Treats for cats: purpose, tips for choosing and preparing

Many owners love to treat their cats and cats. A delicacy does not mean food from the master's table, but special products. Such food is used both for rewards and for the health of pets. Some people prefer to buy ready-made treats, but if you wish, you can prepare them yourself.

A treat for cats is a product that contains especially attractive ingredients. It can be made from dried pieces of meat, fish with added vitamins. Treats are given to pets on different occasions.

1. Just pamper your cat.
2. To stimulate the hunting instinct. In this case, the yummy plays the role of prey.
3. As an incentive while teaching teams, tricks.
4. To reduce the stress level of the pet.

Before purchasing, it is necessary to study the composition and recommendations of the manufacturer. Some treats are suitable only for adults and healthy pets, and are not recommended at all for kittens and pregnant cats. Treats can benefit the animal and even heal.

1. Reduces the risk of dental problems, gum disease... Hard treats are used to eliminate the unpleasant odor from the mouth of the animal, to strengthen the enamel.
2. Helps get rid of hairballs... Cats are very clean and often clean themselves. Long-haired animals, as a result of eating wool, begin to suffer from constipation and intestinal obstruction. As a prophylaxis, treats with malt paste are used in the composition. Such a treat prevents the formation of lumps, removes hairs naturally.
3. There are combination goodies that are capable of strengthen immunity, improve the condition of joints and normalize bowel function... They contain healthy fats, vitamins and fiber. A great option for cats and older cats.

Today, many pet food and pet product manufacturers make treats. The entire assortment can be divided according to form, composition and purpose.

1. Neutral... Such a product can be given to both kittens and old cats, age does not matter. They have no nutritional value, but they attract animals with the sugars that are in the composition. Produced in the form of pillows, biscuits, sticks, gummies.
2. Vitamin... The composition is enriched with minerals and vitamins. This delicacy can only be given in limited quantities. They can be made in the form of tablets, circles, hearts, mice and the like. Always in solid form.
3. Nutrient... These products have a high nutritional value. Packages are usually labeled with the word snack, which means a snack. They are made from natural products and can replace regular food. They resemble small sausages or slices of meat in shape.
4. Preventive... The delicacy combines attractive taste and healthy ingredients. These products are usually liquid. Very popular are cream treats that are easy to give to kittens and old cats.

Any goodies can be wet or hard... The former include pasta, jelly, mashed potatoes, and the latter - tablets, dried food, sausages.

You cannot constantly feed pets with goodies. Their composition is designed so that treats can make up a certain percentage of the total daily diet. Manufacturers indicate this data on packages.

The main indications for use:

1. lack of vitamins and minerals in the diet;
2. disease prevention or health improvement;
3. encouragement, consolidation of certain behavior;
4. stressful condition;
5. transfer from natural products to dry food;
6. just as a dessert.

Not every treat will benefit an animal. A dangerous treat can be identified by certain criteria.

1. The line-up includes preservatives, colorants and flavorings... Such additives are harmful in themselves and can provoke an allergic reaction.
2. Poor composition and poor quality production... Such a treat may simply not be beneficial, and, possibly, cause negative consequences. Among other things, indigestion, vomiting, and stool disturbances (diarrhea or constipation) are manifested.
3. Improper storage, expiration date has passed... It is dangerous to treat an animal with such products, it will lead to poisoning.
4. High sugar and gelatin content... Commonly found in cat marmalade. The pet's body simply cannot cope with a large amount of such substances.
5. Unbalanced diet... It happens that a combination of regular food and treats leads to an excess or deficiency of nutrients.
6. The cat is obese... Store-bought treats can worsen your pet's condition. Especially when it comes to nutritious species. However, prophylactic and vitamin products can be given after being examined by a veterinarian. Neutral types contain sugar, so they are the most harmful in this case.

Some foods are great for use at certain times of the year, others are intended for cats of a certain age, physiological state... So, fortified products help pregnant cats and pets after illness.

The owners try to choose the best treats for their pets. A list of such delicacies will help you navigate a wide range.

The German manufacturer offers two lines: Snack and Sticks... Among the first there are treats for removing wool, cleaning teeth, options with vitamins. The second line is better in composition, but also more expensive. Humidity is about 30%, delicacies are soft and juicy.

Despite its German origin, few owners trust this company. Conventional snacks contain a variety of grains and foods that are left over from processed meat. Among other things, the company offers interesting items such as milk and pudding for cats. These foods are low in lactose and high in calcium.

The domestic manufacturer invites the owners to pay attention to the "Dried treats for cats" line. Each of the 5 options has a component of animal origin in the first place, and then herbs. Most are offal, but nothing harmful to pets. All delicacies are enriched with minerals and vitamins, amino acids. The composition of such delicacies is simple and straightforward, it does not contain preservatives. The cost of production is quite affordable.

