Natural cat treats for a LaPerm

Switching away from artificial preservatives is a smart move — cats are notoriously fussy about treats anyway, and the ones with the longest ingredient lists are often the ones they end up rejecting too. The best cat treats are strongly scented, meat-based, high in protein, and short on additives. Before I point you toward something specific for your LaPerm, is this switch mainly about long-term health, or has your cat been showing any reaction to their current treats? And are you using treats for training, enrichment, or just the occasional reward?

Good instinct. BHA and BHT are worth avoiding where you can, and treats are an easy place to make a clean swap since the quantities are small and cats usually accept a new treat without much fuss. For a healthy three-year-old with no restrictions, you have a lot of options. Does she currently go wild for any particular protein — chicken, fish, duck? And are you happy with a soft treat, or does she seem to enjoy something with a bit of crunch?

Perfect — that makes this easy. I'd go with Natures Menu Cat Treats in the fish variety. They're freeze-dried and single-ingredient — just fish — so there are no artificial preservatives, no fillers, no grains, nothing hidden. Freeze-drying locks in the natural smell, which is exactly why cats respond to them so well. They're soft enough that most cats find the texture appealing, and because the ingredient list is essentially one word long, you know precisely what you're giving her. A lot of owners switching off additive-heavy treats find their cat actually gets more enthusiastic about these, partly because the scent is so much more intense. They're widely available on Amazon UK and not expensive given how long a pack lasts when you're using them as a reward.

Yes, completely safe and actually one of the best methods available. Freeze-drying removes moisture — which is what causes spoilage — without using heat or any chemical agents, so the nutritional content stays intact and there's nothing added to achieve preservation. It's widely used in human food as well. The shelf life is naturally long without needing BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin anywhere near the product. For a cat like yours where you're specifically trying to cut out chemical additives, it's genuinely the cleanest option.

The general rule is treats shouldn't make up more than 10% of your cat's daily calorie intake. For a healthy adult LaPerm using them purely as a reward, a small handful — roughly five to ten pieces depending on the size — spread across the day is plenty. The pack will have specific guidance, but because these are single-ingredient with no added fats or sugars, there's less risk of overdoing it than with some of the more processed options you're moving away from.