| Cat Supplies Article |
The cat (Felis silvestris catus), also known as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from other felines, is a small carnivorous species of nocturnal mammal that is often valued by humans for its companionship and its ability to hunt vermin. It has been associated with humans for at least 9,500 years.
Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they must ingest the flesh of other animals to survive. Where other carnivorous mammals like bears and dogs commonly add to their diets of meat with fruits, berries, roots, and honey when available, by contrast all cats instinctively feed almost solely on meat.
Similarly as with its teeth, a cat's digestive tract has become specialized over time to suit its diet, having shortened in length to only those segments of intestine best able to break down proteins and fats from animal flesh. The evolved trait severely limits the cat's ability to properly digest, metabolize, and absorb plant-derived or synthesized nutrients, as well as certain fatty acids. For example, cats cannot convert the pro-vitamin A abundant in plants, to make vitamin A. Also, a number of required nutrients are not sufficiently available in plant matter to begin with; one critical absence is taurine, a key amino sulfonic acid for eye health. Taurine deficiency can cause a condition called macular degeneration wherein the cat's retina slowly degenerates, eventually causing irreversible blindness.
Due to the above, most felines eat fairly little if any plantstuffs. Yet it is nevertheless quite common for a cat to occasionally supplement its carnivorous diet with small amounts of grass, leaves, shrubs, houseplants, or other plant matter anyway. One theory suggests this behaviour is to facilitate regurgitation if their digestion is upset; another is that it perhaps introduces fibre or trace minerals to the diet. In this context, caution is recommended for cat owners because some houseplants are harmful to cats. The leaves of the Easter Lily can cause permanent and life-threatening kidney damage to cats. Philodendron are also poisonous to cats. Cat Fancy has a full list of plants harmful to cats.
As an exception to the general rule, certain domesticated cats are known to like vegetables. This happenstance may inspire some vegetarian or vegan pet owners to encourage or even impose their own dietary preferences upon their cats, often using commercially-available cat foods supplemented with chemically-synthesized taurine and other added nutrients to address nutritional shortfalls. However, it remains arguable as to whether or not such a vegetarian diet can in fact meet a cat's dietary requirements.
Additionally, cats have been known to develop a fondness for prepared human foods, normally such entrees which are rich in proteins or fats. However, a diet consisting only of human food (even if high quality meat) is unlikely to contain the balanced nutrition required by the cat. Cats normally are good self-regulators of diet; however, unlimited access to food, or excessive human-food 'treats', will often lead to the cat becoming obese, particularly if it is older or more sedentary. This may lead to several health complications, such as diabetes, especially in neutered males. Such health conditions can be prevented through diet and exercise (playing), especially for cats living exclusively indoors.
Cats can be fussy eaters (which may be due in some way to the aforementioned mutation which caused their species to lose sugar-tasting ability). Unlike most mammals, cats can voluntarily starve themselves indefinitely despite being presented with palatable food, even a food which they had previously readily consumed. This can happen when the vomeronasal or Jacobson's organ becomes accustomed to a specific food, or if the cats are spoiled by their owners, in which case the cat will reject any food that does not fit the pattern it is expecting. It is also known for cats to merely become bored with their given food and decide to stop eating until they are tempted into eating again. Although it is extremely rare for a cat to deliberately starve itself to the point of injury, the sudden loss of weight can cause a fatal condition called hepatic lipidosis, a liver dysfunction which causes pathological loss of appetite and reinforces the starvation, which can lead to death within as little as 48 hours.
Some cats have a fondness for catnip, which is sensed by their olfactory systems. While they generally do not consume it, they will often roll in it, paw at it, and occasionally chew on it. The effect is usually relatively short, lasting for only a few minutes. After two hours or less, susceptible cats gain interest again. Several other species of plants (such as mint) cause this effect, to a lesser degree.
Cats can also develop pica. Pica is a condition in which animals chew or eat unusual things such as fabric, plastic or wool. In cats, this is mostly harmless as they do not digest most of it, but can be fatal or require surgical removal if a large amount of foreign material is ingested (for example, an entire sock). It tends to occur more often in Burmese, Oriental, Siamese and breeds with these in their ancestry.
