We have a foster cat who is 15 years old. She was adopted out but was returned after 4 months because she had developed hyperthyroidism. When I went to pick her up, I saw 4 large plastic containers of Temptations cat treats, definitely not healthy treats for cats. We call it “kitty crack” because cats can’t seem to have enough of it. In hindsight, I know why she was overfeeding the cat with temptations — because she wanted the cat to come near her. The 15-year-old cat was not affectionate so she would bribe her with treats. Four containers later, hyperthyroidism has set it. The constant treating of low quality cat treats as well as the low quality dry food and low quality canned food has unfortunately taken a toll on her health and she developed hyperthyroidism.
Below are the top five ingredients of popular cat treat, Temptations, from their website:
Pet food manufacturers list down the ingredients in decreasing quantities, so from this list we know that the main ingredient is chicken by-product meal. The top 5 main ingredients provide no nutritional value to your cats so feeding them in large quantities will definitely have a negative effect.
Instead of feeding your cats temptations, we’ve come up with healthier alternatives.
The more you stick to food that looks natural, the better quality and the healthier your cats will be. If you want to save a lot of money on pet treats, try making some of the treats yourself. Its not easy but it will be worth it when you see your pets healthier and living longer.
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