Cat treat tips

10 Treat Tips for a Healthy Cat

1. Remember moderation. Like people, cats can develop a taste for treats, and they may decide to avoid their own food in favor of the goodies they love. For this reason, keep cat treats novel by offering them no more than two or three times a week, says Susan G. Wynn, DVM, CVA, a veterinary nutritionist in Georgia.
2. Go easy with “people food.” Foods made for cats are formulated to contain the vitamins, minerals, and amino acids a cat needs for good health, so “people food” should be a minimal part of your cat’s diet. For an occasional delicacy, you might try small bits of cheese or cooked tuna, chicken, fish, or liver. You can also give your cat a tablespoon of milk now and again, but for cats that are lactose intolerant, this may cause diarrhea, Wynn says.
3. Avoid toxic foods. Raisins, grapes, onions, alcohol, salt, tea -- we may love them, but these and other common foods can be toxic to cats. If you’re not sure a treat is safe, talk your vet before giving it to your kitty.
4. Ban begging. When giving your cat a treat, avoid doing it at the dinner table or at the cat’s insistence. Don’t reward begging.
5. Overweight cats need care. There’s no way around it: Cat treats add calories. But simply cutting out treats isn’t going to do much for an overweight cat, McGeorge says. She recommends having your cat evaluated by a vet, who will develop a safe diet plan to help your cat lose weight “slowly and carefully. Rapid weight loss in an overweight cat can lead to a serious liver disease called hepatic lipidosis.”

If you want to read the full article, then click here: http://pets.webmd.com/cats/guide/cat-treats-and-snacks-whats-healthy?page=2

 

Because I am minus a cat, I am going to apply these tips to my dogs especially the ban begging. Twinkle was not so much of a beggar like these dogs. I think I went easy with the people food. I actually used to enjoy watching him eat his cat food. I think he understood moderation so to me he never over ate. I always thought Twink was near perfect.

 

I do give my cats treats but it is not often. They do enjoy them when they do get them though.
Harley is the funniest because he is constantly watching to make sure that I don't give Merle
more treats then him. The whole time he is eating treats he is purring but when the treats stop,
his ears go back and he gets so mad. It is so funny to watch.