It's easy to find high quality, well balanced foods for our cats. Cat food is so well designed that many veterinarians believe that cats often eat better than their owners! So why then do so many veterinarians, trainers, and animal behaviorists also recommend that cat owners give their animals treats?
ADD VARIETY
Giving treats has many advantages. If your cat
is going to have its next 20 or 100 meals come
from the same bag, an occasional treat of a
different flavor will make life more enjoyable.
And while it is important to keep your pet on a
consistent brand of pet food to avoid digestive
upsets, an occasional treat won't hurt.
HELP TRAIN
When teaching a command or reinforcing behavior,
a positive reward helps the pet recognize what
you want her to do. Treats are useful training
tools, provided you don't give too many or
so frequently that the treats lose their reward
influence. If your cat isn't producing the results
you want, don't give her a treat. Be patient, and
always give your cat the opportunity to succeed.
HELP FIGHT STRESS
After an illness or injury, it is important to get
patients eating again. Soft, easy to chew, and
flavorful treats can entice your cat's appetite and
get her back on her normal diet. Other stressful
situations can also send a cat off her diet, which
is why many boarding facilities utilize treats to
encourage their guests to stay on their normal diet.
HELP CLEAN TEETH
Treats that are firm and fairly hard are great for
helping to clean teeth by removing tartar and
plaque. Feline Greenies also help freshen
breath with chlorophyll and rosemary extract.
HOW TO CHOOSE TREATS
When choosing treats for your cat, choose a
variety of textures and flavors. Customer favorites
such as our Salmon Fishes are soft
treats excellent for anytime and great to use in
training situations. Catnip treats such as our Feline
Fantasia help your inactive or bored
kitty find energy and entertainment. For pure
flavor, we recommend our Liver Bites.
There is one obvious advantage to giving treats that we cannot fail to mention, and that is the joyful interaction of giving our pets something they love. This interaction helps to build and reinforce the bond between us - the main reason we have for sharing our time and space with our four-legged friends.
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