Cat Treats

Treats are tools, not meals

The useful thing about a treat is timing: given within a second or two of the behaviour you want, it teaches far faster than a scolding ever will. That is why treats matter for recall training, for carrier training, and for getting a cat used to nail trims or a toothbrush.

Keep treats to roughly a tenth of daily calories. Beyond that they displace balanced food and add up quickly — a few tubes a day is a meaningful share of a small cat's intake.

Practical uses beyond snacking

Creamy tubes are semi-liquid, which makes them useful for hiding tablets, for tempting a cat that has stopped eating, and for building trust with a newly adopted or nervous rescue that will not yet accept handling.

For dogs, a chew gives a long-lasting outlet for a behaviour they need anyway. Always supervise chews, and take them away once they are small enough to swallow whole.