The bag barely rustles before the cat is there, sitting very straight at your feet and looking at you as if you had promised. One treat becomes three. Later someone else in the family, not knowing, hands out a few more, and the cat finishes the evening having eaten what amounts to an extra small meal.
No single treat did any harm. The trouble with treats is almost always the total, and the total is easy to lose track of.
Treats should make up less than 10 percent of a cat’s daily calories, according to the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA). The other 90 percent or more should come from a complete and balanced cat food, the kind that contains every nutrient a cat needs. For an average healthy adult cat, that leaves room for only about 20 to 25 calories of treats a day, which is less than most people expect.
This guide explains why the limit exists, how to work out what it means for your cat, how to read the calories on a treat label, and which plain foods make sensible treats.
- Keep treats under 10% of daily calories. WSAVA sets this limit so the main diet stays balanced and the cat stays at a healthy weight.
- The allowance is small. WSAVA’s table gives about 22 calories of treats a day for a 4 kg cat, roughly the calories in 13 g of cooked chicken breast.
- Read the label for calories per piece. If only calories per kilogram are given, divide by the weight of one piece, or ask the manufacturer.
- Use part of the regular food as treats. Set aside some of the day’s food and hand it out as rewards.
- Skip the dangerous foods. Onions, garlic, grapes, raisins, chocolate, xylitol, alcohol and caffeine are toxic, and bones and raw treats carry other risks.
Why treats should stay under 10 percent
Treats are kept to less than 10 percent of daily calories because most treats are not complete and balanced, and too many of them can unbalance the main diet and lead to weight gain.
A complete and balanced cat food is designed so that a cat eating it every day gets everything it needs, from protein and fat to vitamins and minerals. Treats rarely meet that standard. When treats replace a large share of the bowl, a cat can end up with too few of some nutrients, and the WSAVA guide on feeding treats to cats warns against exactly that. VCA Animal Hospitals adds that treats can become more appealing than regular food and turn a cat into a fussy eater.
Weight is the other reason. The Cornell Feline Health Center calls obesity the most common nutrition-related problem in cats, and extra weight raises the risk of problems such as arthritis and diabetes. Cornell gives a slightly wider rule of thumb of 10 to 15 percent, so aiming for under 10 percent keeps you within both.
WSAVA counts anything given on top of the main diet as a treat. Chews, table scraps, lickable treats and the food used to hide a pill all go into the same daily total.
How many calories is that?
A healthy adult cat in ideal body condition has a treat allowance of roughly 18 to 28 calories a day, depending on body weight, according to WSAVA’s guide.
| Cat’s weight | Maximum treat calories per day |
|---|---|
| 2.5 kg (about 5.5 lb) | 18 |
| 3 kg (about 6.6 lb) | 20 |
| 4 kg (about 8.8 lb) | 22 |
| 5 kg (about 11 lb) | 25 |
| 6 kg (about 13 lb) | 26 |
| 7 kg (about 15 lb) | 28 |
WSAVA’s figures assume an average healthy adult cat at an ideal weight. A cat that is overweight, very inactive, a kitten, or living with a medical condition will have a different daily energy need, and your vet is the best person to set it. The pet food calculator gives an estimate of daily calories for adult cats and kittens, and 10 percent of that number is the treat ceiling.
How quickly people food adds up
WSAVA’s guide lists the calories in common foods that people share with cats, and the numbers show how small the allowance really is. A 28 g portion (one ounce) of lean cooked chicken breast without skin has about 47 calories, roughly twice the daily treat allowance of a 4 kg cat. The same weight of canned tuna in water has about 36 calories, cooked prawns about 29, and cheddar cheese about 120.
Chicken is still a fine treat for most cats. A treat-sized piece is simply much smaller than a human-sized bite: a few small cubes, not a strip from your plate.
How to read the calories on a treat label
Look on the package for the calorie statement, which shows the energy in the treat, and use the figure per piece if it is given.
Many cat food and treat labels list calories in two ways: per kilogram of product, and per piece, per tube or per other everyday unit. The per-piece figure is the useful one. Divide your cat’s daily treat allowance by it, and you know how many pieces fit in a day.
Working it out step by step
- Find the calories per piece. If the label lists only calories per kilogram, weigh a few pieces on a kitchen scale and work out the weight of one. A treat with 3,000 calories per kilogram and pieces weighing 1 g each has about 3 calories per piece.
- Check the daily allowance. Use the table above, or 10 percent of the daily calories your vet recommends.
- Divide. An allowance of 22 calories and treats of about 3 calories each works out to around seven pieces a day, and fewer if your cat also gets other extras.
- Ask the manufacturer if the package gives no calorie information at all. WSAVA recommends contacting the company in that case.
VCA Animal Hospitals cautions that treats labeled “light” or “lower calorie” are not always much lower in calories, so compare the actual numbers rather than the words on the front of the bag.