The Italian company offers an interesting line Azul label. Two options for snacks are presented in the form of sausage snacks. One of them is with tuna, and the other is with chicken. Despite the fact that there are quality products in the composition, there are also very dubious components. You can pamper your pet with this, but be careful.

The domestic company offers buyers 3 options for treats: chicken pieces, duck pieces and tuna slices... In all cases, natural and high-quality products are in the first place of the composition. The manufacturer assures that the delicacy helps to improve immunity.

The monomeat composition makes these delicacies unique. Available in chunks, sausages and straws. Everything is very tasty and healthy. There is corn starch as a thickener in sausages. It can provoke allergic reactions in cats.

The UK manufacturer offers seafood treats with mackerel, tuna in sauce and without sauce. It is unique that the delicacies are presented not in the form of pieces, but in the form of fillets. The treat is a highly digestible animal protein with omega acids and low fat.

It is these premium delicacies that are most popular among cat and cat owners. The Canadian firm Champion PetFood makes Category 1 meat and offal treats, no additives. 4 variants of compositions are offered. Original combines chicken liver, turkey liver and meat, cobb chicken and flounder. Ranch raised lamb consists of lamb meat, liver and tripe. Tundra It has the most interesting composition of deer, elk, quail and rainbow trout meat along with elk liver. Wild boar exactly half consists of wild boar liver and meat.

If there is no trust in the ready-made delicacies, then you can make something yourself. There are quite simple recipes, preparation will take very little time. You can limit yourself to the simplest: cut the meat into thin slices and bake in the oven. Choose low-fat varieties, do not add salt. Solid treats can be taken on the road.

Consider some interesting examples of such treats.

1. Use a blender to blend 150g canned tuna with the same amount of oatmeal. Add 1 tbsp. l. vegetable oil and a little catnip. From the resulting mass, make small balls and cook in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes at 180 ° C.
2. Grind with a blender 500 g of beef liver, 2 eggs, 300 g of oatmeal without additives. Add a couple of olives. Roll the mixture with a rolling pin into a thin layer and bake at the same temperature, but for 30 minutes. Cut into convenient slices.
3. Grind 50 g of hard cheese on the shallow side of the grater, mix with 2 tbsp. l. carrot puree. Slightly simmer the mixture in vegetable oil. Add some banana, about ¼, and 1 tbsp. l. heavy cream. Wait for the mass to boil. Add 10 g of pre-chopped chicken liver to the cooking container. Stir all ingredients, remove from stove. Add 2 tbsp. l. oatmeal and let it brew.

Treats should not be the usual food for the animal, otherwise the whole point disappears. The rules of use directly depend on the type of treat.

1. Neutral. They practically do not affect the basic diet of the animal. Can be used to relieve stress when visiting a doctor, traveling by transport, participating in exhibitions and competitions. Used to reward and reinforce good behavior. It is these delicacies that are used in training. Some of these types of foods contain sugar, which means they should not be fed to overweight pets.
2. Nutritious. Perfect for animals whose diet does not contain the required amount of protein products. Should be given 1-2 times a day as a supplement to the main portion of food. Can be used during training, but with extreme caution. If the cat is full, it will lose interest in training.
3. Fortified. They are used in cases where there are not enough vitamins in the usual diet. Especially important when feeding with natural food. As prescribed by a veterinarian, they are given during the recovery period after an illness, to maintain the body. You need to treat the animal strictly according to the instructions. Continuous use leads to hypervitaminosis.
4. Preventive. They are used taking into account the health status of the pet. Sometimes used on an ongoing basis for chronic ailments. Treats to improve dental health should be given after meals, the dosage is indicated on the package. Treats for the release of hairballs are also given according to the instructions. Usually, the amount of treats is increased during the period of active molting.

Consultation with a specialist is not mandatory if it is not about preventive treats. Most of the products can be given on their own, following the instructions. Veterinarians still advise you to follow simple rules.

1. Don't give too many goodies.... Otherwise, the pet may refuse other food and require treats as a constant diet.
2. Pay attention to popular manufacturers... Their products contain natural ingredients. The practice of doctors shows that cheap delicacies with a minimum of high-quality ingredients lead to severe allergic reactions.
3. Avoid using regular kitten treats... The composition in them is designed for an adult animal and can harm a small pet. Choose treats by age.
4. Use a treat to remove hairballs both as a prophylaxis and during molting. Such a simple remedy will help to relieve the owner of long hair from discomfort.
5. Use vitamin supplements in combination with natural foods... Such feeding often does not provide the animal with the required amount of nutrients. When feeding with dry food, you should first consult with your veterinarian.Otherwise, there may be an excess of certain vitamins in the cat's body.

In the following review, you can familiarize yourself with some of the treats for cats, a wide range of which are sold in pet stores.