Temptations Cat Treats MixUps Backyard Cookout Review – Are They Worth It?

Quick Verdict

The Temptations Cat Treats MixUps Backyard Cookout Flavor earns a solid 4.4 out of 5 in my household — and more importantly, it earned it from two cats who couldn't care less about my review. The 30-oz resealable tub delivers good value, the under-2-calorie count is honest and practical, and the chicken-liver-beef trifecta genuinely gets a reaction. If you're looking for a no-fuss daily reward treat your cat will reliably work for, this checks the boxes. It's not a gourmet meal topper, and the smell might make you open a window on the first use, but as a training and bonding tool it performs exactly as advertised. Skip ahead to the full breakdown below.

What Is the Temptations MixUps Backyard Cookout Treat?

Crack open the tub and you're greeted by a flurry of small, thumbprint-sized crunchies in three distinct color tones — golden brown, darker brown, and somewhere in between. That's the chicken, liver, and beef trifecta working together. Temptations markets this specific product under its MixUps line, which is essentially their answer to the complaint that single-flavor treat pouches get boring for cats (and by extension, for owners who are tired of their cats turning their noses up at the same treat every day). The Backyard Cookout name is pure marketing language, of course — there's no actual char-grilled corn on the cob in there — but the three-protein promise is real enough.

What separates Temptations from a lot of drugstore treat options is the texture claim: crunchy outside, soft inside. It's a middle ground between the crumbly dust-fest of cheap biscuits and the chewy pate-style tube treats. In practice, my older cat (a 9-year-old tabby named Miso) chewed hers deliberately, while the younger one (a 1-year-old void cat called Beans) typically inhaled them whole. Both approaches survived without incident, which is a relief. The resealable 30-oz tub is the real value play here — it's the kind of container you can leave on the counter and trust that the lid will hold, even if you're not the most organized person in the kitchen.

Key Features

• Shake-to-attract packaging: cats respond to the rustling and sound within seconds
• Dual texture: crunchy shell with a soft, flavorful centre that most cats prefer
• Under 2 calories per treat — makes daily feeding and training sessions manageable
• Three-protein mix: chicken, liver, and beef flavors in a single tub
• 30-oz resealable tub for freshness and portion control
• Designed for daily reward use or cat training sessions
• No artificial flavours listed on the primary product label

Hands-On Review

Day one with the Temptations MixUps Backyard Cookout tub started unglamorously: I spilled about a dozen treats on the kitchen floor while attempting to close the lid one-handed. Beans materialized from two rooms away in under four seconds. Miso, who normally treats any new food with the enthusiasm of a tax auditor, appeared about ten seconds later and ate three before I could scoop them up. That's the shake-to-attract promise working exactly as described — whether that's a pro or a sign your cat has been trained to associate a specific rustle with good things is a matter of perspective.

What surprised me was the smell. I'm not a person who finds fish-flavored cat products pleasant, and I braced myself for something similarly pungent with the Backyard Cookout blend. It's not pleasant per se — it's definitely cat treat smell — but it's less aggressively fishy than I expected from a budget treat option. The liver component is the most noticeable to the human nose. After a week of using them as morning training rewards, I noticed the kitchen area retained a faint嗅 (scent) of the treats if I didn't wipe the counter — nothing catastrophic, but something to be aware of in a small apartment.

The crunch factor held up across the board. Treats from the bottom of the tub (where humidity could theoretically accumulate) were still acceptably crispy after the resealable lid was opened and closed daily for two weeks. No mushy or stale-textured outliers emerged. I did a rough calorie audit on my own feeding habits: Miso gets four treats in the morning and four in the evening as part of a basic clicker training routine. That's roughly 32 calories from treats per day — less than 5% of her estimated daily intake of around 200 calories. That math holds up fine for a cat at a healthy weight.

Would I buy this again? Honestly, yes — though I'd probably rotate flavors seasonally. The MixUps variety is a nice concept, but individual cats often show a clear preference for one protein over the others. Miso seemed to linger on the darker brown ones (my guess: the liver) while Beans showed zero discrimination. If your cat is strictly single-protein, the MixUps concept loses some appeal since you're paying for variety your cat ignores.

Who Should Buy It?

• Cat owners doing positive reinforcement or clicker training — the low calorie count and strong aroma make these effective training tools
• Multi-cat households — the 30-oz tub gives you enough inventory to reward several cats daily without running out quickly
• Budget-conscious shoppers who want better-than-drugstore quality — this sits in a reasonable mid-range for treat products and the value-per-treat is solid
• Anyone transitioning a cat to a new food or litter box location — the irresistible aroma gives you leverage for positive association building

Skip this if your cat has a diagnosed protein allergy or sensitivity to the specific ingredients listed, if you live in a very small space where the treat smell lingers uncomfortably, or if you strongly prefer single-protein treats and have a cat who only eats one type consistently.

Alternatives Worth Considering

If the Temptations MixUps Backyard Cookout isn't quite right for your situation, here are two alternatives worth a look:

• Greenies Dental Treats — a better option if you're prioritising dental health over pure flavor appeal. They have a chewy texture and are formulated to reduce tartar, though cats tend to be less instantly excited about them compared to aromatic treats like Temptations.
• Churu Cat Treats (Lickable Purée) — if your cat is a picky eater or recovering from illness, the smooth purée texture and single-serve tube format offer a different kind of appeal. They're messier but incredibly effective for bonding moments.
• Blue Buffalo Blue Bits — a single-protein option (chicken or salmon) with a slightly more natural ingredient list that some owners prefer. The downside is a higher per-treat cost and less aggressive aroma for training purposes.

FAQ

Final Verdict

After three weeks with the Temptations Cat Treats MixUps Backyard Cookout Flavor, I'm comfortable saying this is a reliable, well-priced option for most cat owners who want a daily reward treat their pet will actually get excited about. The under-2-calorie count, the resealable tub freshness, and the genuine textural satisfaction of the crunchy-soft combo add up to a product that does what it says on the label. The strong aroma is the main realistic drawback — manage your expectations on that front, especially in smaller living spaces. For training, bonding, or simply making your cat's day slightly more interesting, this tub earns its place in the treat drawer. Check current pricing on Amazon to see if the 30-oz value size is on promotion before you buy.