Posted by Storeware
on June 09, 2026
Churu cat treats are everywhere. If you have a cat, there's a good chance they've already tried them — and if they have, there's an equally good chance they're obsessed. INABA's Churu has become one of the best-selling cat treat brands in the world, and the squeezable puree format has inspired a wave of lickable treat competitors.
Chef Kitty Purée Pops are one of those competitors. But beyond the similar squeezable tube format, there are meaningful differences in how these two products are formulated — and those differences matter if you care about what your cat is actually eating.
Here's an honest, side-by-side breakdown.
What Is Churu?
Churu is a line of lickable cat treats made by INABA Foods, a Japanese company. They come in small squeezable tubes in a variety of flavors — mostly fish and chicken combinations — and are marketed as grain-free and low-calorie.
Cats tend to love them intensely, which has made them popular for use as training treats, medication delivery vehicles, and bonding tools. Vets frequently recommend them for hydration support in cats who don't drink enough water.
Churu Ingredients — What's Actually in Them?
Let's look at a typical Churu variety — Tuna with Shrimp:
Ingredients: Tuna, Water, Shrimp, Dried Glucose Syrup, Potassium Chloride, Xanthan Gum, Locust Bean Gum, Guar Gum, Taurine, Vitamins
A few things to note:
Water is the second ingredient. That means by weight, Churu is mostly water. The treat is primarily a flavored, thickened liquid — which is why it's so thin and runny when squeezed.
Dried glucose syrup is a sugar — listed fourth, before the potassium chloride and thickeners. Cats can't taste sweetness and have no nutritional need for sugar. Its presence here is a palatability and texture aid, not a nutritional contribution.
Three separate thickeners — xanthan gum, locust bean gum, and guar gum — are used to give the liquid its semi-gel consistency. Some cats with sensitive digestive systems have difficulty tolerating gums, particularly carrageenan (not present here but common in similar products) and xanthan gum in larger quantities.
Taurine is added — listed near the end, which suggests it's added as a supplement rather than naturally present from the protein source. This happens when the protein base is too diluted or processed to retain natural taurine levels.
To be fair to Churu: it's grain-free, the protein sources are real (tuna, shrimp), the calorie count is low, and it does provide hydration. For cats who won't drink water, a few Churu tubes per day is genuinely useful. The product isn't bad — but it is primarily a flavored water treat with added taurine and sugar, rather than a protein-dense food.
Chef Kitty Purée Pops Ingredients — How They Compare
Chef Kitty Purée Pops are formulated to a different standard. Here's a typical variety — Salmon:
Ingredients: Salmon, Water, Sunflower Oil, Tapioca Starch, Taurine, Vitamin E
Notable differences:
Salmon is the first ingredient — and remains the dominant ingredient by weight. The puree is built around the protein, not around water with protein flavoring.
No sugar. There is no glucose syrup, dried glucose, or sweetener of any kind. The palatability comes from real salmon — not from sugar enhancement.
Tapioca starch is used as a single thickener rather than three separate gums. Tapioca is generally well-tolerated by cats with sensitive stomachs.
Sunflower oil adds healthy fats and contributes to the thicker, creamier texture that distinguishes Purée Pops from the thinner Churu consistency.
Taurine is included — as in Churu — supporting heart and eye health. The difference is that with a higher protein concentration, more taurine is also naturally present from the salmon itself.
Vitamin E is added as a natural antioxidant supporting immune health — an ingredient Churu doesn't include.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Churu (Tuna with Shrimp) | Chef Kitty Purée Pops (Salmon) | |
|---|---|---|
| First ingredient | Tuna | Salmon |
| Second ingredient | Water | Water |
| Sugar / glucose syrup | ✅ Yes (dried glucose syrup) | ❌ No |
| Number of thickeners | 3 (xanthan, locust bean, guar) | 1 (tapioca starch) |
| Taurine | ✅ Added | ✅ Added + naturally present |
| Vitamin E | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Grain-free | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Artificial flavors | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| Texture | Thin, runny | Thick, creamy |
| Made / tested in | Japan | USA tested |
Which Is Better for Your Cat?
The honest answer is: it depends on what you're using the treat for.
Churu is better for:
- Cats who need hydration support (the high water content is genuinely useful)
- Cats on medication who need a thin, runny treat to mask pills
- Budget-conscious households — Churu is widely available and competitively priced
- Cats who have never tried lickable treats and need a gentle, familiar-flavored introduction
Chef Kitty Purée Pops are better for:
- Cats who need more protein from their treat (higher protein concentration per serving)
- Cats with sensitivities to multiple thickeners or gums
- Cat owners who want to avoid added sugar in treats
- Cats benefiting from the immune support of Vitamin E alongside taurine
- Owners who want a thicker, mess-free texture that doesn't run off the spoon
For everyday use as a bonding treat or training reward, Purée Pops deliver more nutritional value per serving. For specific hydration support, Churu's higher water content serves a real purpose.
What About the Cranberry and Krill Varieties?
Chef Kitty Purée Pops come in five flavors — including Chicken Cranberry and Chicken Krill — which Churu doesn't offer.
The Chicken Cranberry variety is formulated with urinary health in mind. Cranberry contains proanthocyanidins that help support a healthy urinary tract environment — a meaningful benefit for cats prone to UTIs or feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD), which is one of the most common health issues in domestic cats.
The Chicken Krill variety delivers additional Omega-3 fatty acids from krill — a particularly bioavailable source of EPA and DHA that supports coat health, joint mobility, and cognitive function.
These functional flavor distinctions don't exist in the standard Churu lineup, making Purée Pops a more versatile option for cat owners who want to target specific health needs.
The Bottom Line
Churu is a popular, affordable, widely available lickable treat that cats love — and it has genuine utility for hydration and medication delivery. Its ingredient profile is decent for the category.
Chef Kitty Purée Pops are built around a higher protein concentration, without added sugar, with better thickener choices, and with added Vitamin E alongside taurine. They deliver more nutritional value per tube and offer functional flavors that address specific health concerns.
Both are grain-free. Neither contains artificial flavors or preservatives. The meaningful differences come down to sugar content, thickener complexity, protein density, and the presence of Vitamin E.
If you've been using Churu and want to try something with a cleaner ingredient profile and more nutritional substance, Chef Kitty Purée Pops are worth trying.
Shop Chef Kitty Purée Pops — 5 flavors, 10 and 20 packs →
Related articles:
- Best Lickable Cat Treats in 2026: https://www.chef-kitty.com/blogs/news/best-lickable-cat-treats
- Why Are Cats Addicted to Temptations? https://www.chef-kitty.com/blogs/news/why-are-cats-addicted-to-temptations-treats
- What Cat Treats Are Actually Healthy? https://www.chef-kitty.com/blogs/news/what-cat-treats-are-actually-healthy
- Vet-Recommended Cat Dental Treats: https://www.chef-kitty.com/blogs/news/vet-recommended-cat-dental-treats
Chef Kitty makes single-ingredient freeze-dried treats and grain-free lickable puree treats for cats and dogs — tested in the USA, no fillers, no artificial additives, no compromises.
