Your kitten loves treats! And you love to see them zoom into the room when they realize that it’s treat time. Besides being a source of joy for kittens and owners alike, treats serve a very important role in your pet’s training. After all, you’ll be using treats to teach your kitten tricks, to make the carrier a fun place and to spice up playtime.
Here are some guidelines for choosing the best treats for your kitten:
Keep it low calorie. Your kitten loves treats so much that it’s easy to give them so many that you accidently promote excessive weight gain. For most occasions, it’s important to choose low-calorie treats. Higher calorie treats should be saved only for special occasions or when your kitten does an extra special behavior.
The smaller the better. Especially during training, make treats as small as possible. This not only reduces the calories but also allows your kitten to eat the treat quickly so they stay focused on you rather than the treat.
Avoid human food. Many human foods are bad for cats, so it’s best to steer clear. This includes tuna and milk, which many cats don’t digest well. Plus, it’s not a good idea to get your kitten used to eating human foods. It may lead to future begging habits or sneaking into the pantry.
Get creative with toys. If you are trying to keep your kitten busy while you’re gone or when they’re in their crate or carrier, you can stuff toys with treats or kibble to keep them occupied. Many puzzle toys are designed to do this. Not only is this tasty, but it’s enriching for your kitten to work out how to get the treats! And they most likely won’t stop until they’re successful, so there are some great photo ops.
Dental treats are in a league of their own. Dental treats have great health benefits for your kitten because they’re designed to scrub the teeth while your kitten chews. But some dental treats can be a bit higher in calories, so don‘t exceed the recommended amount of treats per day specified on the back of the package.
Wondering if your treats are up to snuff? Check out our selection of recommended treats.
