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Cat Treats for Cats with Kidney Disease

Cat Treats for Cats with Kidney Disease
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So we already compiled our big list of commercial cat food for cats with kidney disease but that may leave you with the question of what about treats. Can you even still give your cats treats? Yes! When you cat has kidney disease you are still given the a okay for treats. So now let’s look at the some healthy cat treats for cats with kidney disease.

What to Look for in You Cat Treats

So if you cat has kidney disease and you have read our article on what our favorite food options for CKD are you probably have the basics already covered here. For those of you that haven’t we most importantly want a diet full of clean protein that skips the fillers and “junk food.”

Cats are obligatory carnivores so they really crave eating an all meat diet. They don’t need carbohydrates in their diet like you and I. However, when your kidneys are working so great protein does adds strain. So it’s a delicate balance as with everything in managing this disease.

However, when it comes to giving my CKD cats a treat, it’s important to remember these are just that, occasional treats. You should aim to keep treats tiny little samplings that are served in very small portions. So while it’s ideal to stick to the list I am going to cover below of some great high quality protein snack for you cat to nibble on I do occassionally fall into the YOLO camp.

If you are truly keep treats limited and in small portions then go ahead and give them those Temptations. They maybe the equivalent of cat junk food and full of salt but it’s just a tiny treat and they make your cat happy. For more we cover the phosphorus in Temptations here. I do like to save these “bad” treats for medicine time as it smooths the whole process out. If I am looking for a, “hey you’re adorable treat” I stick to the list below.

For those of you wondering Temptations Cat Treats have an approximate protein content of 33.1% and phosphorous content of 1.17% on a Dry Matter Basis. So it’s not the best but I have seen wet food with higher phosphorous.

It’s not to say the items below your cats won’t go nuts for but some cats have been known to turn their nose up to PureBites. If this is the case for you I would then turn to gravy option but if all else fails don’t stress over breaking out the traditional cat treats.

Store Bought Cat Treats for Cats with Kidney Disease

PureBites Freeze Dried Treats

You can’t go wrong with anything from this brand they have their eye out for quality. All treats from PureBites are 100% pure, natural and grain free. Plus they use human grade ingredients which is always something I am on the lookout for with anything I feed my cats.

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Tiki Cat Stixs

I sort of stumbled on these late last year and my gravy lover totally gobbled these up! If your cats are anything like mine then this creamy mousse will make your cat come running. You can feed it to them “Gogurt” style or you can simply squeeze out onto a plate for them. If you are looking for a food temptation this could be added as a meal topper for extra incentive to eat.

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Unsalted Butter

This is one of my favorites as it serves a dual purpose to those of us struggling to get our cats to put weight back on. It’s pure fat so it helps with weight gain! And for those who are in later stage kidney failure and really worried about protein this is perfect!

Tiki Cat Broth Pouches

If you have a cat that loves gravy/soupy like things this is going to be a mach made in heaven. This low-calorie is meant as a complement to your cat’s already complete and balanced diet. You can use upgrade any meal, plus it’s the purr-fect way to help rehydrate your cat.

Plus note that that it’s completely free of grains, sugar, salt, starch, by-products, fillers, artificial flavors and colors! Serve it as a topper or alone as a purr-worthy treat.

You will want to watch out there are some flavors that are WAY too high in phosphorous levels making it a bad match for cat’s with CKD.

FlavorPhosphorus on DMB%
Tiki Cat Broths Tuna in Broth with Meaty Bits0.65%
Tiki Cat Broths Chicken in Broth with Meaty Bits0.47%

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Friskies Lil’ Soups

My guy LOVES these! He can’t say no to gravy and these soup bowls are much thicker than a broth like the above option from Tiki Cat.

Note not all flavors are a great match for a CKD diet. Here are the flavors that we found to be better suited for our cats with kidney disease.

FlavorPhosphorus on DMB%
Flaked Chicken in a Velvety Tuna Broth0.62%
Friskies Lil’ Soups with Shrimp0.48%
Friskies Lil’ Soups with Chicken and Butternut Squash0.60%
Friskies Lil’ Soups with Sockeye Salmon in a Velvety Chicken Broth 0.60%
Friskies Lil’ Soups Skipjack Tuna in a Velvety Tuna Broth Senior Formula0.60%
Friskies Lil’ Soups Tuna in a Velvety Chicken Broth0.62%

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Bonito Flakes

A natural and delicious treat for your pet! Bonito flakes are among the highest quality flakes on the market and they are derived from a single protein source, making them a healthy choice when rewarding your pet. The flakes contain Taurine which protects your cat from serious eye maladies. The natural fish oils that are found in Bonito will keep your cat’s fur shiny and beautiful. With no additives and no preservatives this is a great all natural, high protein treat!

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Homemade Cat Treats for Kidney Disease

Plain Jane Cooked Chicken

It’s so simple but it is still so enticing to cats. Just plain chicken, NOTHING else, really I mean it. A lot of the seasoning we use on our food is actually dangerous for cats and in some cases deadly. So keep it simple and boil some raw chicken in water and call it good!

