Temptations MixUps Cat Treats Review (2026): The crunchy-soft

Why you should trust this review

I bought these myself and used them with my own cat for six months, not just sampled them. Temptations did not sponsor anything, and the brand had no idea I was reviewing them. I bought bags off the shelf and based everything below on real, repeated use, including how they held up as a training tool over months rather than days.

I am not a veterinarian, so my notes on how my cat responded are honest observation, not clinical proof. But six months and a real training project gave me a clear picture of what these treats do well and where they fall short, which is more than you get from reading a bag and guessing.

How we evaluated

I used MixUps primarily as a training reward, running an actual recall-training project where these were the only reward, alongside everyday treating. I tracked how my cat responded, how quickly behaviors stuck, and whether interest held over weeks. I counted pieces against the roughly two-calorie figure to keep the treat load within healthy limits.

I also lived with the practical side: the resealable pouch and how well it kept treats fresh, the smell on opening, the texture, and whether the color additives caused any mess. I read the ingredient panel too, because a treat I am handing out dozens of times a week deserves a look at what is actually in it.

Training performance

This is where MixUps shone. Using them as the sole reward, I trained a reliable recall in eight days, which is fast, and the reason is motivation. My cat wanted these enough to work for them consistently, which is the entire point of a training treat. The roughly two calories per piece meant I could reward generously across a session without overfeeding, which is essential when you are repeating a behavior many times.

The three flavors per bag, like Surfer’s Delight and Backyard Cookout, seem to hold a cat’s interest better than a single flavor, since the variety keeps the reward from getting stale. For anyone trying to teach a cat anything, high motivation plus low calories is exactly the combination you want, and MixUps deliver it.

Texture, freshness, and the resealable pouch

The crunchy-outside, soft-middle texture is the same formula that makes Temptations so widely accepted, and my cat took to it immediately. That texture seems to drive wider cat acceptance than treats that are all crunch or all soft, which matters if you have a picky eater. It is the kind of texture cats reliably go for.

The resealable zip-top pouch is a genuinely useful touch. It kept the treats fresh for well over a month after opening, where a treat in a torn bag goes stale fast. That freshness matters for a training treat you dip into daily over a long stretch. It is a small feature, but it makes the bag more practical to live with than packaging that does not reseal.

Ingredients, smell, and the honest downsides

The honest caveats start with the ingredients. The first ingredient is chicken by-product meal, and the list includes corn, wheat, and added flavors, so these are not a premium treat. They are fine as an occasional reward within the 10 percent treat allowance, but they are not something to feed heavily, and owners who want clean ingredients should look elsewhere.

Two practical annoyances: the smell on opening is strongly artificial, though it fades in the air within about ten minutes, and the color additives can stain light carpet if a treat gets dropped and ground in. There is also the behavioral flip side of how much cats love them, mine started begging at the bag constantly, which is the price of a treat that motivates this well.

Who should buy Temptations MixUps?

Buy them if you want an effective, affordable training treat that cats are genuinely motivated to work for, with low calories that let you reward often. The crunchy-soft texture wins wide acceptance, and the resealable pouch keeps them fresh through a long training project. For teaching a cat new behaviors, they are a reliable tool.

Skip them if you want premium, clean ingredients, since the list leans on by-product meal, corn, and wheat. Skip them too if a strong artificial smell bothers you, or if you have light carpet and worry about staining, or if you do not want a cat that learns to beg at the bag.

The verdict

After six months, Temptations MixUps proved themselves an excellent training treat, and the recall I taught in eight days using only these is the proof. The high motivation, the low two-calorie count that lets you reward freely, and the crunchy-soft texture that wins broad acceptance all combine into a treat that gets cats to do what you want. The resealable pouch keeps them fresh through long use.

The drawbacks are honest: the ingredients are not premium, the opening smell is strongly artificial, the color additives can stain light carpet, and a cat that loves them may start begging constantly. For a training reward or an occasional treat, none of that is disqualifying. If you want a treat cats will actually work for, MixUps deliver, and I would keep buying them for training.