A review of Temptations Classic Tasty Chicken cat treats: under two calories per treat, a resealable tub, crunchy-soft texture cats chase, and how to fit treats into a healthy diet.
8.2/10 · The category default for a reason — cheap, resealable, calorie-aware and reliably irresistible, as long as treats stay a small share of daily food
Temptations Classic Crunchy and Soft Cat Treats in Tasty Chicken flavor are the best-selling cat treat in the United States — and the structure of the product explains the ranking better than any marketing line. Each small treat has a crunchy outer shell around a soft, flavorful center, a texture contrast that cats respond to with unusual enthusiasm. The treats carry fewer than two calories each, which makes portion control arithmetic simple even for a cat on a weight-management plan. The large sixteen-ounce resealable tub holds roughly a several-month supply for a one-cat household, and the listing describes the formula as one hundred percent complete and balanced nutrition, so the treats legally satisfy adult-cat maintenance standards rather than sitting outside them (Amazon). At the time of this review the tub listed for about six US dollars and fifty cents, and the product sat in the top handful of the pet-supplies best-seller ranks. Check the current price and flavors.
Temptations Classic earns its spot as the default daily treat for most households: it is cheap per treat, calorie-transparent, resealable, and — the part every cat owner discovers — reliably motivating. The under-two-calories-per-treat figure is the specification that matters most. Treat calories are the silent variable in feline weight management, and veterinary feeding guidance is emphatic that treats should stay a small slice of daily calories — around a tenth — precisely because they are easy to over-serve (ASPCA). A treat that prices its energy cost per piece lets you train, reward and bond without quietly doubling the cat’s dinner.
The honest limits: the first ingredient list is heavy on grains and poultry by-products rather than whole meat, which is how the price stays this low; the crunchy shell is baked starch as much as it is protein. Cats with food allergies, urinary or kidney conditions, or prescription diets should not add any over-the-counter treat without a vet conversation. And the legendary addictiveness — the reason the tub is resealable — is a genuine risk factor: a cat that learns the tub’s location will campaign for it. Serve deliberately, cap the count, and the product is a five-star convenience. Free-pour it and it becomes a weight problem in a tub.
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Product | Temptations Classic Crunchy and Soft Cat Treats |
| Flavor | Tasty Chicken |
| Size | Sixteen-ounce resealable tub |
| Calories | Under two calories per treat |
| Texture | Crunchy outside, soft inside |
| Nutrition | Complete and balanced for adult cat maintenance |
| Format | Small pillow-shaped treats |
| Price at review | About six US dollars and fifty cents |
| Rating context | Top pet-supplies best seller on the listing |
| Source | Amazon product listing |
Specifications come from the product’s own listing (Amazon); check the live page for current pricing and promotions.
Feline nutrition guidance converges on a simple framing: a healthy adult cat’s daily energy budget is small to begin with, so every treat spends a visible share of it, and overweight is among the most common feline health problems veterinary clinics see (ASPCA). The ten-percent rule of thumb — treats should not exceed about a tenth of daily calories — is easy to say and hard to follow with a treat whose calorie count you do not know. Temptations Classic removes the unknown. Two calories per treat means a reasonable scattering of treats across a day, even alongside a full measured diet, stays inside most budgets; a household rewarding a cat a dozen times a day during training spends a rounding error of energy, not a second meal.
The calorie transparency also changes training dynamics. Veterinary behavior advice encourages using small food rewards to build routines — carrier training, pill-wrapping rituals, nighttime lockdown routines, redirecting a cat off a counter — and the practical blocker is always “how many treats can I afford to give.” A sub-two-calorie treat is a training currency you can spend freely (VCA Hospitals).
The dual texture is not a gimmick; it is two products in one treat. The crunchy shell does the work a dry food does — the abrasive bite that some owners believe helps keep teeth cleaner — while the soft center delivers a concentrated aroma burst that drives the response cats have to this product. That combination is why Temptations functions both as a snack and as a high-value reinforcer: the shell buys shelf life and crunch, the center buys motivation. Cats that reject single-texture treats frequently accept this one, and multi-cat households rarely report partial rejection — which is unusual in the treat aisle.