Conclusion on CKD Cat Treats

We hope this list helps you out like it has our family! These are treats we have given our fur kiddos. If you have a treat you give your cat that you don’t see on the list be sure to share with everyone in the comment section below. We love hearing from you!

Have a kitten? If you are looking for some treat options for a kitten you have be sure to check out the best cat treats for kittens.

Judy ShHarp

Tuesday 28th of November 2023

My cats (all are seniors, 1 had early renal disease) love the Blue Widerness cat treats abut I can find no information on the phosphorus content. I wish they all listed that. How does one find out other than through you? :) I've been giving Pure Bites, Tiki Cat sticks and Tuna Flakes for years and they are vey popular for sure. Thank you

Robin Griffin

Tuesday 28th of November 2023

You can call or email the manufacturer and ask for the phosphorus content on a dry matter basis. Just triple check that it's a dry matter basis otherwise you will have to do math to convert it. Some manufacturers are better about giving this than others, frankly if a company isn't willing to share it that makes it a no go for feeding it. Also I find it better to avoid mentioning Kidney Disease since no company can recommend their food for specific medical conditions (outside of RX diets).

Mar

Thursday 15th of June 2023

What is your thoughts on Ojiren freeze dried treats with chicken?

Mar

Friday 7th of July 2023

@Robin Griffin, that's good to hear! So far my boy likes those stuff. I am giving him just a tinnny bit of Hartz Detectable Squeezies (Chicken) I know that has tuna sadly, but he seems to like it.

I looked into the Tiki cat squeezies one you mention but I am worried of the salt being on the bottom of the list (the one with Chicken) and how much it is.

Robin Griffin

Wednesday 21st of June 2023

Doesn't look like any bone is in the product it has lots of organ meat list which is great, even better if it had chicken kidneys (but it doesn't). Note it does have fish added to it, assuming to make it more tempting. Some like to avoid fish.

Rusty

Thursday 23rd of March 2023

I was curious about the Fussie Cat puree squeeze treats, so I contacted Pets Global. I asked about the chicken varieties and was pleased to find they are low in phosphorus. There are also several other fish flavors, so if someone is interested in those they could e-mail to ask about the phosphorus content.

The information you are requesting is down below on a dry matter basis:

Fussie Cat Puree Treats: Chicken with Sardine: 0.47% Chicken with Beef: 0.47% Chicken with Liver: 0.47% Chicken with Tuna: 0.47% Chicken: 0.36% Chicken with Duck: 0.35% Chicken with Vegetables: 0.35%

Ann

Saturday 18th of March 2023

I checked out the Pure Bites and scrolled down to get more info., from FAQ and found an answer to a much needed question, I was not happy.

ARE THERE HORMONES OR ANTIBIOTICS IN PURBITES FREEZE DRIED PRODUCTS? All PureBites® Freeze Dried Beef Liver, Duck Liver, Bison Liver, Turkey and Chicken breast products are USDA inspected and approved. This means that PureBites® Freeze Dried products like our beef cattle and chickens are raised in the USA following USDA human grade regulations. These are the same regulations used for meat products you buy at your local grocery store to feed your family. In addition, PureBites® Freeze Dried Ocean Whitefish, Shrimp & Wild Sockeye Salmon comes from the ocean with no added antibiotics or hormones. Finally, PureBites® Freeze Dried Cheddar Cheese is simply pure cheddar cheese made in the USA with no added hormones or antibiotics.

To me this sounds like they are skirting around the question instead of just saying yes or no. Unless other wise stated all (human grade meats) have these unwanted products and why would one want to give this to a sick cat. This is just FYI info., for those who do not do follow up research of their own. Thank you for this article. I may be picky but I am just trying to do the best I can for my furbies. Keep up your loving work and have a great 2023.

Alessandra

Saturday 26th of February 2022

Thank you for this. Having one of my cats recently diagnosed with CKD stage 1, I’m grateful for this resource. I’ve been able to transition him to Hills k/d but he never quite finishes one of the 2.9oz cans and I’m looking for toppers to entice him to eat more. I’ve been using PureBites chicken & shrimp which he loves and Bonita flakes, which some times h e turns his nose at as well :( I’ll be getting the Weruva Velvet and Tiki sticks & broth too to test them out on him. Are also giving your cat supplements like probiotics or Vetoquinol Renal gel. I was wondering your thoughts on both.

Hope your cat is doing well and thank you!

Robin Griffin

Monday 28th of February 2022

Our boy did need the potassium gel, he hated it! But his potassium levels he couldn't hold without it. I would only give renal gel if dr recommends based off blood work. There is a thing as too much potassium you have to find a sweet spot. My CKD gal has not needed the renal gel but we do have her on a probiotic mix. Its call Kidney Restore for Cats and I get off amazon it works wonders! We have been able to hold her stable for over two years and that is currently the only supplement she will take (she is fussy so we really can't give her much else) I would love to have her take an Omega 3 too but she is too stubborn.

As yay for you and catching this early in stage one!