Pampering your pet cat with lavish treats and copious amounts of affection feels really good. But is there a thing such as too much affection? It is important to make sure that your way of showering your love to the felines does no harm to them. Just like you run the risk of spoiling your pet if you never say no to them, fancy commercially available treats should not be more than 10% of the total daily calorie consumption for your cat.

Treats should form only a small portion of their diet, and as a pet owner, it is imperative for you to select the best treats for optimum nutritional benefits. This article gives a brief overview on cat treats and how to ensure they’re great for your pet.

Give treats in moderation
An excess of cat treats does nothing but add empty calories, making your pet obese and internally sick. Also, pampering your cat with these goodies will habituate them to the treats and they will gradually start avoiding eating a healthy diet at all. It is thus essential for you to limit their consumption of cat treats to a few times a week at most.

Avoid toxic foods
Some foods like onions, raisins, grapes, salt, etc. can be toxic for felines. Before selecting cat treats, talk to your vet and confirm whether they will be safe for your kitty or not.

Go green
Cat treats like cat grass and catnip are both fun and healthy treats. You can either grow these treats at home if you have a wide windowsill or similar area that receives plenty of sunlight. You can even get fresh or dried catnips at any pets stores nearby. But always keep an eye on your cat after they consume those catnips or cat grass, if you see something unusual immediately call your vet. Aside from these, you can also give your cat grains like millet, couscous, and oats. Ensure they are properly cooked so your pets can digest them fully.

Make treats at home
Commercially available cat treats only add calories and hardly does any good to your pet. So, it is better to take out some time from your busy schedule and cook something good and delicious for your kitty. There is nothing more nutritious than a homemade freshly cooked food.

Cook bits of fish, egg, or liver for your cat; this way you will also know what exactly your pet is having. You can also make organic treats for your cat like buying them meat, eggs or fish that are certified as organic and then cooking them in a healthy way. However, these treats should not form more than 10% of your cat’s overall daily diet.

One thing every pet owner must keep in mind is that treats cannot be a replacement for the time, attention, and care you must give your cat. Your furry friend depends on you for everything, it is up to you to make sure you maintain that trust.