Temptations - treats for cats

[JanM]

Has anyone heard of cats becoming addicted to the Temptations treats? My friend's cat did and became very ill - he started refusing all other food and would only eat the temptations. She realized what was happening in time and has taken him right off them. Interestingly, since we talked about this, I've heard of one cat who died after being fed temptations and others who experienced the same problem as my friend's cat - refusing "real" food.

Any other experiences with this product? I'd be interested to know if these are just coincidences.

[14+kitties]

I believe it. My guys get them too for treats occasionally. Thankfully not too many. They go supernuts when I get the package out.

[edwina]

My cat Bear i swear would live on them :sad: Its the only snack she likes. But i have never had any problems with her. And yes she eats alot of them. She was never a great eater, so i give her what she will eat. She is 15. She has gotten better with the canned food recently though.
I just think they have alot of flavor enhancers in them to get the kitties hooked, like kitty drugs.

[pattymac]

I ration how many they get. Believe me though, they're great for training!! Nino gets a couple when I call him when he's still getting a bit too pushy with Coco. If he's getting ready to chase Coco and he stops when I call him, he gets 2. Then of course he forgets what he was going to do. They all get some together, so they have to be close if they want any.

[Maggieandme]

My cat Maggie learned to open the cupboard to get the Temptations. I think there is truth in their advertising alright. I also limit the the amount of these and mix Greenies into the bag.
While traveling in the U.S. this summer I bought a few bags of All Natural Temptations. They claim no artificial preservatives, flavours or fillers. To my surprise they are made in Canada for Mars.

[NoahGrey]

Temptations, the Macdonalds of treats. I stick with the Greenies. My cat loves them and they are not as bad as grocery store bought treats.

ACO22

[SoCalSarah]

If you're wondering why your pet is seemingly addicted to temptations, it's because they are. Turn the bag over and look at the ingredients, do you see where it says "Taurine" that right there is why your cat is addicted. If you're wondering why the word Taurine sounds familiar it's because Taurine is one of the main ingredients found in energy drinks such as Red Bull, Monster, Nos, and others. Imagine giving your cat several energy drinks throughout the day, that's proven to be unhealthy in humans so just imagine the effect it has on your pet. In fact, Taurine is one of the reasons why recovering addicts are encouraged NOT to drink energy drinks after their recovery because they (along with those who've never suffered from addition) can develop a dependence. Taurine is actually much more addicting than caffeine or sugar, try giving up your Coke or coffee or your sweet tooth and what happens? You get headaches, you feel sick, you crave it, and why? Because it's an addictive substance, Taurine has even been compared to a modern day, legalized crack for some. Ever met someone who said they had to "give up" energy drinks? It sounds silly but do your research, taurine is highly addictive and unhealthy.


Now some may argue that "Taurine" is healthy and safe because Taurine is an amino acid found in your body (the brain and other areas) which is true HOWEVER the taurine found in your body is naturally occurring, typically post work out and is in small quantities, where as the type of taurine found in energy drinks and temptations is not naturally occurring, is much higher in quantity, and get this, it's synthesized from bull bile. Yep, a synthesized drug more addictive than caffeine and created unnaturally thanks to bull bile and labs. Is that really something you want to give to your cat?

While I am no vet, I am a nutritionist and trainer and I've seen first hand what people's addition to energy drinks looks like, including their unwillingness to give them up, and the effect it has had on their body, it's no wonder cats are addicted to these treats in my opinion. Keep in mind that heavy energy drink consumption has been linked to some deaths in humans so please be wary when considering giving these treats to your fur babies. As always, I do recommend you consult with your vet first prior to changing up your pets diet, and remember that moderation is key hope this helps!

[hazelrunpack]

Taurine is included in most cat foods because it is an essential amino acid that cats don't produce naturally--they need to consume enough taurine in their diet to keep their bodies functioning or they die. So I don't think the taurine in Temptations is the whole story--since it's in almost all cat foods, they'd be just as addicted to those foods and I can say from experience that some cats won't eat some foods, regardless of how much taurine has been added.

As for taurine in energy drinks--I have a feeling the ill-effects people have suffered from energy drinks probably stems more from the caffeine than from the added taurine. I know that when I cut coffee consumption I go through a caffeine withdrawal which includes the headaches, feeling sick and craving coffee...all those symptoms you described--and there is no added taurine in my coffee