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Best Treats for Cats 2024
Written by Emily Bayne
Veterinary reviewed by:
Published: 04/18/2024, edited: 04/30/2024
The Wag! team conducts independent research and consults pet experts to curate our recommendations. This content is supported by our affiliate pet partners and we may receive a commission on the links provided.
Cat treats are an essential part of any kitty household, and if your kitty is like most, they won't let you forget to buy them when you run out! There is certainly no shortage of cat treat brands on the market, but this can make finding the right treat recipe more difficult, not easier.
At Wag!, nutrition is a top priority, so we've created this guide to help you find the best treats for your cat.
We know cats have different preferences and dietary needs, so we've made sure to feature a variety of treat styles like crunchy, soft, freeze-dried, and lickable, as well as limited-ingredient and grain-free options for floofers with dietary restrictions.
Now let's talk treats!
Overview
ORIJEN Grain-Free Freeze-Dried Cat Treats
Best for whole prey diets
Orijen is one of our favorite freeze-dried cat treats and is a great brand overall. Orijen pet products center around our cat's ancestors' dietary principles, whose food intake was almost exclusively small prey.
We love that these treats are a blend of both meat and organs, which are excellent sources of minerals and taurine. What sets these treats apart from many of their competitors is Orijen's focus on sourcing quality ingredients while taking into account sustainability and humane farming practices.
Orijen Cat Treat varieties
- Grass-fed lamb
- Original
- Regional Red
- Six Fish
- Tundra
Orijen Cat Treats
Why Wag! Loves It
- Biologically appropriate nutrition developed with the help of nutritionists and vets
- Exclusively uses free-range chickens and wild-caught fish for their recipes
- Resealable zip-top bag to keep treats fresh and tasting great
- These treats contain 99% animal ingredients, with the rest being natural preservatives like rosemary, citric acid, and vitamin E.
Considerations & Concerns
- There is always the potential for cross-contamination and bacteria with freeze-dried raw products.
What pet parents say about Orijen treats
"My cat was having G.I. issues and quit eating. These treats were the only thing he was interested in. I sprinkled them over his food and he started eating again. He recovered well and still loves these treats!!"
"My diabetic cat isn't allowed to have [most] treats due to high carbs; I learned these are low in carbs and wanted to try them out. He goes crazy for these! Even when he's not hungry and he needs his insulin I'll sprinkle a few in his wet food and it sparks his hunger to get him to eat. 10/10 love these, I have bought every flavor."
Read more reviews on Chewy.
Image sourced from Chewy. Copyright Mars Petcare US, Inc.
Made by Nacho Freeze-Dried Chicken Breast Cat Treats
Best single-ingredient cat treat
Made By Nacho, Bobby Flay's signature cat food line (yes, the Food Network Chef!), now offers freeze-dried cat treats, and we are here for it! This collaborative brand with Flay's kitty Nacho features recipes developed by Flay with the help of vet Dr. Katja Lang. What's more, Nacho gives his seal of approval with a taste test of every recipe this brand puts out!
Made By Nacho's freeze-dried treat line features 4 yummy single-ingredient recipes that are sure to please. These treats aren't just tasty either — they are free of grains and yucky artificial additives.
Made By Nacho varieties
- Freeze-Dried Chicken Breast Treats
- Freeze-Dried Alaskan Wild Salmon Treats
- Freeze-Dried Duck Liver Treats
- Freeze-Dried Ahi Tuna Treats
Made by Nacho Cat Treats
Why Wag! Loves It
- Single-ingredient treats mean no guesswork when scanning labels — especially for those diet-restrictive kitties!
- The recipes and their ingredients are all grown and produced in the US
- USDA-approved facilities mean the highest level of food safety possible (and are a rare sight in the pet food industry!)
Considerations & Concerns
- Since these are raw, freeze-dried treats, wash your hands after handling them to prevent cross-contamination
What pet parents say about Made By Nacho Treats
"We feed our cat an exclusively raw-meat diet, so his system can't handle food that contains anything other than pure protein. This has always prevented us from giving him treats. So finding a treat that is nothing but freeze-dried protein was a dream come true for us and our cat!"
"My kitty babies love these. They have had skin problems in the past, but they must have been allergic to the other brand that I was giving them. Issues cleared up with Nachos! A little pricey, but worth it."
Read more reviews on Chewy.
Image sourced from Chewy. Copyright Made by Nacho.
INABA Churu Lickable Cat Treats
Best lickable treat
If you've been on CatTok, you've probably seen these treats taking the internet by storm, with every kitty influencer snacking on these little packets. But INABA pet products aren't anything new—this company has been around since the late '50s!
Inaba Churu are creamy, lickable treats that are the consistency of pudding and can be held for your kitty to lick or be poured over their food. My two cats, Binx and Bilbo, are obsessed with these!
These treats are a great way to up your kitty's hydration without a lot of extra calories since each stick only has around 6 calories. Plus, these come in a huge range of flavors and are free of grains and artificial additives!
