we purchase or consume, it is always necessary to know what ingredients are in it.
Especially in regards to our little feline friends, it is essential to know what ingredients our cats consume so we can recognize which treats are healthy and which treats to avoid.
How to Find Bad Ingredients in Soft Cat Treats
Like counting your calorie intake on a bag of chips, reading the nutritional facts and ingredients on the back of any cat treat is important. Looking at the back of a cat treat package shouldn't be a daunting task. A decent brand will make it simple!
When looking at a list of ingredients, it's important to know that they are listed from most to least used in the product. So if you see a list of ingredients that includes chicken byproduct first, then corn gluten meal, and all the way to the ninth spot is actual chicken, you may want to consider finding new treats for your little friend.
The reason that seeing an ingredient like chicken at such a low spot on a list is alarming because this shows that the cat treat company is using mostly byproducts instead of actual meat protein. And since cats are naturally carnivores, receiving the full amount of meat protein from their food is essential to their diet.
What Are the Bad Ingredients in Soft Cat Treats?
Now that you are looking at the back of your cat's treat package, let's examine which ingredients you should avoid.
Byproducts
Byproducts refer to all of the other parts of a slaughtered mammal that are not the meat. This includes things such as kidneys, brain, blood, intestines, and other parts of the mammal that are not the actual meat. Byproducts do not provide quality protein as real meat does.
According to the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), parts of the mammal such as teeth, hair, horns, and hooves are not legally allowed to be included in animal byproducts. And as a rule of thumb, if there are any ingredients that we would not eat, it is most likely that our cats shouldn't be eating them either.
BHT, BHA, Ethoxyquin
Butylated (BHT) and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) are chemical preservatives sometimes found in dry cat food that can potentially cause cancer. BHT and BHA are added to oils and fats, and they have a history of causing liver and kidney issues in rats. These issues may carry over into a cat's health.
Ethoxyquin (EMQ) is another chemical preservative used in some pet foods to prevent the growth of rancidity fats. However, EMQ is illegal to use in human foods because of its harmful effect on the human skin and when directly swallowed.
Corn Syrup
Just as in human food, corn syrup offers no nutritional benefits to your cat’s diet. Corn syrup is an artificial sweetener that can make your cat gain weight. It can also get them addicted to sweet-tasting food, making them turn away from more nutritious meals without sugar. High-quality cat foods will use more beneficial ingredients and fewer sweeteners — not a ton of corn syrup!
Food Dye
Food dye in small doses usually isn't harmful, but it has been linked to hyperactivity issues in children and sometimes contains carcinogens. In general, your cat will not care what color their cat treats are, so adding food dye is unnecessary.
What Are the Good Ingredients in Soft Cat Treats?
So what are the ingredients that we should be looking for in our cat's soft treats? Here are a couple of ingredients to keep an eye out for.
Catnip
Did you know catnip can calm your cats when they eat it in a treat? It can! The active ingredient, nepetalactone, can help even the most hyper cats chill out when ingested orally. Plus, it makes treats all the more irresistible for cats! Be sure to check out our CBD catnip spray as it provides the same effects as catnip, along with the additional benefits of CBD!
Related: Why Do Cats Like Catnip? #1 Reason Why Cats Can't Resist
Singular Protein
To avoid meat byproducts, look for treats with a singular source of protein. This will help avoid any unnecessary ingredients. When looking at ingredients, the first ingredients listed should be things such as salmon, chicken, or other meat proteins that do not include byproducts.
When one of these meat proteins is listed first in the ingredients list, this means that this meat protein is the most prominent ingredient in the treat.
Taurine
Taurine is an essential amino acid that cats need to get from their diet. Cats cannot make enough of this compound in their own bodies. They must rely on healthy protein sources (or supplemental treats!) to get adequate amounts. Taurine supports muscle function and vision.
CBD
If you can find a treat with CBD for cats, your feline will absolutely thank you! As we said before, CBD is a natural hemp compound that can soothe your cat and bring balance to its body.
CBD improves your cat’s wellness by promoting homeostasis, reducing soreness and swelling, and detangling their nerves. How’s that for a super multitasking ingredient?
Natural Preservatives
Although you should avoid some preservatives, there are several natural preservatives found in cat treats that have health benefits. Mixed tocopherols, or Vitamin E, is a powerful antioxidant that is beneficial for cats' immune system. Vitamin C is another beneficial vitamin that can help strengthen bones and teeth.
Which Soft Cat Treats Are Best?
There are many different soft cat treats you can give your feline friend, such as lickables and gravy. But if you are looking for the best treats to give your cat, look no further than HolistaPet’s CBD Calming Chews for cats.
These treats not only taste great, but are made with high-quality ingredients and have soothing effects. HolistaPet's Calming Chews are meant to calm your cat with its broad-spectrum CBD.
These treats are perfect for fearful, nervous cats that need help relieving stress. And because these CBD snacks contain no THC, your cat will not feel any psychoactive effects.
The Calming Chews are made from 100% all-natural ingredients, including CBD, valerian root, tryptophan, catnip, and taurine. These treats are also delicious salmon flavored that will have your cat begging for more.
Final Thoughts
On a final note, finding your cat's newest favorite treat shouldn't be a dreadful task. Even if your cat is a picky eater and has very specific tastebuds, it is possible to find a soft treat that is healthy and delicious at the same time!
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