Affordable free-from cat treats for rescue cats

Cats are notoriously fussy about treats — they tend to go for strongly-scented, meat-based options and will often flat-out reject anything sweet or grain-heavy. The best cat treats are high-protein and low in additives, which actually works in your favour if you need free-from options. Before I point you in the right direction: is this for training, enrichment, or just rewarding, and does your rescue cat have any specific dietary restrictions — things like grain-free, no chicken, or limited ingredients?

That's really helpful — tummy trouble in a rescue cat often points to a sensitivity to grains or fillers, so grain-free with a short ingredient list is exactly the right call. Can I ask: does she have any known protein sensitivities, or is it more that you just want to avoid the junk ingredients and keep it simple?

Perfect — chicken is ideal then. My recommendation is Thrive Premium Freeze-Dried Chicken Cat Treats. The ingredient list is literally one thing: 100% chicken breast. No grains, no additives, no fillers — which ticks every box for her sensitive stomach. A 25g bag is around £3–£4 on Amazon UK and goes a long way because you only need tiny pieces each time. Freeze-drying preserves the smell really well, which is exactly what gets a cat interested. For a rescue with an uncertain history, simple and clean is the safest route, and this is as clean as it gets.

Yes, genuinely — freeze-dried treats are very light, and because they're so strongly scented you only need a small pinch or a couple of pieces to make an impression on a cat. For a single cat used as a daily reward, a 25g bag typically lasts 3–4 weeks. At that price point it works out cheaper per use than most standard supermarket treats, which tend to bulk out with cereals and flavourings. If she takes to them well, Thrive also do multipacks that bring the cost per bag down further.

Hope she loves them — rescue cats can be cautious at first but the smell of pure chicken usually wins them over pretty quickly. Good luck with her.