INABA Churu Lickable Cat Treats varieties
- Tuna
- Tuna with Clam
- Tuna with Cheese
- Tuna with Chicken
- Tuna with Salmon
- Tuna with Scallops
- Tuna with Bonito Flakes
- Chicken
- Chicken with Scallops
- Chicken with Cheese
- Chicken with Shrimp
- Chicken with Crab
- Hairball Control Tuna Recipe.
- Hairball Control Chicken Recipe
- Churu Skin & Coat
- Churu for Kittens Chicken Recipe
INABA Churu Cat Treats
Why Wag! Loves It
- Has added vitamin E and taurine
- Comes in many flavors as well as variety packs so your kitty can try them all
- 90% water to help combat dehydration (cat parents know the struggle!)
- Widely available in a variety of in-store and online retailers
- Has green tea extract rather than artificial preservatives
Considerations & Concerns
- These have become super popular, so I find it can sometimes be difficult to find specific flavors in stock
- The fish flavors can be quite smelly
What pet parents say about Inaba Churu
"My cat loves these treats, thankfully and the extra omega-3 oil helps reduce her shedding so much. It's almost noticeable if we miss a day. We had to go a few days without them last month and suddenly there was a cat hair tsunami!"
"My cats go wild for this brand. One of my girls had a reaction to another food and her fur fell out, so I got these and they have helped SIGNIFICANTLY grow her fur back."
Read more reviews on Chewy.
Image sourced from Chewy. Copyright Inaba Foods (USA) Inc.
American Journey Landmark Fillets Cat Food Toppers
Best soft treat
American Journey is a premium, high-protein pet food product line made and sold exclusively by Chewy. Although their Landmark Fillets are marketed as food toppers, they work well (and arguably better) as a cat treat due to their shape and texture.
These treats come two single-ingredient recipes— tuna and chicken — and are free of grains, gluten, fillers, and artificial additives. For these reasons, we give American Journey’s treats two paws up!
American Journey Landmark Fillets varieties
- Chicken Filet
- Tuna Filet
American Journey Cat Food Topper
Why Wag! Loves It
- Single-ingredient recipe means no guesswork when reading the label
- Convenient single-serve packages
- The soft texture makes these suitable for cats of all life stages
- High protein, low-fat help your baby build muscle without packing on the pounds
Considerations & Concerns
- A bit pricy
- Limited variety with just two flavors
- Only available through Chewy
- Unfortunately, Chewy has very little information about the brand, and American Journey doesn't have a dedicated website. We would love to see how the recipes are sourced, developed, and processed, so we had to dock them half a point.
What pet parents say about American Journey Treats
"My cat is strange when it comes to food. I have yet to find a regular wet food she likes. I came across this product and bought it for her to try as she likes regular chicken I've shared with her. She likes this a lot and I get it on subscription monthly for her. It's in the form of a small filet, but I use kitchen shears to make kitty bite sized pieces of it."
"My cats looove this product. They scream for it every day. It's the only thing I know none of them will ever turn their nose up to. I like that there is only one ingredient - chicken. I also like how easily they break apart and shred up. My cats will not eat the whole thing if it's not shredded, but it just falls apart if you use a fork or wear gloves and break it up with your hands. I wish they were not so expensive though."
Read more reviews on Chewy.
Image sourced from Chewy. Copyright Chewy, Inc.
WHIMZEES by Wellness Natural Cat Dental Treats
Best dental cat treat
WHIMZEES by Wellness are crunchy, all-natural cat dental treats that help to knock off excess plaque from your kitty's chompers.
We love them because they are fortified with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals cats need for optimal health, are high in protein, and even contain probiotics to help with digestion.
Whimzees by Wellness Treat variations
- Chicken
- Chicken & Tuna
- Chicken & Salmon
Whimzees Cat Treats
Why Wag! Loves It
- A whopping 29% protein per serving
- Contains probiotics to help soothe sensitive tummies
- Helps clean teeth and freshens breath
- Uses rosemary, green tea, and spearmint rather than artificial preservatives
Considerations & Concerns
- Some pet parents dislike how small these treats are and wish they were bigger to encourage cats to chew them more (and, in turn, better help with plaque removal)
What pet parents say about WHIMZEES by Wellness treats
"My cat loves these treats so much she will sit in front of the cabinet and meow because she knows they are in there ! with most treats she throws up these are the first treats that she can eat and she's fine . A+ will always [get] these for her."
"I was searching for some new dental treats that didn't contain brewers rice and corn gluten meal and was pleasantly surprised when I happened upon these. My cat went crazy for them when I opened the bag. Unfortunately, as you can see from the photos above, they are shaped like small pellets. She swallows them completely whole, which defeats the purpose of a dental treat. The product is good it's just that the size is too small."
Read more reviews on Chewy.
Image sourced from Chewy. Copyright Wellness Pet Company.
FAQ
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