9 Favorite Healthiest Cat Treats
If there is something that any cat absolutely adores, that’s a delicious treat. Many cat owners, though, often avoid giving their cats treats because these are notoriously unhealthy.
While there actually are too many cat treats that are loaded with chemicals, preservatives, coloring agents, and aroma enhancers, rest assured that there are also quite a few excellent healthy treat options to choose from. Take a look as we list the 9 favorite healthiest cat treats that your kitty will love and that are actually good for them:
1. Whole Life Pet Products Just One – Cat Treats
The first item on our list of the best healthy cat treats is the simplest, yet also one of the tastiest ones. Made from one ingredient only, Just One from Whole Life is freeze-dried meat portioned into bite-sized treats for your kitty. There are several types available – chicken breast, turkey breast, wild-caught tuna, wild-caught salmon, and wild-caught cod.
An easy way to find your feline friend a favorite is trying their sampler treats. The meat is first grilled and then it goes through the process of freeze-drying, which is slow, but superior to other options because it preserves both the aroma and the nutrients in the meat. Whole Life uses human-grade meat and it provides a minimally processed treat that your cat will find appetizing.
Why it’s healthy – Whole Life Just One is healthy for your cat because it is high in protein, but low in calories, and entirely grain-free. It is also free from artificial preservatives, coloring agents, and aroma enhancers. As an added benefit, it is an excellent choice for cats with food allergies because it is made from a single ingredient, which makes the food intake easy to track.
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2. Whole Life Pet Living Treats
The next item on our list also comes from Whole Life but brings an entirely different set of benefits. Whole Life Pet Living Treats include probiotics. The inspiration for their name comes from the fact that probiotics are in fact living “good” bacteria that are beneficial for the cat’s digestive system.
The main ingredient is freeze-dried human-grade meat – the options are chicken and salmon – but these treats also include probiotics from real Greek yogurt, fiber from pumpkin puree, which is healthy for the digestive system, as well as antioxidant-packed fruit, and ground flaxseed, which is rich in healthy omega oils.
Why it’s healthy – Whole Life Pet Living Treats is a healthy treat option for your cat because it gathers a complex combination of healthy ingredients for the cat’s digestive tract. It is free from artificial flavors and preservatives, so it is the low-calorie treat that all pet parents should have in their pockets. Given as a regular treat, it can help the cat keep a healthy digestive system.
3. Whole Life Pet RealFoodie
The third Whole Life Pet cat treat on our list is the RealFoodie, which also features a single ingredient – human-grade chicken breast or salmon, which is grilled to give it a tasty aroma, and then freeze-dried to lock in the flavors and the nutrients.
This is a very versatile treat because there are plenty of ways to serve it. You can break off a piece of meat that is ideally sized for your kitty or you can shred it and sprinkle it on top of your cat’s bowl of dry or wet food to give it a richer taste. Another delicious option is rehydrating it, which provides it with a soft, moist, and meaty texture.
Why it’s healthy – Whole Life Pet RealFoodie is an honest cat treat because it only features one ingredient, which you can then serve in several ways.
It is high in protein, low in calories, and grain-free. It is entirely natural, without any aroma fillers that are typically found in pet food.
This is yet another excellent option for cats with food allergies (provided that they are not allergic to chicken or salmon) because you can be sure that the treat will not trigger an allergic reaction, given that it only features one ingredient.
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4. The Honest Kitchen Wishes Cat Treats
Made with 100% wild-caught haddock from Iceland, the Honest Kitchen Wishes Cat Treats are healthy for your cat, as well as the environment. The company enforces a sustainable fishing policy, which helps preserve the environmental health of Icelandic waters.
The fish is dehydrated and it is the sole ingredient in these delicious treats. By air-drying the fish, the aroma is well preserved, making it a tasty treat for your kitty. They come in the form of large fish fillets, which you can then break off into small pieces and feed to your cat.
Why it’s healthy – The Honest Kitchen Wishes Cat Treats are 100% human-grade fish, which makes them an excellent source of protein, as well as omega oils, which the cat needs for healthy skin and fur, as well as a healthy cardiovascular and nervous system. This is yet another one-ingredient treat, free from artificial colors and preservatives, making it a good choice for cats with food allergies (provided that they are not allergic to fish).
5. WildSide Salmon
If your cat likes salmon, then these treats from WildSide are bound to be a huge success. They are made from human-grade 100% pure wild Alaskan salmon, which is freeze-dried to preserve the nutrients and the flavor of the meat, and then portioned into bite-sized morsels.
These treats are easy to store because they do not require refrigeration and they retain their flavor for a very long time. As with the other freeze-dried treats, there are plenty of serving options to choose from including rehydrating them.
Why it’s healthy – WildSide Salmon is 100% human-grade salmon, which makes it a very good source of omega oils. By feeding these treats to your cat regularly, you can help preserve its cardiovascular and nervous system and the health of its skin and coat. This makes it one of the best cat treats for elderly cats, as well as kittens.