The same structure explains the product’s one behavioral quirk: the aroma travels. A tub on a counter is an invitation, and cats that have learned the sound of the lid will materialize from anywhere in the house. The resealable lid is therefore not packaging generosity — it is a defensive requirement, and it works: the tub reseals firmly and keeps the treats crunchy to the bottom. Store it in a cupboard, not on the counter, unless you enjoy negotiating.
Treats work best inside a plan rather than ad hoc. Measure the cat’s regular food first and keep the treat budget inside the tenth-share guidance — for an average adult indoor cat that is a modest handful of small treats spread through the day, not a scoop. Use the treats where they earn their calories: as the reward in a training session, as the bridge that makes the carrier a friendly place, as the ritual that ends a medication struggle on a positive note (VCA Hospitals).
Because the formula is marketed as complete and balanced, some households will wonder whether treats can replace meals. They cannot, sensibly: a treat diet is a texture diet, and the feeding guidance that matters — portioned meals, fresh water, stable weight checks — still governs the bowl (ASPCA). Treat the tub as the tip of the pyramid, not the base, and the product delivers exactly what it promises.
One more practical note for multi-cat homes: the tub serves everyone, but cats on prescription or weight-management diets should not graze from a shared treat supply. If one cat is on a therapeutic diet, portion this cat’s treats separately and keep the tub out of reach — the same discipline that governs the treat budget governs access.
Versus single-ingredient freeze-dried treats: freeze-dried meat treats win on ingredient purity and lose on price, calorie-per-treat transparency (you count pieces by weight) and shelf-life friendliness. For training volume and household economy, Temptations wins; for cats with protein sensitivities or owners on a whole-food philosophy, the freeze-dried aisle is worth the premium.
Versus soft-only treat pouches: soft treats are easier for senior cats with dental trouble but stickier in fur and pockets and generally shorter-lived once opened. The crunchy shell here is what lets a sixteen-ounce tub survive months without going stale.
Versus grocery-store house brands: the copycats copy the shape but rarely the texture; the Center’s two-texture build is the moat, and it shows in the category rankings this product has held for years (Amazon).
If your cat’s setup matters as much as its snacks, our cordless cat water fountain review covers hydration, the other half of feline daily health, and our guide to night lights for children’s rooms is the small-purchase playbook for households where a pet and a young child share floor space. For garden-side feeding considerations, our galvanized raised garden bed review covers keeping curious animals out of what you grow.
Good fit: households that reward cats daily and want the calorie math pre-done; multi-cat homes needing one tub everyone accepts; training and carrier-acclimation projects; owners of healthy adult cats on complete diets who want a resealable, shelf-stable supply.
Poor fit: cats on prescription or therapeutic diets without vet sign-off; cats with identified protein or grain sensitivities; owners who want whole-meat single-ingredient treats; and any household that free-pours treats — the economics that make this tub brilliant also make overfeeding effortless.
How many treats per day is reasonable? Stay inside the share of daily calories that veterinary guidance recommends for treats, and count against the cat’s measured food. With sub-two-calorie treats, a modest scattering across the day fits most healthy adult cats — but the budget is set by the cat’s diet and weight, not the tub (ASPCA).
Can kittens eat them? The listing markets the Classic line for adult cats. For kittens, use kitten-formulated treats or ask your vet.
Is the tub really resealable? Yes — the lid reseals firmly and keeps the treats crunchy for months, which is the reason the large format works.
Do they smell strongly? Noticeably, yes — that is part of the appeal to cats and part of the reason to store the tub in a cupboard.
Are they nutritionally complete? The formula is marketed as complete and balanced for adult maintenance, but treats should complement, not replace, a portioned diet (VCA Hospitals).
Take our Temptations Classic Tasty Chicken route if you want the treat that does everything the category asks — cheap, calorie-transparent, resealable and consistently motivating — and you have the discipline to cap the count. Skip it only for cats on restricted diets or if whole-meat treats are a principle for you. Buy the tub, hide the tub, and reward deliberately.
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