If you’re going to buy treats for your cat, why not go the healthy way? Just like humans, cats benefit from healthy, nutritional food. Eating healthy can also help your cats overcome common diseases. However, buying healthy cat treats isn’t easy. Lots of different brands claim that their treats are nutritious and healthy, leaving you puzzled and unsure about which treat you should really choose.

Here are a few simple tips to help you make the right decision.

1. Know your cats’ needs
Every cat has a different body. Their requirements are also different. For instance, larger cats need more calories than others. Even before you buy a healthy treat, take your cat to the vet, and understand what kind of diet plan works for him/her. Based on the information, buy the cat treat that provides the right amount of nutrients and calories to your cat.

2. Human food doesn’t work for cats
When buying a healthy cat treat, remember to check for ingredients that are commonly used by humans. Ideally, it should be there in minimal amounts as the nutritional requirements of cats are totally different from that of humans. Ingredients used by humans have compounds that might trigger health problems in cats. Therefore, when buying a healthy treat, make sure that it has a minimal amount of foods that are generally used by humans.

3. Avoid sweeteners at all costs
If the cat treat label has sugar or any other sweeteners, try avoiding it even if the rest of the ingredients seem healthy. This is because sugar can cause diabetes in cats. The disease is growing at an alarming rate, and it leads to significant symptoms like dehydration, loss of appetite, and vomiting. Secondly, cats are also unable to taste sweeteners. This makes the ingredient harmful and useless.

4. Steer clear of artificial flavors and preservatives
Artificial flavors, preservatives, and dyes are even more harmful than sweeteners for your cat. Artificial flavors are deemed carcinogenic for cats, while preservatives such as glycerin can cause methanol contamination, according to the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA). These ingredients also have little to no nutritional value but are yet found in most cat treats. This is why buying healthy treats is essential as they don’t contain any such ingredients.

5. Lookout for recognizable ingredients
If you have ever made a cat treat, you already know the kind of ingredients that work best for your cat’s health. To give you an idea, ensure that the cat treat has ingredients that your cat eats regularly. These include common cat foods like bits of liver, fish, and eggs. Healthy plants like catnip are also great for cats. The quality and condition of meat are quite important, so ensure that you have an idea about those things before you purchase anything.