Best safe cat treats (UK)
The treat types UK vets are happiest to see in the cupboard — single-ingredient, low-calorie, and free of the additives that cause trouble.
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Treats should make up no more than 10% of a cat's daily calories, and the safest choices are the simplest ones. This list ranks the treat styles we'd actually buy, based on the same safety criteria used across our safe foods directory. For the full background on reading treat labels, see our safe cat treats guide.
Freeze-dried single-protein treats
One ingredient — usually chicken, salmon, or duck. Nothing to check on the label because there is no rest-of-label. High-value enough for training, and low-calorie if you keep pieces small.
Lickable purée treats
Squeeze-tube purées are useful for hiding tablets and rewarding stressed cats. Choose varieties without onion or garlic powder — check the label, as alliums appear in some meat pastes.
Dental treats
A reasonable everyday treat with some plaque-control benefit. Feed to the pack's daily limit, not ad-lib — they're more calorific than they look.
Plain cooked-meat style treats
Small pieces of plain cooked chicken or similar meat-first treats. Avoid anything cured, smoked, or seasoned — see our ham entry for why processed meats fail the salt test.
Cat grass kits
Technically not a treat, but chewing cat grass satisfies the same urge and helps hairball passage — and it redirects cats away from the houseplants on our toxic plant list.
Whatever you choose, introduce new treats gradually and check the ingredients list for onion or garlic powder, xylitol, and excessive salt — the three failure modes that put human snacks on our toxic foods list.
Last reviewed: · By the What Can My Cat Eat? editorial team