Quick answer: Start with Temptations MixUps Catnip Fever for a daily crunchy-and-soft reward under 2 calories. Use PureBites Chicken & Catnip when you want a two-ingredient freeze-dried piece. Keep every snack inside AAHA’s 10 percent calorie cap.
Four dry catnip treats we compared list 2.5 calories or fewer per piece. This page is a September 2026 spec comparison of sold catnip snacks; we did not run taste tests, feeding trials, or clinic visits.
Our research team analyzed maker pages, not kitchen bowls. Comparing published specs is the whole method. If a bag later changes its calorie line, the claim above is wrong.
How we chose which catnip treats appear
We used one rule and kept it tight. We call it the Catnip-on-the-Label Rule.
A product had to be an edible snack sold now. It also had to name catnip on the maker’s flavor line or ingredient list.
It had to publish a per-piece or per-tube calorie figure. Loose dried herb, refill toys, and silvervine-only sticks stayed out.
We also skipped “minty” treats that never list Nepeta or catnip on the maker page. A green bag is not enough.
That rule is why you will not see a ranked top list. Texture and label facts decide inclusion. Rank columns do not.
The same desk writes our dog treat guides. Different species. Same demand for a published number.
Top 7 Catnip treats
The picks below are the 7 catnip treats on sale right now, listed with what each suits best and an honest drawback. Any comparison table above comes from maker specifications and may cover different models.
1. Temptations MixUps Crunchy and Soft Cat Treats
Best for: Picky cats wanting mixed textures
MixUps is the dual-texture bag: crunchy pieces and softer bites in one shake. The maker’s pages sell it as a playtime reward, and owners report cats come running when the pouch opens. It is an everyday grocery snack, not a dental chew.
Pros: Crunchy and soft mix; Everyday grocery price tier Cons: Easy to over-treat
2. Temptations Classic Crunchy Cat Treats
Best for: Daily rewards for treat-motivated cats
Temptations Classic is the familiar crunchy treat already on most grocery shelves. The brand’s pages still describe a crunchy-outside, soft-inside bite for everyday rewards. Owners say the bag shake is half the appeal; this is the staple, not the mixed bag.
Pros: Familiar everyday crunchy treat; Widely stocked mid-price bag Cons: Less variety than MixUps
3. Shameless Pets Catnip N Chill Crunchy Cat Treats
Best for: Owners wanting a catnip-led crunch
Shameless Pets puts catnip in the name, not as a side note. These are crunchy bites at a mid-list price, from a smaller brand than Temptations or Friskies. Owners use them as a catnip-first snack, not a squeeze tube or dental chew.
Pros: Catnip-led crunchy bites; Mid-price alternative brand Cons: Smaller specialty-brand lineup
4. Friskies Purina Party Mix Natural YUMS Catnip Cat Treats
Best for: Budget grocery-aisle catnip crunch
Party Mix Natural YUMS is the lowest-priced bag on this list, with catnip called out in the flavor. Purina’s pages describe a crunchy party-mix bite, not a soft center. Owners treat it as an everyday kibble-style snack.
Pros: Lowest price on this list; Crunchy catnip party-mix bites Cons: Basic kibble-style crunch
5. Greenies Feline Natural Dental Cat Treats
Best for: Owners pairing snacks with dental care
Greenies Feline Natural Dental treats are sold as crunchy chews for teeth, not as a party mix. At $10.98 they sit above the snack bags on this list. Owners pick them when treat time is also dental time.
Pros: Dental-focused crunchy chews; Higher-priced purposeful pick Cons: Costs more than snack bags
6. Just Try 13.4 OZ Crunchy Cat Treats Catnip Treats for Cats with
Best for: Frequent treaters who buy in bulk
Just Try’s 13.4-ounce bag is the bulk crunch on this list. The name flags catnip treats in a large pack, not a tiny pouch. Owners who treat often buy the size; it is still a lesser-known brand next to the grocery names.
Pros: Large 13.4-ounce bag; Crunchy catnip bulk pack Cons: Lesser-known than grocery brands
7. Delectables Squeeze Up Catnip Variety Pack
Best for: Hand-feeding lickable catnip sessions
Delectables Squeeze Up is a lickable puree in tubes, not a crunchy biscuit. The catnip variety pack lets owners rotate flavors from one box. Owners use the tubes for hand-feeding; dry-treat fans will want something else.
Pros: Lickable squeeze-up tubes; Catnip variety pack flavors Cons: Messier than dry treats
Comparison: Catnip treats at a Glance
Want to browse every option? See the full range of catnip treats on Amazon →
What catnip does, in numbers you can check
Scientific American, citing our editorial team reports that about 70 to 80 percent of cats respond to catnip. The piece also says the active burst lasts about 10 minutes.
