Giving your cats their favorite treats is a great way to train and spoil them. However, sometimes we tend to give them too many treats, either out of sheer ignorance or by falling prey to their adorable faces. Feeding your cat too many treats can be dangerous, as it can lead to heart disease, arthritis, obesity, stroke, or even cancer. A great way to avoid this is by opting for healthier cat treats and setting a hard limit to how many treats you should give them in a day. Here are some tips to help you buy the right treats for your cats:

1. Avoid corn, soy, and wheat
Corn, soy, and wheat are ingredients that contain high amounts of carbohydrates and fiber. Cats don’t particularly need a lot of carbohydrates and fiber in their diet, since their natural diet predominantly consists of meat. Feeding them such high-fiber foods is not good for their health, as it may lead to indigestion and an upset stomach.

2. Avoid sweeteners
While several cat treats contain artificial sweeteners to enhance their taste, these aren’t typically healthy for them. Such added sweeteners put your cats at risk of developing severe health complications. Moreover, most cats aren’t even able to taste sweetness in their food.

3. Avoid excess sodium
Sodium is known to cause dehydration in cats and is hence not good for them. Cats are prone to dehydration due to a variety of reasons, and the added sodium could add fuel to fire and result in serious conditions like kidney stones.

4. Avoid artificial flavors, preservatives, and dyes
Several brands of cat food often add preservatives to their products to increase their shelf life. These preservatives may contain harmful chemicals, such as BHT and BHA, which can prove carcinogenic. Even the artificial dyes used to make these foods more appealing are known to be harmful to not just cats, but also humans.

5. Keep in mind specific conditions
If your cat has certain medical conditions or allergies, then make sure that the treats are right for them. There are specific foods available for cats with allergies, including grain-free and protein-rich foods. If your cat has sensitive teeth, then you can buy foods that ensure tartar control. Apart from this, you can also find cat foods for hairball prevention, joint health, kidney health, and more.

6. Choose catnip
If you don’t already know, catnip is a plant that is absolutely loved by cats. It puts them in a better, relaxed mood. There are catnip toys, treats, and other products available in the market that are great to have in your house. Catnip can have different effects on different cat breeds, so make sure you speak to a veterinarian before buying it.