Cat treats are necessary for the health of the cat. It’s not that cat treats offer nutrition packed food that’s good for them. They already get that. It’s that cat treats offer wonderful bonding opportunities for both of us.

Cat treats are essential to their mental health.

more cat pictures

Don’t think that we shouldn’t give the cats treats because they should love us for ourselves. They do.

Don’t we love our friends and relatives? Don’t they show us they love us by providing food we like?

Maybe… special foods we especially like?

We can buy cat treats at the store, get them online, or make them ourselves. But we need to find ones our cats like. It’s how much they like it that creates the love/teach opportunity that treats can provide. Treats are not the only way to create these opportunities. But they have a great advantage, especially with young or uncertain cats.

They give the cat something to focus on.

When they are focused on a goal, they are highly alert to cues that let them know how to get what they want. By watching their behavior closely, while they do things to try to get us to give them the treat, we wait for one we like and then, swiftly and happily, give them the treat.

It does not take long for the cat to learn how to push our buttons.

Make the treat ritual an easy and automatic part of our day by keeping the treats handy, but in a way that the cats cannot open themselves. Be prepared for the cat to investigate the container, and whatever contains the container.

Another treat option is to see if cats enjoy any of our treats, thus making treat time for all.

In the picture at left, RJ demonstrates the cat response to food they are politely declining. There are other forms of opinion sharing. The cat might give us a disbelieving look, stalk off indignantly, or pretend to bury it.

It’s easy to tell when it’s something they like.

Don’t let them become nuisances about it. Demand some proper behavior, such as petting them into a sitting position or making them get off the chair where they are being too insistent, and nudging them into staying on the floor.

This is love time. This is teach time.

This is treat time.

Mr. Bond is saying, I’m James Bond, and I approved this message.

Some people food is not good for cats; consult my post, Dear Pammy, What people food is bad for cats? to find out more.

Got here from a Link or Search?
There’s more ways to care for our cat with The Way of Cats than the article you are reading now. See all of my posts on CAT CARE.