After that burst, the same article describes a rough 30-minute lull. Kittens, it says, usually do not respond until they are about six months old.
The plant compound named there is nepetalactone. It is a volatile oil in the stems and leaves. The page calls catnip nonaddictive and harmless to cats.
SmarterPaw’s own Meowijuana FAQ states a wider band: about 50 to 75 percent of cats react. That is the maker’s figure, not Scientific American’s.
Those two ranges overlap. They are not identical. A non-responder is a real outcome, not a failed bag.
If your cat ignores the herb, the treat is still a snack. Flavor and texture still matter. Catnip is not a guarantee.
The Three-Texture Screen
We sorted included bags by the texture the maker describes. That screen has three bins: crunchy, soft or lickable, and chewable freeze-dried pieces.
Crunchy pieces suit puzzle toys and short tosses. Soft centers and tubes suit hand feeding. Freeze-dried chews suit high-value asks.
Temptations MixUps Catnip Fever sits in the mixed bin. The Temptations page describes a crunchy-and-soft piece. One pouch mixes chicken, catnip, and cheddar cheese flavors.
FELINE GREENIES Adult Dental Catnip Flavour sits in the crunchy dental bin. Greenies describes a crunchy texture meant to clean teeth and reduce tartar.
Meowijuana Crunchie Munchies Chicken sits in the crunchy bin. SmarterPaw lists a 3-ounce bag and “fewer than 2.5 calories per treat.”
PureBites Chicken & Catnip sits in the chew bin. The PureBites page lists two ingredients: American-sourced chicken breast and catnip.
Hartz Delectables Squeeze Up Chicken & Catnip sits in the soft bin. Hartz describes a handheld puree tube for licking.
No bin is “better.” The screen only matches a job to a listed texture.
Specs side by side
The table uses attributes the makers published. It has no price column and no rank column.
| Product | Texture the maker describes | Listed calories | Pack size on the maker page | Maker feeding or use note | Complete-and-balanced claim |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temptations MixUps Catnip Fever | Crunchy and soft | Under 2 per treat | 1.7, 3, 6.3, 16, 30, and 48 oz | Daily snack; lock-and-seal pouch or tub | Yes, adult maintenance |
| FELINE GREENIES Adult Dental Catnip Flavour | Crunchy dental | Less than 2 per treat | 277 g tub on the Canadian product page | Up to 8 treats per 10 lb, twice daily | Yes, adult cats |
| PureBites Chicken & Catnip Freeze Dried | Freeze-dried chew | 2 kcal on average | 1.3 oz; about 100 treats | Treat, topper, or training aid | No; two ingredients only |
| Meowijuana Crunchie Munchies Chicken | Crunchy | Fewer than 2.5 per treat | 3 oz | Intermittent or supplemental feeding only | No |
| Hartz Delectables Squeeze Up Chicken & Catnip | Lickable puree | About 7 per tube | 4-pack listed on Hartz | Hartz FAQ: up to 3 tubes daily for an average adult | No; treat only |
Temptations also prints “no artificial flavors.” The same page calls the mix complete and balanced for adult maintenance.
Greenies, on its Canadian catnip page, lists no artificial flavors and no artificial preservatives. The U.S. SMARTBITES FAQ is where Greenies publishes the 8-treat, twice-daily dental count.
PureBites lists 63 percent minimum protein, 3 percent minimum fat, 3 percent maximum fiber, and 7 percent maximum moisture. Calorie math on that page is 3,509 kcal/kg and 2 kcal per average treat.
PureBites also states that a 1.3-ounce bag holds about 100 treats. The same page lists 0.3 lb of raw chicken breast and catnip in that bag.
SmarterPaw lists chicken meal first for Crunchie Munchies Chicken. Later lines include catnip, taurine, and valerian root. The same page says the treats are not a primary diet.
Hartz, on its treat-choosing page, writes that each Squeeze Up tube has only about 7 calories. That is a tube, not a kibble-sized piece.
How many pieces fit the 10 percent cap
AAHA’s 2021 guidelines tell owners to keep treats at or under 10 percent of daily calories. Extra snacks, the same table says, dilute the main food.
AAFCO’s treats-and-chews page says most treats need not meet complete-and-balanced rules. The front of the pack must show the word “snack” or “treat.”
AAFCO also warns that a large treat load can add unneeded calories. Even a treat that meets nutrient profiles can still fatten a cat if the meal is not cut.
Greenies tells owners to adjust the main meal for treat calories. That line matches the AAHA cap.
Work one example from published numbers. A 10-pound cat on Greenies’ dental schedule could receive 8 treats twice a day.
That is 16 pieces. At less than 2 calories each, the day’s treat load stays under 32 calories before you cut kibble.
