What are the best cat treats?

PureBites Freeze-Dried Chicken Breast Cat Treats (A/95) is our top pick - the ingredient list is one item: chicken breast. Our top four are PureBites Freeze-Dried Chicken (A/95, 1 kcal), Tiki Cat Stix Tuna in Chicken Consomme (A/90, 7 kcal), Inaba Churu Tuna Recipe (A/90, 6 kcal), and Greenies Feline Original Tuna (C/61, 1.4 kcal) for VOHC-validated dental support. Avoid Friskies Party Mix (D/42) and Temptations Classic Chicken (D/38) - both rely on grain-and-byproduct bases with artificial colors and meaningful sugar inclusions. Per the AAFP 2024 Cat Friendly Care Guidelines, treats should not exceed 10 percent of daily caloric intake to preserve the obligate-carnivore protein-and-amino-acid balance from the complete-and-balanced primary diet.

Can cats have treats every day?

Yes, with constraints. Per the AAFP 2024 Cat Friendly Care Guidelines and the ISFM Consensus on Healthy Cat Feeding, treats can be a daily part of feeding when they account for no more than 10 percent of daily caloric intake. For a typical 10-pound adult cat on a 240 kcal/day plan, the daily treat budget is 24 kcal - roughly 24 PureBites Freeze-Dried Chicken pieces (1 kcal each), 3-4 Tiki Cat Stix or Inaba Churu (6-7 kcal each), or 17 Greenies Feline (1.4 kcal each). Per the AAFP 2024 guidelines, single-protein treats are preferred during elimination-diet trials and for cats with documented adverse food reactions; per the ISFM consensus, treats should be timed strategically (training, medication delivery, environmental enrichment) rather than fed as ad-lib snacks.

Best Cat Treats in 2026

Q: What cat treats should be avoided?

Avoid treats with artificial colors (Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 2) - per the WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines, artificial colorants serve no nutritional purpose and have been associated with hyperactivity-class behavioral changes in some companion-animal populations. Avoid treats with sugar (cane sugar, molasses, honey) in the top 5 ingredients - per the AVDC consensus on feline dental disease, dietary sugar accelerates dental plaque formation in cats already prone to feline odontoclastic resorptive lesions (FORL). Avoid treats containing onion or garlic powder in any concentration - per the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center guidelines, both are acutely toxic to cats. Avoid grain-and-byproduct-base treats with named animal sources only as flavoring (Friskies Party Mix, Temptations Classic Chicken) - they fail the AAFCO 2024 named-animal-protein-first preference for supplemental treats.

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Short answer: Our top picks are PureBites Freeze-Dried Chicken Breast Cat Treats (A/95, 1 kcal per piece, true single-ingredient), Tiki Cat Stix Tuna in Chicken Consomme (A/90, 7 kcal, broth-based lickable), and Inaba Churu Tuna Recipe (A/90, 6 kcal, puree-based lickable). For dental support, Greenies Feline Original Tuna (C/61, 1.4 kcal) is the only VOHC-accepted feline dental treat in the catalog. Avoid Friskies Party Mix (D/42) and Temptations Classic Chicken (D/38) — both rely on grain-and-byproduct bases with named animal protein only as flavoring, plus artificial colors. Per the AAFP 2024 Cat Friendly Care Guidelines, treats should stay under 10% of daily caloric intake.

Top 4 cat treat picks at a glance

#	Brand	Score	Calories per piece	Why it earns the pick
1	PureBites Freeze-Dried Chicken Cat	A/95	1 kcal	True single-ingredient (chicken breast only) at the lowest calorie density on the cat catalog
2	Tiki Cat Stix Tuna in Chicken Consomme	A/90	7 kcal	Lickable broth-based treat — ideal for hydration support and pill-pocketing
3	Inaba Churu Tuna Recipe	A/90	6 kcal	Lickable puree treat with documented palatability across picky-eater feline populations
4	Greenies Feline Original Tuna	C/61	1.4 kcal	VOHC Seal of Acceptance for plaque and tartar reduction in feline dental disease

How We Ranked These

Every treat on this list was scored using KibbleIQ’s Treats Rubric v1.0, which evaluates protein quality, function-class fit, preservative safety, and ingredient transparency on a 0–100 scale. The same ingredient list always produces the same grade-and-score (A/95, A/90, C/61), so picks are reproducible across the site. Cats are obligate carnivores per the AAFP 2024 Cat Friendly Care Guidelines — the rubric weights named-animal-protein-first ingredient decks more heavily for feline treats than for canine treats, reflecting the higher dietary protein requirement and the inability to synthesize taurine, arginine, and arachidonic acid from plant precursors. The four picks below all clear the named-animal-protein-first criterion in addition to scoring at or above C/61 on the rubric — the C-tier dental pick is included specifically because the VOHC clinical-efficacy lens delivers a benefit the rubric cannot capture.

