Friskies Party Mix Natural Yums Review: Are These Salmon Treats Worth It?

Quick Verdict

The Friskies Party Mix Natural Yums salmon treats are a solid everyday option if you want something with real fish as the lead ingredient and a calorie count that won't derail a controlled diet. At two calories per treat, they're one of the more honest low-calorie offerings on the shelf. My cats devoured them — though one turned his nose up at the odd shape, which matters if you're training. I'd recommend them with a 4 out of 5 caveat: they're great for what they are, not what some marketing copy implies they might be.

What Is the Friskies Party Mix Natural Yums?

Friskies Party Mix Natural Yums are dry cat treats from Purina's mass-market line, positioned as a step above standard crunchy filler treats. The canister promises real salmon as the first ingredient, added vitamins and minerals, and a crunchy texture in unusual shapes designed to catch a cat's attention. You get 20 ounces per container — roughly a month's supply for a single cat given typical daily treat limits.

On paper this reads like a clean, honest treat: simple premise, straightforward sourcing. In practice, the 'natural recipe' label is doing some heavy lifting, because the full ingredient list — which I checked twice — includes meat by-products alongside the real salmon. That's not unusual for commercial treats at this price, but it's worth knowing before you buy based on the front-of-canister pitch alone.

Key Features

• Real salmon listed as the first ingredient — not a vague fish cocktail blend
• Only 2 calories per treat, making daily portioning easy to manage
• Added vitamins, minerals and nutrients beyond what plain treats offer
• Crunchy texture with unique shapes to hold a cat's interest
• 20 oz canister — convenient storage, good quantity for the price
• Part of the broader Friskies Party Mix family, so you can mix flavors

Hands-On Review

I opened the canister on a Wednesday afternoon, and the smell hit me before I'd even turned the lid fully. It's a sharp, fishy scent — not unpleasant, but unmistakably salmon. My older cat, Mochi, was in the kitchen before I'd even set it down. She sat at my feet staring at the canister with the kind of intensity usually reserved for opening a tuna can.

The first test was simple: hand-feeding. She took treats eagerly, and the crunch was audible from a foot away. What surprised me was the shape — they're slightly irregular, almost flower-petal-like. Some cats seem to prefer the rounded profile of standard treats. On day three, Mochi's enthusiasm dipped slightly, but it bounced back after I swapped her feeding bowl to a different spot in the kitchen. Call it cat mood, call it environmental interest — the point is, the treat itself wasn't always the sole variable.

My second cat, Biscuit, is notoriously picky. He sniffed, sat, sniffed again and walked away on the first day. By day five he was eating them off my open palm. That's a pattern I've seen with almost every new treat — persistence over a few days usually wins. The 2-calorie count per treat meant I never felt guilty handing out six or seven during a training session, which is more than I'd feel comfortable doing with a standard 3-4 calorie treat.

Texture-wise, the crunch holds up even after the canister has been open for a week. No oily residue on my fingers, which is something I notice with some fish-based treats. The salmon smell does transfer to your hand, though — if that bothers you, use a treat dispenser or toss them into the bowl rather than hand-feeding.

Who Should Buy It?

These treats work well for cat owners who reward their pets frequently throughout the day and need a low-calorie option that won't add up quickly. They're also a good fit if your cat shows a strong preference for fish-based flavors over poultry.

If you have multiple cats and want an affordable canister that won't run out in a week, the 20 oz size is genuinely convenient. The added vitamins and minerals give slightly more nutritional credibility than plain meat-flour treats, which matters if you're using them as a supplement to a balanced diet rather than pure junk-food rewards.

Skip this if your cat has a known fish allergy, or if you're looking for a grain-free, single-protein-ingredient treat and aren't willing to parse the full label for by-products. If your cat is on a strict veterinary diet with zero treats permitted, these — like any commercial treat — shouldn't override that directive.

Alternatives Worth Considering

If you're after a higher-specification salmon treat, consider Greenies Salmon Feline Dental Treats — they add dental health benefits to the treat equation, though at a higher per-treat cost. For owners who want a single-protein, grain-free option with a shorter ingredient list, Temptations Classic Purrfect Bites offer a different texture (soft inside, crunchy outside) that some pickier cats prefer. And for a premium freeze-dried salmon treat, Ziwi Peak Mackerel Treats are worth the price jump if your budget allows — the ingredient transparency is on another level.

FAQ

Final Verdict

Friskies Party Mix Natural Yums salmon treats aren't going to win any chef's award, but they don't need to. They deliver a real salmon first ingredient, a manageable 2-calorie count, and a crunch that keeps cats interested — all at a price that makes daily treat-giving realistic rather than indulgent. The ingredient list has the usual commercial-treat asterisks, and the shape won't suit every cat, but those are minor notes against an otherwise dependable workhorse treat. Pick these up if you want something honest, affordable and cat-approved.