8 Vegan Treats for Your Companion Animals (and Maybe You)

If you’re the type of person who loves spoiling your cats and/or dogs, surely you’ve discovered that a large number of edible animal treats aren’t vegan. This is a bummer for many reasons, but, fortunately, there are a few new brands on the market that make all-natural, plant-based treats for your vegan cat or dog. Similar to humans, animals have taste buds that react to sweet and tart flavors (as well as savory and salty ones). Therefore, the “inherent” craving or positive reaction to an animal-based treat is not always prefered to a plant-based food. In fact, cats and dogs enjoy the taste of fruits such as cranberries and apples and fats like peanuts and coconuts just as much as people. With this in mind, we’re highlighting eight vegan products your companion animals will love. Even better? All of these treats are fit for human consumption and include healthy ingredients such as coconut oil, peanut butter, and sweet potato.

1. Cat Chums
Vegan cat treats are hard to find in today’s pet food market, as many are made with animal byproducts that use grease, blood, feathers, and offal from a variety of sources (including animals euthanized at animal shelters). Luckily, Cat Chums is a plant-based cat treat brand offering four flavors (cheddar cheese, rye, Catnip Cookies, and Low Fat Kitty Treats). Sadly, giving Cat Chums to your feline friend still doesn’t guarantee he or she won’t jump on your sheets after you take them out of the dryer.

2. Shaded Trails All Natural, Vegan Crunchy Dog treats
If you have a dog, you know there’s nothing they like more than a spoonful of peanut butter for dessert, which is why we love giving Shaded Trails dog treats to our canine companions. These human-grade cookies are also grain-free and contain no wheat, corn, fillers, soy, preservatives, or artificial flavors.

3. Vecado Cranberry Chewy Treats
These chewy cranberry treats from Vecado contain only three ingredients: cranberries, yeast, and maltose, and are suitable for both cats and dogs. Cranberries help your pet’s health by preventing bacteria from adhering to the walls of the urinary tract and causing infections, similar to what they do for the human body. In other words, don’t worry if your little monster has one too many.

4. Sam’s Yam’s Daily’s Carrot Cookies
Your dog will love these apple-and-carrot cookies from Sam’s Yams. With sweet potato and applesauce mixed for added sweetness, these treats also have a nice crunch to them for texture and are made from 100-percent farm-grown ingredients and are free or grain, glycerin, and gluten.

5. V-Dog Peanut Butter Wiggle Biscuits
V-Dog’s peanut butter-flavored biscuits are the top-rated organic dog treat in the United States and are made with only USDA Organic and non-gmo ingredients. They’re more than just tasty, too, as Wiggle Biscuits are packed with nutritious ingredients such as flaxseed, cinnamon, banana, and coconut oil. One of these is enough to make your canine happy, but give him or her two.

6. Vecado Sweet Potato Treats
Dogs love the taste of dried sweet potato, and that’s exactly what Vecado sweet potato treats are. Sweet potato also delivers essential nutrients such as vitamins A and C throughout our bodies. This single-ingredient treat has no additives or preservatives and comes with a crunchy texture. Give your pal one of these, and watch as he or she chews for a while.

7. Benevo Pawtato Sticks
If you’re looking for an extra-special treat to feed your pup, Benevo Pawtato Sticks are a delicious low-fat option. The combination of sweet potato and rice is a great source of fiber for healthy digestion, and the fact that these treats are gluten-free makes us want to chase our tails in excitement.

8. Soopa Papaya Dog Chews
Not only is Soopa Pets’ dried papaya juicy, delicious and tropical tasting but it contains an enzyme known for aiding in digestion of proteins, which your dog eats a lot of. If your pet has bad breath, the root of the problem might be stomach issues, which papaya soothes when it’s upset. What’s better than treats that make you feel good, too?

Anastasia Barbuzzi is a health and wellness enthusiast, journalist, freelance writer, and founder of Written Girl.