Best treats for senior Exotic Shorthair cats

Cats are notoriously fussy about treats — they tend to go for strongly-scented, meat-based options and usually turn their noses up at anything sweet or grain-heavy. The best treats are high-protein and low in additives, which matters even more as cats age. At 11, an Exotic Shorthair's metabolism is slowing down, so you really want to avoid anything that adds unnecessary bulk or taxes digestion. Is this for training, enrichment, or just a daily reward — and does your cat have any diagnosed dietary issues or sensitivities I should know about?

That's a really useful detail. Soft stools in older cats can often be aggravated by treats that are high in carbohydrates, artificial binders, or cheap fillers — things that are surprisingly common even in treats marketed as 'premium'. For an 11-year-old with a sensitive gut, you want something as close to a single-protein, minimal-ingredient treat as possible. Is she currently eating wet food, dry food, or a mix? And does she have any known protein sensitivities — beef, fish, that kind of thing?

Wet food is a good call for an older cat, and the fact that she tolerates chicken well gives us a clean direction. For a senior with soft stool concerns, I'd go with Thrive Premium 100% Chicken Breast Cat Treats. They're freeze-dried, single-ingredient — literally just chicken breast — with no additives, no grains, no binders. That means there's very little for a sensitive gut to react to. They're also low-calorie, which suits a slower metabolism well. The texture is light and easy to chew, which Exotic Shorthairs tend to appreciate given their flat-faced anatomy. Many owners with digestive-sensitive cats report a genuine improvement in stool consistency after switching to something this clean. They're widely available on Amazon UK and reasonably priced for the quality.

For an 11-year-old at a healthy weight, a small handful — around 5 to 8 pieces a day — is a sensible ceiling. Treats should generally make up no more than 10% of a cat's daily calories, and because these are very low in fat and sugar, they're forgiving. That said, if her stools don't firm up within a couple of weeks of switching, it's worth a vet check — soft stools in seniors can sometimes point to early digestive issues like IBD or a sensitivity to something in her main food rather than the treats themselves.

Great choice for her. Keeping treats this clean is one of the easiest things you can do to support gut health in an older cat — it removes a variable that a lot of owners overlook. Hope her digestion settles down soon.