We weighted the AAFP 2024 Cat Friendly Care Guidelines (the foundational consensus on feline care including treat-feeding cadence), the ISFM Consensus on Healthy Cat Feeding (the Eyre 2018 J Feline Med Surg statement on treat substantiation and obesity prevention), the AAFCO 2024 Cat Food Nutrient Profiles (including the obligate-carnivore taurine and arachidonic-acid requirements), the WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines for Cats (the 9-point body condition score and treat-budget framework), the AVDC consensus on feline dental disease (including FORL and feline gingivostomatitis), the VOHC Seal of Acceptance program (the only third-party clinical-efficacy validation for dental products), the AAFCO 2024 Treat Substantiation policy (treats remain “supplemental” not complete-and-balanced for any feline life stage), and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center guidance on cat-toxic ingredients (onion, garlic, xylitol). Per the AAFP 2024 guidelines, the typical adult indoor cat at ideal body condition has a daily caloric requirement of 200–280 kcal — the 10% treat budget is 20–28 kcal, which translates to 20–28 PureBites pieces, 3–4 Tiki Cat Stix or Inaba Churu, or 14–20 Greenies Feline.

Our Top 4 Picks

1. PureBites Freeze-Dried Chicken Breast Cat Treats — A (95/100)
PureBites Freeze-Dried Chicken Breast Cat Treats is the highest-scoring treat on the entire KibbleIQ catalog (95/100), tied with no other product. The ingredient list is one item: chicken breast. There are no binders, glycerin, sugars, preservatives, or flavorings — just freeze-dried chicken breast in cat-bite-sized pieces (smaller than the dog-version pieces). The 1 kcal per piece density is the lowest on the cat treat catalog, allowing the highest possible piece-volume within the AAFP 2024 ten-percent daily-treat budget. For a 10-pound indoor cat on a 240 kcal/day plan, the budget allows 24 PureBites pieces — more than enough for daily training, environmental enrichment, and pill-pocketing combined.

Per the AAFP 2024 Cat Friendly Care Guidelines and the ISFM Consensus on Healthy Cat Feeding, single-ingredient muscle-meat treats are the preferred default for healthy adult cats because the obligate-carnivore physiology metabolizes single-protein animal sources more efficiently than mixed-protein or grain-supplemented formulations. The freeze-dried format also serves elimination-diet trials in cats with suspected adverse food reactions per Mueller et al. 2019 — chicken is among the four most common feline food allergens (beef, fish, chicken, dairy), so PureBites Chicken is appropriate as the trial-baseline protein when the suspected allergen is something else. Read our full PureBites Cat review → · Shop on Amazon →

2. Tiki Cat Stix Tuna in Chicken Consomme — A (90/100)
Tiki Cat Stix is the lickable broth-based pick at 7 kcal per piece (per stix). The ingredient deck is tuna, chicken broth, chicken, sunflower seed oil, xanthan gum, locust bean gum, sodium acid pyrophosphate, taurine, and a vitamin/mineral premix — named animal proteins in positions 1, 2, and 3, with documented added taurine satisfying the AAFCO 2024 obligate-carnivore taurine requirement. The broth-based format delivers ~70% moisture per stix, supporting hydration in cats with marginal water intake (the most common cat-management issue per the AAFP 2024 guidelines). Per the ISFM consensus on feline hydration, broth-based treats are an effective adjunct for cats whose primary diet is dry kibble, where total-water-intake gaps are a documented contributor to lower-urinary-tract disease.

Tiki Cat Stix is also the appropriate pill-pocketing tool per the AAFP 2024 Cat Friendly Care Guidelines — the puree texture wraps around oral medications without requiring forcible administration, reducing the medication-stress that drives medication non-compliance in feline households. For cats on chronic medications (CKD, hyperthyroidism, hypertension, IBD), pill-disguising treats are a quality-of-life intervention. Read our full Tiki Cat Stix review → · Shop on Amazon →

3. Inaba Churu Tuna Recipe — A (90/100)
Inaba Churu Tuna Recipe is the lickable puree pick at 6 kcal per tube. The ingredient deck is water, tuna, tapioca, natural flavors, guar gum, natural tuna flavors, fructooligosaccharide, vitamin E supplement, and green tea extract — tuna in position 2 (after water, which is functionally a hydration vehicle), with FOS as a prebiotic adjunct supporting feline gut microbiome stability per Pinna et al. 2019. The Churu format is dispensed as a creamy puree from a flexible tube, allowing direct hand-feeding (positive-reinforcement bonding) or smearing onto a lick mat or vertical surface for environmental enrichment per the AAFP 2024 guidelines on indoor-cat enrichment.

