There is a particular sound a Churu tube makes when you tear it open, and a lot of cats come running from two rooms away.
Six calories per tube. Ninety-one percent water. Made by a Japanese family company that started harvesting seafood in 1805 and moved into pet food in 1958.
They are the most genuinely useful treat you can keep in a drawer. There is one labelling detail that trips people up, though, and it is worth getting straight before you buy.
- Each Inaba Churu tube contains about 6 calories, roughly a tenth of a typical dry cat treat.
- Churu tubes are 91 percent moisture, which makes them a practical way to get water into a cat who does not drink enough.
- Inaba Foods was founded in Japan in 1805 as a seafood business and entered pet food in 1958; the Churu line launched in 1989.
- Churu recipes contain no grains, preservatives, artificial colours or carrageenan.
- Churu tubes are supplemental treats and are not complete nutrition, unlike the Churu meal toppers and canned entrees.
Our Top Picks
Inaba Churu Chicken Variety 5 Flavor Creamy Puree Grain-Free Lickable Cat Treats, 0.5-oz tube, 150 count bundle
Inaba Churu Chicken Variety 5 Flavor Creamy Puree Grain-Free Lickable Cat Treats, 0.5-oz tube, 100 count bundle
Inaba Churu Entree in Gravy Chicken Recipe Wet Cat Food, 5.5-oz can, case of 24
Inaba Churu range compared
| Product | Best for | Size | Price | Recipe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inaba Churu Chicken Variety 5 Flavor Creamy Puree Grain-Free Lickable Cat Treats, 0.5-oz tube, 150 count bundle | Best overall | Bulk pack | $85.95 | Chicken 5 flavour |
| Inaba Churu Tuna Variety Creamy Puree Grain-Free Lickable Cat Treats, 0.5-oz tube, 150 count bundle | Best fish variety | Bulk pack | $85.95 | Tuna variety |
| Inaba Churu Tuna & Seafood Variety Creamy Puree Grain-Free Lickable Cat Treats, 0.5-oz tube, 100 count bundle | Best mixed pack | Bulk pack | $71.98 | Tuna & seafood |
| Inaba Churu Beef & Cheese Variety Creamy Puree Grain-Free Lickable Cat Treats, 0.5-oz tube, 100 count bundle | Most unusual | Bulk pack | $65.34 | Beef & cheese |
| Inaba Churu Chicken Variety 5 Flavor Creamy Puree Grain-Free Lickable Cat Treats, 0.5-oz tube, 100 count bundle | Best starter size | Smaller pack | $61.32 | Chicken 5 flavour |
| Inaba Churu Entree in Gravy Chicken Recipe Wet Cat Food, 5.5-oz can, case of 24 | The complete meal option | 5.5-oz cans | $64.99 | Entree, not a treat |
Why 6 calories changes what a treat is for
This is the number that makes Churu different from every crunchy treat in the cupboard, and it is worth understanding rather than just noting.
The standard veterinary guidance is that treats should stay under about 10 percent of daily calories. An average 10-lb indoor cat needs roughly 200 calories a day, so the treat budget is about 20 calories. A typical crunchy treat runs 2 to 3 calories each, which is a handful before you are done.
A Churu tube is around 6 calories. That is a whole, substantial, ceremonial treat that takes a minute to eat, for less than a third of the daily allowance. Compared with the same satisfaction delivered in kibble-shaped treats, it is a much better deal.
The 91 percent moisture matters as much. Cats descend from desert animals with a weak thirst drive, and most cats fed dry food do not drink enough to make up the difference. A high-moisture treat is a genuinely useful way to add water to a cat who ignores the bowl.
Obesity is the single most common preventable health problem in cats and it drives diabetes and joint disease. A treat that costs almost nothing in calories is a real tool, not a marketing line. Our guide to how much to feed your cat covers the daily maths, and the AAHA nutrition guidelines cover the veterinary position.
Treat, topper or meal? The labelling catch
This is the part people get wrong, and it matters more than anything else on this page.
Churu tubes are supplemental. They are treats. They are not formulated to be complete nutrition and a cat cannot live on them, no matter how enthusiastically they would try.
Churu meal toppers and Churu Entree cans are different products. The toppers are formulated to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for adult cats, and the canned entrees are complete wet food. They sit under the same brand name in the same aisle, and the packaging does not shout the difference.
Why it matters: a diet of supplemental food risks nutritional deficiency. Cats cannot produce enough taurine themselves, and sustained taurine deficiency causes dilated cardiomyopathy, a serious heart condition, along with retinal degeneration. Complete foods are formulated to prevent that. Treats are not required to be.
The rule is simple. Read the AAFCO statement on the box. It either says complete and balanced for a named life stage, or it says for intermittent or supplemental feeding only. Four seconds, every time, on every brand.
The 6 Inaba products, reviewed
Inaba Churu Chicken Variety 5 Flavor Creamy Puree Grain-Free Lickable Cat Treats, 0.5-oz tube, 150 count bundle: best overall
The chicken five-flavour variety pack, and the sensible bulk buy once you know your cat likes them. Five flavours in one box means you can rotate without a cat deciding one specific tube is the only acceptable one, which does happen.
