Treats for Dogs and Cats

Treats labeled for both dogs and cats exist, and the house seafood range is the clearest example: one bag, two animals named on the package, each fed a piece cut to its own mouth.

One bag, two labels

A treat labeled for dogs and cats is one the maker has named for both animals on the package, and that wording is the whole test. Sniff and Shift freeze dries imported salmon, sardines, minnows, shrimp, mussels, scallops, octopus and anchovies in small batches in Malvern, and the labels on that seafood range name dogs and cats. The freeze dried cat treats collection gathers the ones sold for cats.

Read the front of the bag for the animals named and the back for the feeding directions. A bag that names only one animal is meant for that animal. Merck notes that cats and dogs have separate nutrient needs, including some that cats can get only from animal foods, so a dual label is a statement about the treat, not a statement that the two animals eat alike.

The front panel of the minnow bag, for example, lists the animals beneath the name of the fish, with the net weight near the bottom. That order, name then animals then weight, is a good way to read any bag you pick up.

The label on the back is where you check the rest. It carries the feeding directions and the storage line for the bag, and those apply to both animals unless it says otherwise. Keep the bag closed between uses, and keep it out of reach of both.

Sizing one treat for two animals

Break one freeze dried sardine and the pieces sort themselves. The head and the back half go to the dog, and the tail third goes to the cat. The same logic runs across the range: break each piece down until it suits the smaller mouth, and give the dog what is left.

For a cat, aim for a quarter inch or smaller, which is under the size of a pea. Cats test what they are given, so a piece too large to take in two bites often ends up batted across the floor. For a dog, size to the muzzle, not to the cat's share. The guides on whether dogs can eat cat treats and whether cats can eat dog treats cover the cases where a label names only one animal.

A quarter inch piece is a small mouthful for a large dog, so give a big dog two or three pieces where a small dog gets one. The count changes, and the piece does not.

Feeding in separate rooms

A treat shared from one bag still goes to one animal at a time. Dogs are quicker and will take a cat's piece if it lands within reach, so cats do better when they get theirs on a counter, a shelf or a room with the door pulled to.

A small habit fixes most of it: hand the dog's piece first, wait for it to be gone, then walk to the cat. Keep the bag closed between the two, since the smell of fish carries and gets both animals interested before either is served.

The trade off for the convenience is that a cat may still prefer a cat only treat. A single bag is simpler to store and carry, but a cat that turns down a dual label piece may be telling you about the texture, and the fish cat treats collection offers other shapes.

If one animal has a favorite from the bag, you will know it quickly. A cat may favor one fish out of the range and ignore the rest, while a dog will often take whatever is offered.

Check the bag size against the number of animals too. A small bag shared between two animals goes quickly, and the smallest size of a new fish is still the right first bag, since it tells you whether either animal likes it.

Which treats stay species only

Some labels name a single animal, and then the choice is made for you. The house maker's freeze dried frog legs, for example, are labeled for dogs, so they stay with the dog even when the cat watches from the counter.

Chews follow the same rule for a different reason. A large chew sized for a dog is a poor fit for a cat's mouth, so even where a label allows both, a long chew belongs on the dog's side of the room. When you are unsure, the name on the front of the bag decides.

When you shop, compare the front panel of each bag against the animals in your house, and look at the freeze dried cat treats shelf first for treats that name a cat.

Common questions

Can a dog and a cat share one bag of treats?

Only when the label names both animals. Cut a separate piece for each, sized to its own mouth, and hand them out one animal at a time.

Should the dog and cat get treats at the same time?

It works better one after the other. Give the dog's piece first, wait until it is gone, then walk to the cat in another spot. Dogs are quicker and will take a cat's piece if it lands within reach.

Do cats prefer cat only treats?

Some do. One bag is simpler to store and carry, but a cat may still turn down a piece from a dual label bag. If it does, try a different shape or a different fish.

What does labeled for dogs and cats mean on a bag?

It means the maker has named both animals on the package as the intended eaters. Read the front panel for the animals named and the back panel for the feeding directions. A bag that names only one animal is meant for that animal.