Treats...what are they and how often?

[Straysmommy]

I feed Prince basically dry food (Technical, free feed). Almost every day I give him about 50 grs. organs or chicken in addition. About once a week I give him half a can of tuna in water or some canned wet food or one of the small cans that are supposed to be a treat. About once-twice a week I give him a couple spoonfuls of whole milk or cream (no diarrhea) and a slice of turkey breast cold-cuts, which he loves. I always hear that treats should be given occasionally, but I don't know how often occasionally is, and what constitutes a treat?

[Vivid Dawn]

I give half a can (2.5 oz) of wet food in the morning. This is mostly so Paizly gets extra moisture for her UTI issues... so I guess for her it's "medicinal", and for Nebbie it's a treat.

Ever so often (once a week), I'll give them 3 or 4 of those moist Pounce treats. Nebbie has already learned the sound of the bottle - the little things shaking around when I pick it up, and/or the sound of the cap being screwed off. Lately I have to put her in the other room with the snack, so that she won't steal Paizly's portion!

[Susan]

My girls get either Pure-Bites (freeze dried chicken) or Now/Go! grain-free treats. They always get one at bedtime...sort of a ritual we have. Apart from that, they only get treats for specific reasons. For example, Muffs doesn't much like to be groomed, although she's getting a bit better with time. So, she always gets treats when I'm grooming her, to help her accept the grooming better. Of course, if Muffs gets a treat, then Abby must have one too, even though Abby loves to be groomed.

[saitenyo]

I use treats for training mostly. Basically any time I want to encourage a behavior that the cats struggle with. For example, I gave treats while I was leash-training them. I also give Apollo treats when he comes out from under the bed and starts socializing when strangers come over, as he's gotten a bit skittish around new people.

I use Wellness Pure Delights. They're not healthy enough that I'd feed them often (they contain salt) but they're grain-free and good quality as far as an occasional snack/treat goes. They're also the only grain-free treat I could find at PetCo!

I will also sometimes give the cats a little piece of cooked or partially (unseasoned) meat like chicken, if I'm making dinner for my boyfriend, or if Apollo is being stubborn about his raw food and has decided he's not in the mood for it. Sometimes a little bit of cooked meat or a tiny piece of raw fish will entice him to eat it.

[Straysmommy]

Saltenyo, what fish do you feed him? I only use tuna because I'm so afraid of bones...

[saitenyo]

Originally Posted by Straysmommy

Saltenyo, what fish do you feed him? I only use tuna because I'm so afraid of bones...

It varies. Depends on what my boyfriend has in the freezer. I've given him tuna once, but I don't like to use that much because of all the salt in it.

My boyfriend buys frozen shrimp a lot so I sometimes stick a tiny piece of shrimp in Apollo's bowl (and rub it all over his other food) if he's refusing to eat.

In general I don't like feeding too much fish for a number of reasons. But as an occasional treat or bribe it seems to work well.

And cats are generally okay with bones once they get used to them, as long as they're raw bones, not cooked bones. My cats' regular food has small bone pieces in it. I would recommend supervising them when feeding larger bone pieces (if you, say, do a whole fish) but cats are naturally adapted to be able to consume bone. It just takes newbies a little while to figure it out sometimes.

[Straysmommy]

Oh yes, I've given him shrimp, I should do that again. But I have to go to a special non-kosher supermarket, and I don't have a car now.

You mean I can give him fish with bones and it's not dangerous? I always heard a bone could get stuck in their system and do harm...

[saitenyo]

Originally Posted by Straysmommy

Oh yes, I've given him shrimp, I should do that again. But I have to go to a special non-kosher supermarket, and I don't have a car now.

You mean I can give him fish with bones and it's not dangerous? I always heard a bone could get stuck in their system and do harm...

Yup, as long as the bones are completely uncooked, it's fine. Cooked bones can splinter, which is dangerous. But cats are naturally adept at eating small raw bones (afterall, when they eat mice and birds in the wild, they eat most of it, meat, organs, and bone).

There are a lot of raw feeders on here who feed raw meaty bones (chicken, fish, rabbit, etc.) and they can probably give you more info.

The only thing is, cats who are not used to eating bones may struggle with them at first since they don't have adequate jaw strength, being used to kibble or canned. Some can handle them right away, others need some time just chewing tough mean first to build up the jaw strength.

Also make sure you stick with small bones (fish bones should be fine). Large, weight-bearing bones can be too big for cats to handle (like very large birds, or mammals bigger than rabbits). My vet recommends bone pieces be about the size of a thumbnail, but I know individual opinion on what a good size is varies. If you're nervous about feeding larger bones, you can smash them up with a mallet to soften them and break them into smaller pieces (raw bones are surprisingly soft and pliable).

[dweamgoil]

I feed my cats fresh anchovies, not canned. They love them and the bones are so tiny they are easily handled.

[Straysmommy]

Saltenyo, but I've read even raw fish bones such as from salmon can puncture an internal organ, as they're like needles?

I'd love to give him fresh anchovy, but I don't think we can get that here.