Cat treats for picky eaters
Picky eating in cats is very often about texture and aroma rather than taste alone. Cats rely heavily on smell to decide whether something is worth eating, so a treat that smells strongly appealing, and has a texture your particular cat actually likes, tends to succeed where a treat chosen purely on the flavour printed on the packet fails.
Why texture matters so much
Some cats strongly prefer soft, meaty treats they can tear or lick, while others prefer a crunchy biscuit-style treat, and a cat that rejects one texture outright is not necessarily rejecting the flavour behind it. Trying a genuinely different texture, rather than another variation on the same style, is often more productive than switching flavour alone.
Freeze-dried meat treats, which are close to a single-ingredient product with a very concentrated smell, are a common option for genuinely fussy cats, since the strong aroma does a lot of the work in getting a hesitant cat interested in the first place.
Portion and presentation tricks that help
Offering treats in very small amounts, especially when trying something new, keeps the stakes low for a cat that is naturally cautious about new food, and a cat that eats a tiny piece is far easier to build on than one refusing a larger portion outright.
Warming a treat very slightly, to closer to body temperature rather than straight from the fridge, can make the smell more noticeable to a cat and occasionally makes the difference for a hesitant eater, though this should never mean serving anything hot.
When picky eating is more than fussiness
A cat that has genuinely gone off food altogether, rather than being selective between food types, particularly for more than a day, needs a vet check rather than more treat experimentation, since a sudden loss of appetite in cats can point to an underlying health problem.
If your cat is otherwise eating its regular meals normally and is simply uninterested in treats specifically, that is much less concerning and comes down to trial and error with texture, scent and brand rather than anything to worry about. Keeping a rough note of what has and has not worked stops you buying the same rejected texture again under a different brand name.
What we stock
Everything below is in stock with us, priced with delivery worked out, and packed and posted by hand in the UK.
Calm the Eff Down Treats Chicken Flavour 90 Tablets
Chicken-flavoured calming tablets from Pets Calm Down, made in the UK, ninety to a pack and given as a treat for dogs who find fireworks, travel or being alone difficult.
£22.99
Stop Bloody Scratching Treats Chicken Flavour 90 Tablets
Chicken-flavoured tablets from Pets Calm Down, made in the UK, ninety to a pack, given daily as a treat to support skin and coat condition in itchy dogs.
£22.99
Forthglade Grain Free Soft Bites Fresh Breath Treats 8pk
Chicken soft dog treats with parsley and peppermint oil for fresh breath
£2.45
James Wellbeloved Adult Dry Cat Food Turkey
A single-source turkey dry food for adult cats, without the grain-free or joint-support extras
From£21.79
Catit Nibbly Jerky Chicken & Fish Treats
Soft chicken and fish jerky treats for cats, two named meats high on the list, grain free
£1.89
Whiskas 1+ Lamb Adult Dry Cat Food
Complete lamb dry food for adult cats in a practical 1.9KG bag
£12.39
Whiskas 1 Tuna Adult Dry Cat Food
Complete tuna dry food for adult cats, offered in several bag sizes
From£3.19
Whiskas Kitten Chicken Dry Cat Food
Complete chicken dry food for kittens, available in several bag sizes
From£3.19
Whiskas 7+ Senior Cat Complete Dry with Chicken
Complete chicken dry food for senior cats aged 7+ in a 1.9KG bag
£12.39
Catit Creamy Tuna Treats 4 Pk
Lickable 26% tuna purée tubes for cats, 4 x 10g, up to 3 a day in place of main meal
£1.89
Catit Creamy Chicken Treats 4 Pk
Lickable chicken cat treats, 4 tubes, for treating or as a food topper
£1.89
Pedigree Dentastix Light Dog
Pedigree DentaStix Light dental chews across small, medium and large sizes
From£2.35
Common questions
- Why is my cat so picky about treats?
- Cats rely heavily on smell and texture to judge food, so a cat rejecting a treat is often reacting to how it feels or smells rather than its flavour. Trying a genuinely different texture, such as soft versus crunchy, is often more useful than switching flavour alone.
- Do freeze-dried treats work better for fussy cats?
- Many owners of fussy cats find freeze-dried meat treats effective, since they carry a strong, concentrated smell that appeals to a cat's sense of smell more than a milder treat might. They are worth trying if softer or crunchier options have not worked.
- Should I worry if my cat won't eat any treats?
- Not if your cat is eating its regular meals normally; some cats simply are not interested in treats at all. If your cat has stopped eating meals as well, rather than just treats, that is worth a vet check rather than more treat trial and error.
- How many treats can I give a fussy cat while testing options?
- Keep amounts small when trying new treats, both to avoid upsetting your cat's stomach and to keep treats a minor part of overall daily food intake. A tiny piece is usually enough to judge whether a cat is interested in a particular treat.
- Does the shape of a treat matter to a picky cat?
- It can. Some cats show a strong preference for a particular shape or size they can pick up and manipulate easily, quite apart from taste or smell, so trying a different shape within a texture your cat already likes is sometimes worth doing before giving up on that flavour.
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Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.