Cats Are Not Small Dogs
The single most important fact about feline nutrition: cats are obligate carnivores. Unlike dogs, who can technically survive on an omnivorous diet, cats have a biological requirement for animal-based nutrients — taurine, arachidonic acid, and vitamin A in its active form — that plant-based ingredients simply cannot fully provide. Any treat you give a cat should reflect this reality.
What Makes a Treat Genuinely Good for a Cat
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Animal-based, not plant-basedReal meat or fish should be the entire ingredient list — cats have no nutritional use for grain or vegetable fillers.
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No added salt or seasoningCats are highly sensitive to sodium relative to their small body size — anything seasoned for human taste is unsuitable.
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Fish and organ meat are excellent choicesNaturally rich in taurine and the exact nutrients cats need — and closer to a cat's ancestral diet than most commercial cat treats.
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Small, cat-appropriate piecesCats have smaller mouths and different chewing mechanics than dogs — pieces should be bite-sized, not cut for a dog's jaw.
Which of Our Treats Work for Cats?
Several products in our fish and organ range are genuinely well-suited to cats, broken into smaller pieces:
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Anchovies
Small, whole, easy to break down
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Sardines
Rich in omega-3, natural taurine source
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Chicken Heart & Liver
Organ meat cats are biologically drawn to
Break larger pieces down before offering to a cat, and introduce anything new slowly — cats can be far more particular and cautious about new foods than dogs.
Never feed a cat anything intended purely for dogs without checking suitability first — some dog-focused ingredients or portion sizes aren't appropriate for a cat's much smaller body weight and different metabolism.
What to Avoid
- Raw fish in large regular quantities — can deplete thiamine over time in some cases
- Any treat with onion or garlic powder — toxic to cats, just as with dogs
- Milk or dairy — most adult cats are lactose intolerant, contrary to popular belief
- Anything with added sugar — cats can't taste sweetness at all, so sugar serves no purpose except adding empty calories
The cat treat standard: Single-ingredient, animal-based, unseasoned, and appropriately sized. If it wouldn't work as cat food, it doesn't work as a cat treat either.