Use part of the regular food as treats
Setting aside part of a cat’s daily food and giving it out as treats is one of the simplest ways to reward a cat without adding calories.
VCA Animal Hospitals suggests using a portion of the regular food as treats, noting that food-motivated cats may not notice the difference. A practical way to do it is to measure the whole day’s food in the morning, then take the treats out of that amount. Kibble works well because it is easy to hand out one piece at a time, and a few pieces in a puzzle feeder or tossed across the floor turn a reward into a game.
When everyone in the household shares the job of giving treats, agree on a single daily amount. A small jar holding the day’s treats, emptied by evening, keeps everyone honest.
Plain foods that make good treats
Small pieces of plain, fully cooked meat or egg are safe treats for most cats, as long as they stay within the daily allowance.
Cats are carnivores, and the safest people foods for them are simple animal proteins with nothing added. Each of the pages below explains how to prepare the food and what to watch for.
- Chicken and turkey: plain, fully cooked, with skin and bones removed
- Eggs: fully cooked and plain, never raw
- Shrimp: plain and cooked, with shell, tail and head removed
- Pumpkin: plain cooked or canned, never pie filling
- Tuna: only now and then, as large amounts can cause nutritional problems
Some foods are not toxic but suit cats poorly as treats. Many adult cats do not digest lactose well, so milk is not recommended and cheese should be a rare, tiny taste at most. For fruit and vegetables, see the list of fruits and vegetables cats can eat.
Foods and treats to avoid
Onions, garlic and their relatives, grapes and raisins, chocolate, xylitol, alcohol and caffeine are toxic to cats and should never be given as treats.
Never give these to a cat:
- Onions, garlic, leeks, shallots and chives, including powders and foods cooked with them
- Grapes, raisins, currants and sultanas
- Chocolate
- Xylitol, a sweetener found in some sugar-free foods
- Alcohol and raw yeast dough
- Caffeinated drinks such as coffee, tea and energy drinks
- Bones, cooked or raw, which can cause serious injury if chewed or swallowed
- Raw meat treats, including raw freeze-dried or dehydrated treats, which can carry harmful bacteria
If your cat has eaten something toxic, contact your vet or an emergency animal hospital right away, even if the cat seems fine. Do not try to make your cat vomit at home.
Lickable and creamy treats
Lickable and creamy treats count toward the same 10 percent allowance as any other treat, so check the calories per tube or pouch and keep them as small, occasional extras.
Squeezable treats have become popular because cats love them and they are easy to share by hand. That popularity is exactly why they deserve a little care. A cat that is offered one whenever it asks can quickly fill a large part of its day with food that is usually not complete and balanced, and some cats begin to turn up their noses at their normal meals.
Using lickable treats sensibly
Read the label as you would for any treat. Look for the calories per tube or per pouch, and check the nutritional statement: unless the package says the product is complete and balanced, it is not meant to replace a meal. If a whole tube takes up most of your cat’s daily allowance, share part of it and keep the rest, sealed, for later according to the package directions.
Lickable treats can be useful at stressful moments, such as during grooming or a nail trim, and some owners use a small amount to hide a tablet. Those uses still count toward the daily total. If your cat has a medical condition or eats a veterinary diet, ask your vet whether any treat is suitable; WSAVA notes that ordinary treats may not be appropriate for these cats.
Frequently asked questions
How many treats can a cat have a day?
A cat’s treats should add up to less than 10 percent of its daily calories, which is about 20 to 25 calories for an average healthy adult cat. The number of pieces depends on the calories per treat shown on the label.
Is it bad to give my cat treats every day?
Daily treats are fine as long as the total stays under 10 percent of the cat’s calories and the rest of the diet is a complete and balanced cat food. The problem is the amount, not the habit.
Can I use my cat's regular food as treats?
Yes. Setting aside part of the day’s food and handing it out as rewards is a simple way to treat a cat without adding extra calories, and many cats are just as happy with it.
Are lickable cat treats healthy?
Lickable treats are fine as an occasional extra, but they count toward the 10 percent treat allowance like any other treat. Check the calories per tube and do not let them replace a complete and balanced meal.
What human foods can cats eat as treats?
Small pieces of plain, fully cooked chicken, turkey, egg or shrimp are safe treats for most cats. Avoid anything seasoned, and never give onion, garlic, grapes, raisins or chocolate.
For older cats, see caring for a senior cat. To browse more foods, visit what cats can and cannot eat.
The cat at your feet will always ask for one more. A small jar of the day’s treats, counted from its own food and shared out slowly, lets you say yes more often without the total creeping up.
Sources
- World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) – Feeding treats to your cat
- VCA Animal Hospitals – Cat Treats
- Cornell Feline Health Center – Feeding Your Cat
This guide is general information and not a substitute for veterinary advice.