We Tested 21 Cat Treats in the UK — See Which One Is Best

What to Look for in Cat Treats

The first thing to check on any cat treat is the ingredient list, specifically where meat sits. Treats worth buying will list a named meat — chicken, duck, tuna — as the first or second ingredient. Vague terms like "meat and animal derivatives" tell you very little about quality. The Felix Tasty Nuggets Chicken & Duck treats, the top-scorer in our analysis at 62.0/100, uses named proteins, which gives both transparency and palatability that cats respond to reliably.

Calorie content matters more than most owners realise. Treats should account for no more than 10% of a cat's daily calorie intake. With dry nugget-style treats, it's easy to overfeed because the pieces are small and cats often beg persistently. Check the feeding guide on pack and stick to it. Low-calorie options are particularly worth seeking out if your cat is neutered, indoor-only, or prone to weight gain.

Texture and format affect more than just preference — they affect how useful the treat actually is. Crunchy nuggets work well for training and bonding because they're easy to dispense quickly and cats find the texture engaging. Liquid treats, like the FELIX Joyables Chicken Liquid Cat Treat, serve a different purpose: they're ideal for reluctant drinkers, elderly cats, or as a topper to encourage eating. Neither is inherently better; the right choice depends on what you're trying to achieve.

Additives to be cautious about include artificial colourings and excessive salt. Some treats use high sodium levels to drive palatability, which is fine occasionally but problematic as a daily habit, particularly for cats with kidney concerns. The shorter and more recognisable the ingredient list, generally the better.

Common Mistakes When Buying Cat Treats

Our analysis of 21 cat treat products showed scores ranging from 36.0 to 62.0 out of 100, with an average of 55. That's a meaningful spread, and a lot of it comes down to buyers making avoidable errors rather than picking genuinely inferior products.

The most common mistake is confusing bag size with value. A large pack feels economical, but if your cat won't eat the treat reliably, or if the product sits open for weeks losing freshness, you've wasted money. Start with smaller formats — the Felix Tasty Nuggets 50g at £1.32 is the top scorer overall precisely because it delivers high palatability at minimal financial risk. Once you know your cat loves something, then consider bulk.

A second mistake is over-relying on Amazon star ratings. None of the 21 products in this category have third-party testing to verify label claims, and Amazon ratings reflect popularity and packaging expectations as much as nutritional quality. A four-and-a-half star treat with a flashy bag and a clever name is not necessarily better than a plainer product that a cat consistently eats.

Many buyers also conflate wet food bundle deals with treat purchases. Products like the Felix Favourites Pre-Mixed Deluxe Bundle at £52.00 include treats alongside large quantities of wet food — these aren't really treat-focused buys, they're meal planning decisions. If you specifically want treats for training or bonding, buying a dedicated treat product rather than a bundle gives you better control over what you're actually using and how often.

Finally, don't assume your cat will accept any treat. Fussy eaters are common, and novel flavour combinations — like chicken and duck — often work better than single-protein options for cats that have become bored with their usual food. Buying a variety before committing to a large quantity is always worth the extra few pounds.

Types and Forms Explained

Dry crunchy treats are the most common format and the most versatile. Products like the Felix Tasty Nuggets and Felix Goody Bag Original Mix fall into this category. They have a long shelf life once opened, are easy to portion, and most cats find the crunch engaging. They work particularly well as training rewards or for multi-cat households where you need something universally accepted. The Felix Goody Bag at £3.80 for 200g is a practical everyday option if your cat enjoys the texture.

Liquid treats are a newer format gaining popularity in the UK market. The FELIX Joyables Chicken Liquid at £1.40 for 4x10g sachets is an example. You squeeze the liquid directly from the sachet — cats typically lick it off your finger or a spoon. This format is excellent for bonding and for encouraging older or poorly cats to engage with food. The downside is cost per serving; liquid treats tend to be pricier relative to the amount of product you get.

Bundle packs combining wet food with treats, such as the Felix Favourites ranges, suit owners who already buy Felix wet food in bulk and want treats included for convenience. These aren't the most focused way to buy treats specifically, but they do offer predictability if your household runs through a lot of Felix products anyway.

Soft treats and chewy formats, while not heavily represented in this particular dataset, exist in the broader market and suit older cats with dental sensitivities or cats who simply dislike crunchy textures. If your cat turns its nose up at dry treats consistently, a softer format is worth trying before concluding that treats won't work for your cat at all.

What to Expect to Pay

Prices in this category range from £1.29 to £58.50, but that range is somewhat misleading because the higher figures include large wet food bundles rather than pure treat products. For standalone treats, you're realistically looking at between £1.29 and £5.00 for a standard-sized pack.

At the lower end — £1.29 to £2.00 — you can expect small bags of dry crunchy treats suited to occasional rewards. The Felix Tasty Nuggets Chicken & Duck at £1.32 sits here and is the highest-scoring product in the entire category at 62.0/100, which demonstrates that low price does not mean low quality in cat treats. This is a good entry point for trying a new product with a new cat.

Between £2.00 and £5.00, you get larger bags offering better value per gram for staple treats you know your cat already likes. The Felix Goody Bag at £3.80 for 200g and the FELIX Joyables 4-pack at £1.40 fall into this bracket and represent sensible day-to-day purchases.

Above £5.00, you're mostly looking at multi-pack bundles or bulk formats. The Felix Treats Bundle 32x60g at £28.00 is the best-value product in this analysis by our value-for-money metric, scoring 78.0/100 on that dimension with an overall score of 57.0/100 — a reasonable choice if you have multiple cats or go through treats quickly. Beyond £30.00, you're paying primarily for wet food volume rather than treat quality, so unless the meal food component is what you're after, there's no strong reason to spend that much on this category.