The Good: Gollum absolutely loved them!
The Bad: Comparatively pricey, No dental benefits
The Basics: Gollum was very happy to have Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance Perfect Bites Salmon Formula treats which did nothing for his teeth, but made his breath smell very meaty (which he loved . . . until Myah came after him for it!)!
Gollum seems to be on a disappointing binge where he is getting more and more soft treats of late. As one who has had almost no soft treats his entire life, Gollum – my ten year-old little black cat – seems to be eagerly eating such treats up when I get them. I think it is because they smell and taste like real meat and he does love meat! I’ve avoided letting him have soft treats most his life because they do nothing to scrape off plaque and prevent tartar build-up on his teeth. Given that I’m not a big fan of paying high vet bills, I have been very protective of Gollum’s teeth and if I am shelling out for treats at an average price of $1/ounce, I want the treats to help protect his teeth!
For all my complaining about such things, though, Gollum seems to really get a kick out of Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance Perfect Bites Salmon Formula Cat Treats. If only they had more of a dental benefit, I would eagerly recommend these all-natural, corn, wheat, and soy-free cat treats.
Basics
Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance Perfect Bites Salmon Formula Flavored cat treats are soft little treats that come shaped like little dark brown hexagon-shaped cylinders. They are very soft and actually smell like a Terayaki sauce. These treats are pretty much bite sized for a cat, though they require Gollum to chew them. Each one is a cylinder 5/16” wide and 5/16” tall.
Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance Perfect Bites Salmon Formula Flavored treats are the only Natural Balance cat treats I have given Gollum and the 3 oz. plastic bag has lasted about a month, which is not terrible as far as value goes.
Ease Of Preparation
Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance Perfect Bites plays off classic conditioning, by having pet owners who use Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance Perfect Bites to crinkle the stiff plastic bag to bring cats to the owner for their treats. Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance Perfect Bites Salmon Formula treats are available in a stiff plastic bag that Gollum has recognized since he was young and had other cat treats in similar bags.
The truth is, though, I'm a somewhat lazy cat owner. Gollum keeps me moving around to play fetch and keep the litter box immaculately cleaned, I'm often too busy (or forgetful) to give him the treats he claims to deserve (he’s not always the good cat he declares himself to be!). As such, more often than not, Gollum gets the treats like Lucky Charms marshmallows in his dinner.
Gollum’s Reaction
The package emphasizes that these treats are supposed to be no more than 10% of a cat’s caloric intake for the day and that the treats are only a calorie a piece. Because I don’t have equally informative notes on the cat food I feed Gollum, I have limited him to about five treats per day. Given how eagerly he eats the treats he gets, Gollum would like more than five of the Salmon Formula treats per day. Even five of the treats make his breath smell like Teriyaki.
The thing is, after eating only five treats, Gollum’s breath smells so distinctive that if he walks near our Siberian Husky, Myah perks up and starts chasing Gollum, thinking that the cat has something to eat in his mouth! Poor Gollum; he goes from such bliss to such terror whenever he wants to get a drink after eating these treats!
Nutrition
Unlike hard cat treats, the Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance Perfect Bites Salmon Formula cat treats have no dental benefits for cats. On the nutrition front, they are not bad, probably owing to the fact that the primary ingredients are: Salmon, rice flour, and barley flour. The ingredients are all natural and Gollum responds to that with a voracious appetite he does not have for lesser snacks.
With a minimum of 8% crude protein and 5% fat, but no more than 3% crude fiber and 30% moisture, there is nothing truly bad in these treats. It is always recommended to have adequate water supplies available for your cat when giving them treats.
Overview
Gollum’s teeth have shown no ill-effects since he started eating these Natural Balance Perfect Bites treats, but because they do not have an explicit dental benefit, I am not so keen on continuing to get them for him. Still, Gollum would love it if I did; in fact, like a kid with candy, he would eat these all the time if only he could!
For other cat treats, please check out my reviews of:
Cloud Star Buddy Biscuits Savory Turkey & Cheddar Flavor cat treats
Zukes Natural Purrz Tender Chicken cat treats
Hartz Crunch ‘N Clean Fish & Farm cat treats
5/10
For other pet product reviews, please visit my Pet Review Index Page for an organized listing!
© 2013 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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