No one is exempt from bad breath or dental issues, not even cats! In fact, dental disease is quite common among felines, so it’s a necessity that we take care of their teeth. Since some cats aren’t that cooperative when it comes to brushing their teeth, this is when dental treats come in as a great addition to your daily home care routine!

We have done the research and created reviews of eight of the best dental treats for cats, which should make your life easier. Your cat won’t even know that you’re doing something good for their teeth and gums—they just get to eat tasty treats!

A Quick Comparison of Our Winners (2024)

The 8 Best Dental Treats for Cats

1. Feline Greenies Dental Cat Treats — Best Overall

The best overall dental treats for cats are Feline Greenies Dental Cat Treats. These are favorites among cat owners for their crunchy texture, which helps reduce plaque build-up and tartar formation and keeps those teeth clean. It’s available in four different sizes and five flavors: chicken, catnip, tuna, salmon, and shrimp.

Greenies are designed to keep your cat’s breath smelling better than usual, and they are made with natural ingredients with no artificial flavors or preservatives. It’s Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) approved, and each treat contains less than 2 kilocalories.

The only issue with these treats is that for some cats, they are small enough that they can be swallowed whole, which defeats the purpose!

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2. DentaLife Tasty Chicken Flavor Dental Cat Treats — Best Value

The best dental treats for cats for the money are DentaLife Tasty Chicken Flavor Dental Cat Treats. These affordable treats have a unique porous texture that effectively cleans your cat’s teeth. They contain natural ingredients with no artificial colors or flavors.

There are two different flavors—chicken or salmon—and ingredients include healthy minerals like calcium and taurine and probiotics for a healthy digestive system. The problem here is that these treats are round and fairly large, so some cats might have trouble eating these and instead, start batting them around!

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3. Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets Crunchy Bites — Premium Choice

Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets Crunchy Bites are pricier than some other dental treats, but they have the stamp of approval from the VOHC. The texture of these treats effectively scrapes away tartar and plaque, and they can help improve your cat’s breath. Each treat is less than 2 kilocalories and contains natural chicken and liver flavors.

Besides being expensive, the size of the treats is on the large side, so some cats might have a hard time eating them.

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4. Emerald Pet Feline Dental Treats

Emerald Pet Feline Dental Treats might be perfect for your cat if they suffer from any of the following food allergies: grain, gluten, dairy, or soy. These don’t contain these ingredients. The size of the treats is large enough to encourage your cat to chew rather than swallow them whole. Each treat is less than 2 kilocalories and doesn’t include any artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. They come in six flavors and are made in the U.S.A. using American-sourced ingredients.

However, while these treats can work well for most cats with allergies, every flavor has chicken as the main ingredient, which won’t work for cats with chicken allergies.

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5. VetIQ Minties Dental Cat Treats

VetIQ Minties Dental Cat Treats help freshen your cat’s breath and effectively cleans the teeth and controls plaque and tartar. It’s available in either salmon or chicken and is free of soy, corn, wheat, and artificial flavors.

The main issue with Minties is that some cat owners report that they don’t actually help with their cat’s breath.

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6. Wellness Kittles Crunchy Natural Grain-Free Cat Treats

The Wellness Kittles Crunchy Natural Grain-Free Cat Treats are made with all-natural ingredients, which include real meat, fruits, and veggies. There are no artificial colors, preservatives, or flavors, and it’s available in tuna, chicken, or salmon flavors. These treats are grain free and created by veterinarians and nutritionists.

The issues are that these treats are healthy, but they weren’t specifically made for teeth, though the company does state that they can help keep the teeth clean. The treats are also relatively small, which might see some cats swallowing them whole.

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7. VETRISCIENCE Perio Plus Feline Bites

VETRISCIENCE’s Perio Plus Feline Bites have a combination of textures in each bite. The outside is hard and crunchy for tartar and plaque prevention, and the inside is soft for gum health and fresh breath. The interior contains probiotics, minerals, and CoQ10 that work on plaque and help keep the gums healthy. In contrast, the outside contains spirulina for fresh breath and to remove bacteria. The treats have been formulated by veterinarians.

However, picky cats don’t seem to enjoy these treats. Also, they are fairly large, so not all cats will want to eat them.

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8. Virbac C.E.T. Intellident Cat Bites

Virbac’s C.E.T. Intelligent Cat Bites are designed to freshen breath, clean teeth, and keep the gums healthy. These bites are crunchy to reduce plaque build-up and tartar formation and only contain natural flavoring. They are also low in fat and don’t include any artificial ingredients. Each treat is 2.6 kilocalories, and you’ll need to give your cat three a day to get the best results.

But picky cats aren’t interested in eating these treats, and many seem to swallow them whole. They are also quite large and hard.

Buyer’s Guide: Choosing the Best Dental Treats for Cats

Now let’s go over a few points that should help you find the treats that will work best for your cat.

Why Cats Need Dental Treats

It’s estimated that 85% of cats aged 6 and older have periodontal disease. This is when plaque builds up and tartar forms, which causes disease to the gums, teeth, and the structures around the teeth. A cat with dental disease will eventually encounter further health conditions that can affect the entire body. So, keeping your cat’s teeth and gums clean is vital for their overall health.

Size and Texture of the Treats

The size of the treats is essential. They can’t be too small, or your cat might not chew them and just swallow them whole, but they can’t be too large, as your cat might not want to chew them and will reject them.

Texture-wise, dental treats are much harder than traditional dry kibble; they need to be tough enough to scrape off plaque and tartar. Keep in mind that if you have a senior cat, dental treats might be too hard for their teeth. Speak to your vet about the best options for your older kitty.

Bad Breath

If your cat is chewing away on dental treats but still has bad breath, the dental treats might not be helping. Bad breath is typically a sign that they might have some kind of dental disease. So, if your cat hasn’t been seen by your vet in a while, it might be time to book a visit to have their teeth checked out.

Part of the Dental Cleaning

Giving your cat a few dental treats a day isn’t a substitute for brushing their teeth and getting periodic dental cleanings from your veterinarian. But if you can’t brush your cat’s teeth despite trying, these treats in conjunction with periodic cleanings as recommended by your vet should prove beneficial.

Conclusion

Our favorite cat dental treats are the Feline Greenies Dental Cat Treats. They are affordable and made specifically to reduce tartar build-up, all without artificial ingredients.

The best-value dental treats are DentaLife’s Tasty Chicken Flavor Dental Cat Treats. They have a porous texture that is effective at cleaning your cat’s teeth.

Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets Crunchy Bites are pricey, but they have the VOHC stamp of approval and have just the right texture to eliminate plaque. We hope that these reviews have enabled you to find the dental treats that will keep your cat’s teeth clean and that your cat actually enjoys eating!

• Related Read: My Cat’s Grinding Their Teeth: Should I Worry? (Vet Answer)

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Featured Image Credit: DSchmidtArt, Shutterstock