Inaba Churu Tuna Variety Creamy Puree Grain-Free Lickable Cat Treats, 0.5-oz tube, 150 count bundle: best fish variety
The tuna variety pack. Inaba began as a seafood company in 1805 and the fish sourcing is the oldest part of the business. Rotate these with the chicken packs rather than feeding fish exclusively, which is not ideal long term.
Inaba Churu Tuna & Seafood Variety Creamy Puree Grain-Free Lickable Cat Treats, 0.5-oz tube, 100 count bundle: best mixed pack
Tuna with a broader seafood mix, including flavours you will not find in the standard packs. Useful when a cat has gone off the usual tubes, because novelty is often the whole trick with a bored eater.
Inaba Churu Beef & Cheese Variety Creamy Puree Grain-Free Lickable Cat Treats, 0.5-oz tube, 100 count bundle: most unusual
Beef and cheese, which is genuinely unusual in a lickable treat. Worth one box as the emergency option: the flavour a cat has never met is the one most likely to work when you need to hide a tablet or restart an appetite.
Inaba Churu Chicken Variety 5 Flavor Creamy Puree Grain-Free Lickable Cat Treats, 0.5-oz tube, 100 count bundle: best starter size
The same chicken five-flavour recipe in a smaller quantity. Buy this first. Most cats love Churu, but a smaller box is the cheap way to confirm yours does before committing to the bulk pack.
Inaba Churu Entree in Gravy Chicken Recipe Wet Cat Food, 5.5-oz can, case of 24: the complete meal option
This is Churu Entree, a complete wet food in a can, not a treat tube. It is the one part of the range your cat can actually live on. Do not confuse the two: the tubes are supplemental and the entrees are meals, and the branding does not make that obvious.
What Churu is genuinely useful for
Beyond being a treat your cat likes, there are three jobs these do better than anything else.
- Giving medication. A tablet crushed into a lickable puree disappears in a way it never does in kibble. Check with your vet first, since a few medications must not be crushed or given with food.
- Restarting an appetite. A cat who has gone off food will often lick a Churu when they refuse everything else. A cat not eating for more than about 24 hours needs a vet, though, because feline hepatic lipidosis develops fast.
- Rebuilding trust. After a vet visit, a move, or with a nervous rescue, hand-feeding a tube is one of the fastest ways to become the good thing in the room again.
- Adding water, for a cat with any urinary history, without changing their main food at all.
How it compares
- Against crunchy treats: Churu wins on calories and moisture. Crunchy treats win on dental abrasion, which is modest anyway.
- Against Delectables: similar lickable format. Churu has the shorter ingredient list and no carrageenan.
- On price: more expensive per treat than a bag of crunchies. Cheaper than most premium treats per calorie.
- Range size is enormous, which is a real advantage for a cat that gets bored.
Who should buy Inaba Churu
Almost anyone with a cat. This is one of the few products where the honest answer is that most households should keep a box in a drawer, for medication, for appetite trouble, and for a treat that barely dents the calorie budget.
Just do not feed them as meals. Compare alternatives in our best cat treats guide and see Delectables for the closest rival, or wet food options if what you actually want is a meal.
The bottom line on Inaba Churu
Six calories, ninety-one percent water, no grains or carrageenan, and a company that has been doing this since 1805. As a treat this is close to unimprovable, and the medication and appetite uses make it genuinely practical rather than indulgent.
Read the label so you know whether you are holding a treat or a meal, because the brand sells both. Start with Inaba Churu Chicken Variety 5 Flavor Creamy Puree Grain-Free Lickable Cat Treats, 0.5-oz tube, 150 count bundle. This article is educational rather than veterinary advice, and a cat who stops eating needs a vet rather than a treat.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Are Inaba Churu treats good for cats?
Inaba Churu are among the best cat treats available. Each tube is about 6 calories with 91 percent moisture, and the recipes contain no grains, preservatives, artificial colours or carrageenan. They are supplemental treats rather than complete meals.
Q: How many calories are in a Churu tube?
About 6 calories, roughly a tenth of a typical dry cat treat. Since treats should stay under about 10 percent of daily calories, and an average 10-lb cat needs around 200 calories a day, one tube uses less than a third of the treat budget.
Q: Can cats live on Churu treats?
No. Churu tubes are supplemental and are not complete nutrition. Churu meal toppers meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for adult cats and the canned entrees are complete wet food, but the standard treat tubes are not.
Q: Who makes Inaba Churu?
Inaba Foods, a Japanese family business founded in 1805 that began in seafood and entered the pet food market in 1958. The Churu line launched in 1989.
Q: Can I use Churu to give my cat medication?
Yes, and it is one of the best uses for them. A crushed tablet disappears into a lickable puree far more reliably than into kibble. Check with your vet first, since some medications must not be crushed or given alongside food.
Q: Are Churu treats good for hydration?
Yes. At 91 percent moisture they are a practical way to add water to the diet of a cat who does not drink enough, which is common because cats have a weak thirst drive inherited from desert-dwelling ancestors.
Q: How many Churu tubes can I give a day?
Treats should stay under about 10 percent of daily calories. For an average 10-lb cat needing roughly 200 calories a day, that is about 20 calories, or up to three 6-calorie tubes. Adjust for your cat’s actual weight and ask your vet if unsure.
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