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6. Vital Essentials Rabbit Bites Freeze-Dried Cat Treats, 0.9-oz bag
This freeze-dried treat is made from raw rabbit, which promotes the cat’s digestive health. Vital Essentials Rabbit Bites Freeze-Dried Cat Treats are made from raw rabbit meat, rabbit liver, rabbit kidney, and rabbit heat, which then undergo a 48-hour slow freeze-drying process to preserve the meat while packing in the flavor and nutrients.
The main health benefits of raw freeze-dried treats are that they promote digestive health via the naturally-occurring enzymes and active nutrients in the meat, they promote oral health by providing the cat with natural scrubbing for clean teeth and healthy gums, as well as supporting the cat’s overall health by supporting bone, muscle tone, glossy coats, and preventing obesity.
Why it’s healthy – Made from rabbit, these cat treats are a very good choice for cats that are allergic to meat typically found in cat food, like chicken or salmon. They are high in protein and fiber, low in calories, and entirely chemical-free. These are excellent snacks for cats of all ages.
7. Vital Essentials Minnows Freeze-Dried Cat Treats, 0.5-oz bag
Another delicious option from Vital Essentials is the Minnows Freeze-Dried Cat Treats, which are made from 100% minnows. These treats are made from raw minnows, which are then freeze-dried to retain all the active nutritional elements. Try their variety pack to explore more options.
The minnows are freeze-dried whole, which means they feature both muscle and organs, making this treat complex in terms of nutrients and active elements. The resulting treats are already the ideal size for your cat.
Why it’s healthy – Made from 100% minnows, these treats are an excellent source of protein, fiber, and omega oils. Since the minnows are raw prior to the freeze-drying process, the naturally-occurring nutrients and enzymes can be unpacked and preserve the health of the cat’s digestive system.
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8. Eden Foods Bonito Flakes
These treats are made from 100% bonito or skipjack tuna, which are filleted, steamed, air-dried, aged, and then shaved into delicate flakes you can use to feed to your cat directly or sprinkle on top of their dry or wet food.
This is human-grade fish of the finest quality, it is fat-free and low in sodium. As for other dried treats, rehydrating the bonito flakes provides a moist and soft texture and a delicious treat alternative.
Why it’s healthy – Eden Food Bonito Flakes are healthy for your cat because they are entirely free from preservatives, coloring agents, and aroma enhancers. As a single-ingredient treat, they are well-suited for cats with food allergies (provided that they are not allergic to fish). They are also a good source of omega 3 fatty acids, which makes these ideal treats for adult cats and elderly cats.
9. Instinct Freeze Dried Raw Boost Mixers
These treats are made from chicken and chicken organs, as well as whole vegetables and fruit, which are then freeze-dried to remove moisture and preserve, all while locking in nutrients and flavor. Instinct Freeze Dried Raw Boost Mixers are intended as food toppers, so you can place them on top of your cat’s wet or dry food to provide a flavor boost.
However, they are also excellent as treats as well because they are easy to chew and delightfully tasty. They are made from raw meat, which is then preserved by freeze-drying, which makes it a solid promoter of a healthy digestive system. Buy them here.
Why it’s healthy – Instinct Freeze Dried Raw Boost Mixers are made without grain, corn, wheat, soy, by-product meal potato, yet still pack healthy fruit and vegetables that complement the high-quality meat that comes from cage-free chicken. It is an all-natural treat that will keep your cats healthy.
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FAQs about Healthy Cat Treats
Still have questions about healthy treats for your cat? Take a look at the most frequently asked questions on the matter:
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As you can see, there are plenty of delicious options for healthy cat treats available. Have you tried any of the 9 treats on our list? Which one did your cat enjoy most? Tell us all about it in the comments section below.
More Cat Health on Floppycats:
Hi, I’m Jenny Dean, creator of Floppycats! Ever since my Aunt got the first Ragdoll cat in our family, I have loved the breed. Inspired by my childhood Ragdoll cat, Rags, I created Floppycats to connect, share and inspire other Ragdoll cat lovers around the world,
WOW! SUPER PAWESOME & FABULOUS POST, Jenny honey! Such a relevant topic! TYSVM!! Great info! Going to try some of these again with Miss PSB now that she’s older. We had tried the original Whole Life Chicken pieces years ago but she didn’t seem to know what to do with them… I tried crumbling them on top of her food as a topper and she just ate around those crumbled pieces…lol. I tried rehydrating little pieces and adding it to her food and she ate around those, too! She was so picky back then but I think she may have mellowed now and be more willing to try something new…she is quite the little chowhound, though, when scarfing down her grain-free Blue Buffalo Wildness moist treats in chicken & turkey. 😉 <3
Big hugs & lots of love & purrs!
Patti & Miss Pink Sugarbelle 🙂 <3 <3 <3
oh dear – does she prefer chicken over fish? if not, then maybe try a fish variety? or if she doesn’t like treats – that’s OK too – my Rags never did =)