Biscuits, cookies, treats … no doubt your cat loves them. However, many of these goodies are just too similar to one of the names that we call them by: cookies. They can be filled with all sorts of flavoring and more grain than most dry cat foods. And they can take up a large portion of the daily calories that your cat should get, thus having a big impact on her diet.

Unfortunately, obesity has become a very serious problem among our pets. In fact, nearly half of all pets in the U.S. are overweight. There are a number of health problems that obesity can contribute to, including diabetes, arthritis and heart disease.

Despite our best intentions for our cats, we may not realize just how many treats our cats are getting in a given day or just how many calories those treats actually have. Ideally, treats should comprise no more than 10% of your cat's total diet, but in most cases we've far exceeded that number. So what's the owner of a pudgy pet supposed to do?

There are a number of things that you can do to still ‘treat' your cat while minimizing the impact it has on her diet. There are a variety of real-food treats that make up some of the cheapest, easiest and often most nutritious types of snacks that you can give to your pet. Carrots are one of the very best, low-calorie treat alternatives. Other vegetables like potatoes, green beans, lettuce and peas can also be great. Some cats will eat these raw, but you can also try cooking them. Fruits like apples, blueberries, and melons can also be great.