Inaba Churu has documented exceptional palatability across picky-eater feline populations — for cats refusing food during illness recovery (post-anesthesia, post-dental, post-surgical), Churu is often the entry treat that re-establishes appetite. Per the AAFP 2024 Cat Friendly Care Guidelines, post-illness anorexia is a common feline complication; restoration of voluntary food intake within 48–72 hours is the AAFP-target metric for clinical recovery. Read our full Inaba Churu review → · Shop on Amazon →

4. Greenies Feline Original Tuna — C (61/100)
Greenies Feline Original Tuna is the dental-validated pick at 1.4 kcal per piece. The ingredient deck is grain-heavy with named animal protein in position 4 (the rubric’s primary deduction holding the score at C/61) but the treat carries the VOHC Seal of Acceptance for plaque and tartar reduction in cats — the only feline dental treat on the catalog with VOHC validation, and one of only a small number of VOHC-accepted feline dental products period. Per the AVDC consensus on feline dental disease, dental disease (including feline odontoclastic resorptive lesions, gingivitis, and periodontitis) affects an estimated 50–90% of cats over 4 years, and dental-mechanical interventions (treats, brushing, dental diets) are part of the AAFP 2024-endorsed multimodal approach to feline oral health.

This is a deliberate dual-lens pick: the rubric grade (C/61) reflects ingredient quality, while the VOHC Seal reflects clinical efficacy — both matter. Owners optimizing for ingredient quality will prefer the A-tier picks; owners managing existing feline dental disease should include a VOHC-accepted dental treat as part of the broader oral-care protocol. Per the AAHA 2019 Dental Care Guidelines for Dogs and Cats, daily VOHC-accepted dental treats deliver measurable plaque-and-calculus reduction over 3–6 months of use; the per-piece calorie density (1.4 kcal) supports daily inclusion within the 10% treat budget. Read our full Greenies Feline review → · Shop on Amazon →

Cat Treats to Avoid

Friskies Party Mix Original Crunch (D/42) uses chicken by-product meal as the primary protein source (vs the AAFCO-preferred named animal protein), with corn meal in position 2 and added artificial colors (Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 2). Per the WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines, artificial colorants serve no nutritional purpose; per the AAFCO 2024 ingredient-disclosure conventions, named-protein-first decks are the preferred structure for cat treats. The 2 kcal per piece density is acceptable, but the ingredient profile fails the AAFP 2024 obligate-carnivore framework. Full review →

Temptations Classic Chicken Flavor (D/38) uses ground corn as the primary ingredient with chicken by-product meal in position 2 — the inverse of the AAFCO-preferred named-animal-protein-first structure for feline treats. Brewers rice, wheat flour, animal fat (preserved with BHA/BHT), dried meat by-products, and added natural and artificial flavors complete the deck. Per the AVDC consensus on feline dental disease, the high carbohydrate base (corn + rice + wheat) accelerates dental plaque formation in cats already prone to FORL. The 2 kcal per piece density is acceptable, but the ingredient profile is the lowest-rated on the cat treat catalog. Full review →

What to Look for in Cat Treats

Named animal protein in position 1. Per the AAFCO 2024 Cat Food Nutrient Profiles and the AAFP 2024 Cat Friendly Care Guidelines, cats are obligate carnivores with absolute requirements for taurine, arginine, arachidonic acid, and pre-formed vitamin A — nutrients that are either absent from or poorly bioavailable in plant sources. Treats should reflect this with a named animal protein (chicken, turkey, fish, beef, lamb) as the first ingredient. Generic terms (“meat by-products,” “poultry meal”) are less transparent than species-named alternatives. The PureBites, Tiki Cat Stix, and Inaba Churu picks all satisfy this; the Greenies Feline pick has named tuna in position 4 (acceptable for the dental-treat function class but not the rubric ideal); the Friskies and Temptations picks fail this criterion.

The 10% daily caloric budget rule applies to cats. Per the AAFP 2024 Cat Friendly Care Guidelines and the ISFM Consensus on Healthy Cat Feeding, treats should not exceed 10% of daily caloric intake. For a typical 10-pound adult cat on a 240 kcal/day plan, the daily treat budget is 24 kcal. Per Linder & Mueller 2014 (JAVMA review on dietary fiber and obesity in companion animals), feline obesity affects 35–60% of indoor cats in U.S. and European studies, and dietary indiscretion (treats, table scraps) is the most common owner-modifiable contributor. Subtract the treat calories from the primary-diet allotment, not add on top.