Temptations pieces sit under 2 calories as well. Ten pieces would stay under 20 calories on that label.
Hartz allows up to 3 Squeeze Up tubes a day for an average adult. At about 7 calories each, three tubes are about 21 calories.
PureBites averages 2 kcal per treat. Five pieces are about 10 calories. The powder at the bag bottom is still food.
If you do not know the cat’s daily calorie target, treat 10 percent as a ceiling. Ask the clinic that already knows that cat.
What the label is allowed to say
FDA’s pet-food explainer says animal food must be safe and truthfully labeled. It must also be produced under sanitary conditions and free of harmful substances. Treats sit under that food umbrella.
FDA also says animal food does not need pre-market review the way an animal drug does. A food additive is the main exception. A treat that claims to treat disease can be regulated as a drug.
That is why this page stays with calories, sizes, and ingredient counts. We do not recast a snack as a therapy.
AAFCO notes that some treats, including many biscuits, are still formulated to meet nutrient profiles. Those products print a nutritional adequacy statement, usually on the back or side.
Temptations and Greenies make that complete-and-balanced claim for adult cats. Meowijuana and Hartz do not. PureBites is a two-ingredient snack.
Read the first two ingredient lines if you care about protein source. PureBites has only those two lines.
A dental crunch is still a treat. It does not replace a cleaning.
Using treats for asks, not meals
Small pieces work for short training loops. We use the same logic in our guide to the best dog treats for training.
Cats take longer to offer a sit than many dogs. The treat still has to be one bite. A 2-calorie piece lets you repeat the ask.
Freeze-dried chicken from PureBites is a high-value chip. Use it for a new behavior, not for every blink.
Crunchie Munchies stay under 2.5 calories. They fit a click-and-treat loop if your cat likes a hard crunch.
Hartz tubes meter out a lick. That pace suits a shy cat that will not take a dry piece from your fingers.
Temptations notes that the pieces fit treat-dispenser toys. That is a use case, not a toy review.
If the same household also trains a dog, keep the bags apart. A J and J dog training supplies review will not help a cat. A shared pouch will mix species calories.
Count the cat’s pieces into a daily jar. AAHA suggests that habit so extras do not leak from the sofa.
FAQ
Do all cats react to catnip treats?
No. Scientific American reports that about 70 to 80 percent of cats show the classic response. SmarterPaw’s FAQ uses 50 to 75 percent.
A non-responder can still eat the snack for meat flavor. The herb is optional for those cats.
Kittens under about six months often show no response, per Scientific American. Wait and try again after that age.
How many catnip treats can I give in a day?
AAHA’s rule is the cleanest published cap we used: 10 percent of daily calories or less. Count every tube, topper, and dry piece.
Greenies publishes a dental schedule of up to 8 treats per 10 pounds, twice a day. That count still needs a smaller main meal.
Hartz says an average adult can have up to 3 Squeeze Up tubes a day. At about 7 calories each, that is a large share of a small cat’s budget.
Are crunchy catnip treats better than soft ones?
Not on the labels we read. Crunchy pieces suit toys and tosses. Soft tubes suit hand feeding.
Temptations and Greenies both list under 2 calories for a dry piece. Hartz lists about 7 calories for a whole tube.
Pick the texture your cat finishes. Uneaten “better” treats are zero nutrition and wasted budget.
Can catnip treats replace meals?
No. AAFCO treats most snacks as rewards, not complete diets. Meowijuana and Hartz say their products are intermittent or supplemental only.
Temptations and Greenies claim adult complete-and-balanced status. They still tell you to treat them as snacks and adjust the main food.
FDA treats a product as food when it is used for nutrition, taste, or aroma. A full-day ration of treats still breaks the 10 percent cap.
Why does my cat ignore catnip treats?
The cat may be in the non-responder group. Scientific American puts that group at about 20 to 30 percent.
The bag may also be stale. SmarterPaw tells owners to store product airtight and replace it when the scent fades.
Try a two-ingredient meat piece such as PureBites. Then you learn whether the problem is catnip or the rest of the recipe.
Are freeze-dried catnip treats safer than baked ones?
FDA says all animal food must be safe, sanitary, and truthfully labeled. Process type is not a free pass.
PureBites describes freeze-drying as a way to keep raw ingredients without a fridge. That is a process claim, not a safety trial by us.
Handle freeze-dried meat as you would any dried animal food. Wash hands. Close the bag.
What should I read first on the bag?
Find the calorie line per treat or per tube. Then find the word “treat,” “snack,” or “intermittent or supplemental.”
Then read the first two ingredients. PureBites has two total. Crunchie Munchies starts with chicken meal.
If the pack claims complete and balanced, look for the life-stage phrase. Temptations and Greenies both point to adult cats.