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 | Armarkat Cat Tree Pet Furniture Condo Scratcher #B6605
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|  | Folding Cat Playpen Kitty Cage Midwest Model 130 NEW
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 | .021 PET TUNNEL w. PLATFORMS + HANGING TOY - CAT FERRET
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|  | Stainless Kitty Cat Treat Can Gift Set w/spoon and dish
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 | ADVANTAGE CAT FLEA 10 MONTHS DOSES UP TO 9 POUNDS
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|  | NEW Petsafe Simply Clean Automatic Cat Litter Box
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 | BARGAIN 8 MONTH SUPPLY OF FRONTLINE PLUS FOR CATS
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 | Cat Toy Scratching Post Furniture
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|  | JUMBO WICKER RATTAN CAT LITTER COVER MULTIPLE CAT HOME
$139.99 |
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 | "GLOW IN THE DARK" CAT COLLAR
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|  | ORGANIC CATNIP CAT TOY HANDMADE BENEFITS ANIMAL RESCUE
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 | bathe and carry cage
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|  | 50 Peacock Feathers ~Crazy Cat Wand Toy Kitten Teaser
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 | Catnip Toys Made By Sherri - Homespun Knit - Lot of 3
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|  | ADVANTAGE CAT FLEA 5 MONTHS DOSES OVER 9 POUNDS
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 | Petmate Hybrid Black Stainless Cat Dog Water Fountain
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|  | Squirrel Case Ball For Cats
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 | Cat Tree Toy Scratcher post furniture
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|  | Cat condo scratching Sisal post furniture
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|  | SALE 16 MONTH SUPPLY OF FRONTLINE PLUS FOR CATS
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 | Kitty cat condo condos tree house bed toy furniture 66B
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|  | Armarkat Cat Tree Pet Furniture Condo Scratcher #B5701
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 | CAT KITTEN Yellow Christmas Collar NEW FREE SHIPPING
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|  | CHEAP 16 MONTH SUPPLY OF FRONTLINE PLUS FOR CATS
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 | HUGE 8 MONTH SUPPLY OF FRONTLINE PLUS FOR CATS
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|  | 3 WAY LOCK CAT FLAP DOOR BY PETSAFE~NIB
$5.00 |
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 | .195 NEW DESIGN Pet Tower Castle - ladder swing sleeper
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|  | Brand New 23" x 19" x 6" Dog or Cat Luxury Pet Bed
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 | Lot of 50 nylon mice
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|  | KH Outdoor Heated Cat Kitty Camper Bed House Mat Thermo
$55.99 |
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 | NEW CAT WINDOW SEAT HAMMOCK BED EASY INSTALL
$17.35 |
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|  | .038 Cat scratching Post / Tower w Toy Mouse Plush Home
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 | Dragonfly Cat Toy
$11.95 |
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|  | New BR 3x12x4H Cat Dog Cage Pen Crate Kennel Free Ship
$399.00 |
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 | Smarty Kat Rustle Sak - Crackle Sound Bag for Cats New!
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|  | Booda Dome Litter Box w/ Air Filter Privacy Cat 2DAYSHP
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 | NEW Cat Kitten Pet Play Tunnel Hide Seek Sheepskin Bed
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|  | Organic Catgrass Oats for Cats Pet Supplies Cat
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 | New Deluxe Beige 52" Cat Tree Condo Scratcher 5067
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|  | PEDI PAWS ROTARY NAIL TRIMMER - NIB
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 | Roll 'n Clean Self-Cleaning Litter Box
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|  | 50 Peacock Feathers - Kitten Cat Pet Store Shop Supply
$24.98 |
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 | Petmate Hybrid Pink Stainless Cat Dog Water Fountain
$32.49 |
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| FREE 3LB BAG OF NUTRO MAX CAT
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 | Cat Tree House Furniture Condo Scratcher Bed Toys 62C
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|  | Hip CAT COLLAR Halloween BOO Bats Orange ADJUSTS 7-11"
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 | {4} COMFORT ZONE FELIWAY PLUG IN REFILLS 48ML EXP/ 2011
$26.00 |
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|  | Salt Glazed Stoneware Cat Food Dish w/ Paw Print
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 | Frontline Plus for Cats & Kittens 3pck US-EPA Approved
$25.00 |
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|  | CAMOUFLAGE PET BED CAT DOG KITTEN PUPPY BRAND NEW
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Kitty cat condo condos tree house bed toy furniture 78B
$24.99 |
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|  | 57" Cat Tree Condo House Scratcher Pet Furniture bed-04
$59.99 |
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 | 6 Months Frontline Plus for Kittens & Cats
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|  | SHERPA PET Medium Size Animal Dog Cat Carrier Black 18"
$24.99 |
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 | Armarkat Cat Tree Pet Furniture Condo Scratcher #A4301
$0.99 |
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|  | 55" Cat Tree Condo House Scratcher Pet Furniture bed-03
$59.99 |
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 | ADVANTAGE CAT FLEA 10 MONTHS DOSES UP TO 9 POUNDS
$21.00 |
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|  | ADVANTAGE CAT FLEA 5 MONTHS DOSES OVER 9 POUNDS
$21.00 |
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 | Vintage 1970s KLIBAN plastic "Feed A Cat" - Cat Feeder
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|  | Kitty cat condo condos tree house bed toy furniture 80C
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 | Luxury Airline approved Pet Carrier
$20.00 |
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|  | DELUXE Pet Carrier. Very nice and DURABLE!
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 | Armarkat Cat Tree Pet Furniture Condo Scratcher #A6601
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|  | {4} COMFORT ZONE FELIWAY PLUG IN REFILLS 48ML EXP/ 2011
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 | Cat MULTI-LEVEL Floor-Ceiling Kitty Sky Tower Hideaway
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|  | .137 PET SCRATCH TOWER - BROWN FUR w. SAFE BOX SLEEP
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 | Lot of Cat Toys 6 Packs Kitty Cat Mouse Catnip Toys
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|  | Cat scratch aids X mat and Paws Away training aids
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 | K&H Thermo Kitty Bed, heated CUP for your cat Sage U
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|  | Roll 'n Clean Self-Cleaning Litter Box
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|  | Cat Toy Scratching Post Furniture
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|  | 100"-112" ADJ CAT TREE FURNITURE CONDO HOUSE SCRACHING
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 | K&H Thermo Kitty Cat / Pet Cabin Sage U
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|  | PET PROMISE DOG/CAT FOOD - 1 Year's Supply/$600 worth!
$299.00 |
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 | 2XL CAT LOVER TEE SHIRT - BENEFITS ANIMAL RESCUE
$14.00 |
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|  | *NEW* CAT Nail clippers & Hair trimmers +Free Gift L@@K
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 | Armarkat Cat Tree Pet Furniture Condo Scratcher #A6202
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|  | 20" Cat Tree Condo House Scratcher Pet Furniture bed-10
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 | FLEECY CAT BLANKET 30" X 36" PURPLE FAT CAT INC NEW
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|  | *NEW*POWERFUL 5mw RED PRESENTATION / LASER POINTER!
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