Rewards for cats

[AppleBr]

Hello
Snacks for cats are almost impossible to find here in my country and we you get some,are quite expensive.
That's because dogs ae more popular here, everything seens to be planned for them.
All I got was a pack of whiskas tuna sache, but I wanted something dry I could use to make her happy or as reward in usuful trainning
Does anybody knows some treat not dangerous for health from our own feed?
Can cats eat some "green" or fruits? Any other thing?
I never give her meat, vet said is not good and i agree, but she is crazy about and I'm afraid she stealing that somewhere and eating poisoned stuff .
Poor one gladly eat the ration, but I fear she got tired of...

[LynneAV]

Well, cats are carnivores ... what your vet might be concerned about in meats could be the additives like seasonings and salt, and perhaps the danger from swallowing bones.   Typical canned tuna for humans has too much sodium for cats. Lots of cats enjoy treats of cooked chicken and turkey, but I would avoid the processed "lunch meat" variety in quantity  because of the salt and other additives.  Onions are toxic to cats, but I don't believe there is harm in other vegetables and fruits if your cat likes them. The main goal is to provide adequate feline nutrition, especially taurine which is an added ingredient in all good cat food, and found in the wild feline diet only from meat. Our Annie goes insane over Whiskas "Temptations" crunchy treats, which they sell in supermarkets in the U.S.  

[AppleBr]

Thanks for the answer,vet said that about red meat and also chicken liver I was intending give her cooked. Meat canned for humans are not common in Brazil so we were talking about fresh one to be prepared at home.
About canned tuna, sorry is the only one I can offer her eventually, but I guess there's a brand with less sodium.If not, guess that sachet for cats will work fine.Hope she didnt reject the normal feed after !!
Didnt ask vet  about everything, it was a phone call.
I will try some fruits and keep avoiding things with addictives,
BTW, dont worry about me giving her onions - I fell like is toxic even for myself : I HATE that! Not to mention she alredy has bad breath ;-)

[FurballsMom]

Buy fresh meats from the grocery store, the kind that have no additives or flavorings in them, just the meat.  These would make great treats for her.  Just cut a few small pieces off the fresh meat and cook the small pieces with nothing added.  Let the small pieces cool to room temperature.  Since they need more nutritionally than this, only let this be for her treats.

[opus88]

oh exactly...cooked chicken/turkey/liver/beef is good for kitty, not all the time of course but as a treat.
vets don't like this because they say it lacks the vitamins/minerals they need....but as a treat when they are still eating their own food...It doesn't hurt one bit!

If there's any fruits or veggies she likes give her that too.

I had a cat that loved cantaloupe, one now its peanut butter...I just let him lick a pea sized dab off my finger....he also loves butter this way, must be because of their darn DRY food..they need some oils and I'm sure these extras are doing more good than harm.

[bluebutterfly2222]

If you use any kind of canned cat food, you can put dabs or slices of it on a cookie sheet and bake them in the oven until firm. Then store these "cat cookies" in the refrigerator to use as treats and training rewards.

The main concern with a diet too heavy in meat, fish or poulty is that cats can get kidney and urinary track problems from it, and esp. in male cats, can even get  blockages so they can't urinate. This is of course an emergency situation and expensive to treat.

[opus88]

you have an excellent idea there...will have to try it for sure.
How do you get away from too much meat in the canned foods?....what else do you give them?

[bluebutterfly2222]

If the canned foods are made by a  veterinarian-recommended company, it is likely the formula would be  based on research into the nutritional needs of cats, and should therefore provide a safe and adequate diet.

Although people often feel they can make up better foods for their pets at home, they may inadvertently leave out important nutrients, since animals' dietary requirements are not the same as humans'.