Friskies Lil' Soups Review: Do Cats Actually Love These Lickable Treats?

Quick Verdict

The Friskies Lil' Soups lickable cat treats earned a 4.2-star rating in my three-week test. Real seafood, grain free formula, and a budget-friendly price make this variety pack a solid choice for most cats. Picky eaters particularly benefited from the three-protein rotation. The only real trade-off is that broth dominates the ingredient list. If you want a moisture boost and flavor topper without breaking the bank, these deliver. Buy if your cat needs encouragement to hydrate, you want to add variety to bowl time, or you simply want to see that tail-wag of satisfaction after every meal.

What Is the Friskies Lil' Soups?

Friskies Lil' Soups are lickable wet cat treats or food toppers packaged in convenient 1.2 oz cups. Purina's Friskies brand — which has been making cat food since the 1930s — developed this line specifically for cats that enjoy a more interactive eating experience. Each cup contains a velvety broth with small pieces of real seafood suspended inside. The variety pack I'm reviewing here includes three flavors: salmon, tuna, and shrimp.

These aren't meal replacements. Friskies designed Lil' Soups as a complement to your cat's complete and balanced diet. You can serve them straight as a treat, pour them over dry kibble as a topper, or use them to coax a cat that's been off its food. The grain free claim is notable if your cat has sensitivity issues, and the absence of poultry by-product gives the ingredient list a cleaner feel than some competing budget treats.

Key Features

• Made with real salmon, tuna, or shrimp — no vague "seafood blend" language
• Grain free formula suitable for cats with grain sensitivities
• No artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives added
• Packed in 1.2 oz cups for mess-free, single-serving convenience
• Velvety broth texture appeals to cats that reject dry textures
• Contains no poultry by-product meals
• Variety pack (30 count) offers three distinct protein options

Hands-On Review

I brought a 30-cup variety pack home and put it through its paces with two cats — Luna, a 7-year-old tabby with refined tastes, and Mochi, a 3-year-old void cat who will eat literally anything. I started with the salmon cups on a Tuesday morning, serving them plain in separate bowls.

Luna sniffed once, then buried her face in the cup. Within ninety seconds both bowls were empty. I noted this wasn't an isolated reaction. Over the following three weeks, the salmon variety consistently disappeared fastest. The tuna came in second, and the shrimp — which I expected to be a hit given its stronger aroma — split preference depending on the day.

What surprised me was how the broth changed Luna's relationship with her dry food. She had been leaving half her kibble most mornings. Once I started adding a half-cup of Lil' Soups as a topper, she cleared the bowl. That's two weeks now without a single skipped meal, which for a cat parent counts as a genuine win.

The cups themselves are genuinely convenient. Twist-off lids, no sharp pull-tabs, easy to store in the pantry. One thing nobody mentions in listings: the cups are not filled to the brim. There's about a half-inch of headspace, which means less spillage if your cat bats the cup around, but also less volume than you might expect from the packaging photos.

On the texture front, the broth is genuinely velvety — Purina's marketing on this point is accurate. It's not watery like some inferior broth treats I've tried. The seafood pieces are small and soft, easy to lick without requiring chewing. This matters if you have an older cat with dental sensitivities. Mochi has a cracked molar and he managed these fine where he struggled with chunkier wet food.

Who Should Buy It?

This variety pack is a good fit if your cat is a picky eater. Rotating between three protein sources prevents boredom and gives you intel on what your cat actually prefers. It's also useful for cats that don't drink enough water — the extra moisture is a low-effort hydration boost. Senior cats with dental issues or cats recovering from illness often appreciate the lickable texture.

Multi-cat households benefit from the 30-cup bulk pack, and budget-conscious cat parents will find the price per cup competitive against single-serve premium brands. If you're trying to transition a cat to wet food from dry-only, using Lil' Soups as a bridge topper is a reasonable strategy.

Skip this pack if your cat has a diagnosed seafood allergy — the real seafood content is a feature, not a bug, unless it isn't for your pet. Also skip if you're looking for a nutritionally complete meal replacement. These are treats and toppers. Finally, if you have a cat that already maintains perfect hydration and has zero interest in anything but their usual kibble, the novelty benefit may not justify the purchase.

Alternatives Worth Considering

If the Lil' Soups flavor variety isn't enough for your finicky feline, Temptations Classic Broths offer chicken and ocean fish options in a similar single-serve format, though at a slightly higher price point. For cat parents prioritizing higher protein density with less broth, Churu舔舔乐 (Churu) lickable treats are a popular option with a thicker, more paste-like consistency and a wider flavor range, including chicken liver and糕兔肉. Those wanting to stick within the Purina ecosystem but explore premium textures might consider Purina Fancy Feast Broths, which offer chunkier seafood pieces and a richer broth at mid-tier pricing.

FAQ

Final Verdict

After three weeks and roughly 24 cups consumed between two cats, the Friskies Lil' Soups variety pack earns a recommendation. The grain free formula, real seafood ingredients, and absence of artificial additives align with what the label promises. The broth-dominant composition is the main caveat — you're buying hydration and palatability as much as protein — but that's explicitly what this product is designed to deliver.

My cats will keep getting these. Luna's improved meal completion alone makes it worthwhile, and Mochi's enthusiasm requires no justification whatsoever. At the per-cup price point, this sits comfortably below premium lickable treat brands while delivering comparable satisfaction.

If you're ready to add some excitement to your cat's bowl, the 30-cup variety pack is worth picking up.