Four Treats To Avoid
Temptations:
Animal fat, Dried meat by-products
Unspecified meat sources can come from dead, dying, diseased or down animals. This includes roadkill and animals that have died by ways other than slaughter. Unknown meats can also expose your cat to harmful medications such as antibiotics, steroids, and pentobarbital (Euthanasia Drug). Make sure treats are naming the source ie:chicken, beef
Ground Corn:
Used as a filler to boost protein. Since cats are carnivores they won’t be able to utilize much of this protein. Corn is also heavily sprayed with chemicals and is often GMO. Also, the finer corn is ground, the higher the glycemic load.
Wheat Flour:
Our wheat isn’t what it used to be, it’s highly contaminated with pesticides and has lost most of it’s nutritional value. There’s a reason many humans in the United States can no longer tolerate it. If many humans can’t tolerate it, it’s probably not ideal for an obligate carnivore.
Friskies Party Mix:
Just like the Temptations, these also contain Unspecified meat sources. They also use corn gluten meal. But there’s more:
Preserved with BHA & BHT:
These artificial preservatives have been shown to cause cancer in rats and promote tumor growth. BHT may act as an endocrine disruptor and damage healthy cells.
They’ve been banned in Japan, Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand
Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Red 40 and Blue 2:
Yellow 6 caused adrenal tumors in animals.Yellow 5, Yellow 6 and Red 40 may be contaminated with cancer-causing chemicals and occasionally causes severe hypersensitivity reactions.
An animal study on Blue 2 found a statistically significant increase in brain tumors in the high-dose group compared to the control groups
It’s best to avoid these artificial colors as they have no benefit for your cat, these are added just for you.
Red 40, Yellow 6, Yellow 5 are all banned in Europe
Meow Mix Ocean Explosion:
Just like the above treats, these also contain unspecified meat sources, wheat flour, artificial colors and BHA/BHT. But there’s More:
Soy Flour:
80% of soy is genetically modified and is heavily sprayed with pesticides. Soy contains isoflavones, a type of phytoestrogens that has been linked to disrupted endocrine function. Just like corn, soy flour is used to boost protein. Since cats are carnivores, very little of this protein is able to be utilized. This is just a cheap filler.
Titanium Dioxide:
Recent studies have shown that the consumption of foods containing Titanium Dioxide can affect the gut microbiome and cause inflammation in the gut and in the digestive system, which can lead to diseases like colorectal cancer and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Titanium Dioxide is banned in Europe
Greenies:
Just like the above treats, these also contain Unspecified meat sources. They also use corn gluten meal and wheat.
These treats are really high in carbohydrates, which don’t clean teeth. Carbs break down into sugar and feed the bad bacteria in the mouth, leading to plaque and tartar build up.
For dental health: Feed a low carbohydrate diet, give them single ingredient natural chews, and brush those teeth.
There’s also the option of water additives but be careful with these, make sure your cat likes them and there are only a handful of brands I would recommend.
We’re not here to judge you if you feed any of these.
But we are here to help you find healthier, safer alternatives.
Your pet’s health is very important to us.
That’s why we carefully select the treats we carry in store.
Have any questions, please reach out any time!
If you want to see our list of dog treats, click HERE