Hydration is a feline care lever. Per the AAFP 2024 Cat Friendly Care Guidelines and the ISFM consensus on feline hydration, total daily water intake is a documented contributor to lower-urinary-tract disease, chronic kidney disease progression, and constipation. Cats fed exclusively dry kibble achieve total water intake of 30–50 mL/kg/day vs the AAHA-recommended 50–70 mL/kg/day — broth-based treats (Tiki Cat Stix) and puree treats (Inaba Churu) deliver moisture in addition to calories, partially closing the hydration gap. For cats with documented CKD, hyperthyroidism, or recurring urinary issues, lickable treats are part of the AAFP-endorsed hydration-support strategy.

Avoid onion, garlic, and xylitol absolutely. Per the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center guidelines and the FDA-CVM 2024 advisory, onion (any form — raw, cooked, powdered, dehydrated) and garlic are acutely toxic to cats due to thiosulfate-mediated oxidative damage to feline red blood cells. Xylitol, while less acutely toxic to cats than to dogs, should still be avoided. Check the ingredient list of any treat marketed for “cats and dogs” or human-food snacks — some contain onion or garlic powder as flavoring agents at concentrations dangerous for chronic feeding.

VOHC Seal of Acceptance is the dental-efficacy validation. Per the VOHC website and the AAHA 2019 Dental Care Guidelines for Dogs and Cats, the VOHC (Veterinary Oral Health Council) Seal of Acceptance is awarded only to products with documented clinical evidence of plaque or tartar reduction in controlled trials. For feline dental treats, VOHC-accepted products are uncommon — Greenies Feline is one of the small set. The dental benefit is real and clinically validated, but only realized with daily long-term use. Per the AVDC consensus, dental treats are an adjunct to (not replacement for) brushing and professional anesthetized dental cleanings.

Avoid artificial colors. Per the WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines, artificial colorants (Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 2) serve no nutritional purpose — they exist for human visual appeal in pet products. The colorant additions on Friskies Party Mix and similar grain-and-byproduct treats add cost without nutritional value and have been associated with hyperactivity-class behavioral changes in some companion-animal populations per peer-reviewed reviews from veterinary-nutrition groups (e.g., Tufts ClinNutrition Service consensus articles).

Coordinate with your veterinarian on weight, dental, and chronic-disease management. Per the AAFP 2024 Cat Friendly Care Guidelines, cats should have annual wellness exams (semiannual after 7 years) including body condition score (BCS) assessment per the WSAVA 9-point system. Treat regimens for cats with documented obesity, CKD, hyperthyroidism, or IBD should be coordinated with the veterinary care plan — CKD cats benefit from low-phosphorus single-ingredient treats; obese cats benefit from the lowest-calorie picks (PureBites Chicken at 1 kcal, Greenies Feline at 1.4 kcal); cats on appetite-stimulating medications benefit from high-palatability picks (Inaba Churu, Tiki Cat Stix) timed with medication windows.

Bottom Line

For healthy adult cats, PureBites Freeze-Dried Chicken Breast Cat Treats (A/95, 1 kcal) is our top pick — true single-ingredient transparency at the lowest calorie density. Tiki Cat Stix Tuna in Chicken Consomme (A/90, 7 kcal) is the broth-based hydration-support and pill-pocketing pick, and Inaba Churu Tuna Recipe (A/90, 6 kcal) is the puree-based picky-eater enticement and post-illness recovery pick. Greenies Feline Original Tuna (C/61, 1.4 kcal) is the only VOHC-accepted feline dental treat on the catalog — a deliberate dual-lens pick where clinical-efficacy validation outweighs ingredient-rubric grade for the dental-care function. Avoid Friskies Party Mix (D/42) and Temptations Classic Chicken (D/38) — both rely on grain-and-byproduct bases that fail the AAFCO 2024 named-animal-protein-first preference for feline treats. The non-negotiable rules: stay under 10% of daily calories (per AAFP 2024), prioritize named animal protein in position 1 (per AAFCO 2024), avoid onion/garlic/xylitol absolutely (per ASPCA + FDA-CVM 2024), and coordinate treat regimens for cats with documented chronic disease with your veterinarian. Per the AAFP 2024 Cat Friendly Care Guidelines, treats are a positive enrichment intervention when calibrated to the cat’s individual life stage and health status.