Variety Is the Spice of Life

Toying Around: Making the Most of Treats

Treats are more than just tasty snacks.

They can be used as training aids, in a similar way that dog owners use them to bribe their pets into good behavior, says Joyce Loman, the owner for 16 years of Just Cats in New York City, N.Y.

"I always tell my customers that cats should be able to come when you call them by name," Loman says. "He'll come when he realizes you will give him a treat when you call."

A cat may be able to come on command, but you probably won't see a cat rolling over to get a treat. "Treats can be effective to help introduce a new scratching post, or achieve some other desirable action," says Bronwyn McCracken, the manager of The Cat's Meow, a cat specialty shop in Portland, Ore.

Rolling treat balls, which can be filled with jerky- or gel-type treats that are easy to use in cracks and crevices of toy contraptions, promote exercise, McCracken says.

These types of toys can zero-out any added calories from the treats.
S.S. & A.S.

(This article appeared in the Jan. 2008 issue.)

Variety Is the Spice of Life
Cat treats are as unique and varied As the species
By Scott and Ann Springer

Cat owners sometimes struggle to find cat treats that satisfy both their pets' health needs and taste buds, but manufacturers have heard their cries and are introducing treats to the marketplace that are both healthy and tasty.

Dona Williams knows all about this cat owner dilemma. She buys four different types of treats to meet the health needs of her four unique cats.

"I strongly believe that just as we have different needs, so do cats, and some cats won't respond to the same kind of treat," says Williams, the manager of The Classy Cat in Marietta, Ga. "They have different flavors on the market to appeal to different tastes of cats."

She has purchased specialty treats for all of her cats: low-fat treats for her obese cat, treats to increase weight for her underweight kitty, vitamin-packed treats for her cat going through chemotherapy, and yet another treat for her finicky eater.

Health Issues
As a matter of course, flavor matters in a cat treat.

"There is no way to fake out a cat. The treat has to taste good," says Phil Brown, DVM, the vice president of research and development for Nutri-Pet, based in Boise, Idaho.

Better tastes often come with a high-calorie consequence. Diabetes, obesity, and dental problems can all be associated with "over-treating" a cat, Dr. Brown says.

"People give their cats regular food and treats, but they don't compensate with exercise," Dr. Brown says. "Cats have a tendency to put on weight if they get too many treats."

Too much of any type of treat can cause Fluffy to turn up her nose at dinner time, says Bronwyn McCracken, the manager of The Cat's Meow, a cat specialty shop in Portland, Ore. "You don't want to create a food-denial issue," she adds.

Manufacturers now create treats that appeal to the cat while offering added health benefits, such as a daily vitamin does for humans. "Functional treats serve a purpose other than serving a cat's little body," Dr. Brown says. "And it's so much easier to give cats a healthy treat packed with vitamins than to pill them with a vitamin."

The Classy Cat, which is owned and operated by a veterinarian who has an adjoining veterinary clinic, carries some of these functional treats. "The owner is very strict about what types of treats he will sell," Williams says about the dozen or so varieties of treats in her store, most of which are low-calorie.

"When pet owners see how their cats respond to the treats, they come back and buy a dozen," Williams says. "If they find something their cats finally like that is good for them, they will come back and buy it again and again."

Treats now come packed with ingredients that combat anxiety, maintain urinary tract health, and improve joint health, Dr. Brown says.

Manufacturers recognize that cats live long lives and are creating treats to help increase the cats' quality of life, too. "If you have a cat that is leaner, it will live longer and have a better life," says Marco Giannini, the president of Dogswell. "It can be the difference between a cat living 10 years or living 15 years."

Dogswell, a Beverly Hills, Calif.-based manufacturer, debuted its low-fat, jerky-type cat treats this March, complementing its line of existing dog treats.

All Shapes and Sizes
Offering a variety of sizes and shapes of treats to your consumers can help increase sales.

"Cats are tough to get anything into sometimes," Dr. Brown says. "They can be extremely picky. For example, the shape of the treat affects their desire to eat the treat."

Crunchy- or hard-textured treats can help reduce tartar buildup and improve dental health. Crunchier treats are "great for helping to clean teeth and freshen the breath because they work on the tartar," says Jennifer Melton, the founder of Cloud Star Corp., a San Luis Obispo manufacturer of bake-at-home cat treats.

Pet-Living, a Bloomington, Minn.-based manufacturer, makes a treat that comes in a gel form designed for easy administration to cats. The gel contains a probiotic supplement to aid in a cat's digestion and glucosamine for joint health, and are sugar- and sodium-free.

"These can be mixed into the food or the cat can lick it off the owner's finger," says Patty MacDonald, a sales executive for Pet-Living, a division of Global Access. "It gives you another option to keep cats healthy without giving them a pill or having to brush their teeth."

Jazzy Displays
With so many varieties on the market, you may find it difficult to select and display cat treats in your shop.

Listen to what your customers request. Some manufacturers have expanded their top-selling dog treat lines to include cats and other pets. "The customer always dictates what we carry," McCracken says.

Spice up your treat inventory with new items, or move your inventory around to help boost sales. "We're constantly ordering new items and rotating things around," McCracken says.

Carrying a large variety of treats may make choosing a treat difficult for consumers if your display isn't pleasing to the eye.

Some manufacturers provide additional resources to help make your display look high-end and attractive. "We provide galvanized tubs and wooden creates for retailers to display our products in," Melton says. "We work with retailers to give them ideas and aids to display products."

Some retail shops have displayed her bake-at-home treats on baking sheets with rolling pins. "It gets the idea across that this is a fun and interactive product you can buy," Melton says.

Point-of-purchase displays are always effective, but MacDonald suggests these healthy treats can sell better if displayed at the registered. "While they are waiting in line, they have time to look at them and they can educate themselves," MacDonald says.

Display treats with added health benefits with supplements, Dr. Brown suggests. "There are easier ways to get positive health effects than by giving pills,"

Cross-merchandise healthy treats on clip-strips near the pet food aisle. "People will come in to buy food, see the treats and say, ‘I should buy healthy treats to go with the healthy food that I am buying,'" Dr. Brown says.

Also, never underestimate the power of the word: free.

"When customers come in, I say, ‘Try this. I think your cat will like it,'" says Joyce Loman, the owner for 16 years of Just Cats in New York City, N.Y. "It's an investment. People are overwhelmed to get something for free, and they always come back."

Use your front window displays to show off treats that are new to your shop. "We have to keep our treats at the register so our store cats don't eat them," McCracken says. "They're our testers, and if they like it we'll carry it, and if they don't we won't."

Scott and Ann Springer are frequent contributors to the magazine.