| 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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 | 60 Zanies Catnip Rattle Rainbow Mice Cat Toys Kitten
$16.99 |
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|  | Jumbo Neon Lattice Ball With Bell
$1.60 |
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 | Small Alderwood Pet Urn, Hand Crafted, FREE ENGRAVING
$27.95 |
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|  | Cup Catnip 4.5 Ounces Fresh And Aromatic Catnip
$3.80 |
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 | Pink Purse Pillow Toy Catnip For Cats
$2.10 |
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|  | Toy Rainbow Mice 3Pk Toys For Cats
$2.20 |
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 | Burlap Cat Balls 3 Pack
$2.00 |
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|  | Cat Cuddle Coil Colorful Cat Toy
$16.00 |
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 | Fresh Flow Replacement Filter
$4.20 |
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|  | Catnip Extract 5Oz Spray On Objects
$3.50 |
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 | Catnip Boa Squeaky Cat Toy Assorted
$2.70 |
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|  | Booda Terry Monkey - Catnip Cat Toy
$2.30 |
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 | Catmeister Cat Toy
$2.00 |
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|  | Tag Spotbrites Laser W/Heart ID Tag For Cats/Dogs
$4.30 |
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 | Christmas Cat Stocking 7 Pc Cat Toy
$4.90 |
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|  | Slotted Balls Cat Toy 4 Pack
$1.50 |
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 | Petromalt Hairball Formula 4.4Oz For Cats
$5.20 |
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|  | Laser Fun Chase Cat Toy
$8.20 |
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 | Cfa Cat Nip Porcupine Cat Toy
$2.90 |
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|  | Kitty Korner Komber Rubbing Device For Cats
$5.00 |
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 | Fishy Fun Multicolor Cat Toy
$3.20 |
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|  | Kitty Cuz Cat Toy
$2.10 |
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 | Lot of 3 Catchables Cat Toy 8.5 Catnip Toys
$7.30 |
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|  | Comfort Zone w/ Feliway - Cat Calmative Plug In
$26.30 |
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 | Atomic Bouncing Ball 2 Pack
$1.50 |
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|  | Sport Ping Pong Balls Cat Toy - 4 Pack
$1.50 |
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 | Flashing Cat Ball
$1.80 |
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|  | Extreme Catnip 4Oz Spray For Cats
$3.90 |
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 | Cfa Cat Nip House Mouse Cat Toy
$2.70 |
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|  | Shimmer Balls Cat Toy 4 Pack
$1.50 |
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 | Catnip Boa Wand Cat Toy Assorted
$2.70 |
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|  | Booda Catnip Terry Elephant Soft Cat Toy
$2.20 |
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 | Roll A Treat Cat (Small Dog) Ball
$2.80 |
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|  | Cheese Chase Multicolor Cat Toy
$11.80 |
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 | Cfa Sisal Feather Dangler Cat Toy
$4.80 |
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|  | Angelfish Catnip Cat Toy
$2.20 |
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 | Wacky Rollers Cat Toy 7Pk
$1.80 |
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|  | Mylar Balls 4 Pack
$1.80 |
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 | Christmas Cat Stocking 6 Pc Cat Toy
$4.50 |
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|  | Catnip Boa Feather Cat Toy Assorted
$2.80 |
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 | Petromalt Fish-Flavored Hairball Formula 2Oz For Cats
$3.30 |
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|  | Teaser Fleece Wand With Acrylic Rod Cat Toy
$1.80 |
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 | LITTER KWITTER quitter toilet train cat kitty litter
$59.95 |
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|  | Nm Orange Oxy Cleaner 24Oz Great For Pet Items
$6.80 |
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 | Feather Dangler Cat Wand
$2.60 |
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|  | Catnip Boa Springy Cat Toy Assorted
$2.80 |
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 | 16Ga 1/2 X 1 Welded Wire 30X For Cages/Fences
$18.90 |
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|  | 10 real furry mice BY ZANIES- Cat Toys-TOY-PET
$0.01 |
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 | Staywell Infra Red Infrared Cat Door NIB Fast SHIP
$49.95 |
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|  | Mini Teaser Cat Wand
$1.90 |
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 | Starfish Catnip Cat Toy
$2.20 |
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|  | Booda Catnip Terry Bunny Soft Cat Toy
$2.40 |
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 | Feather Boa Cat Toy with Wand
$2.00 |
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|  | Cfa Feather Teaser Balls Cat Toy
$2.40 |
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 | Catnip Sock Cat Toy Filled W/The Finest Catnip
$1.80 |
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|  | Booda Catnip Terrie Cow - Cat Toy
$2.30 |
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 | LitterMaid Plus self-cleaning litter pan NICE
$29.99 |
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|  | DEAL 16 MONTH SUPPLY OF FRONTLINE PLUS FOR CATS
$38.00 |
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 | Sponge Soccer Ball 2Pk Cat Toy
$1.50 |
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|  | Catnip Boa Bouncng Cat Toy Assorted
$2.80 |
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 | Poly Bag Catnip 0.5 Ounce Fresh And Aromatic Catnip
$1.60 |
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|  | Sponge KITKAT Balls - 4 Pack
$1.70 |
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 | Featherlite Boas Cat Toy
$2.50 |
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|  | Luau Flip Flopcat Toy Catnip
$1.80 |
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 | Cfa Cat Nip Wool Mouse 2Pack Cat Toy
$2.80 |
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|  | Nutri-Cal For Cats Medium Energy Supplement
$6.40 |
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 | Doofus Dog Assort 8.5In Catnip Cat Toy
$2.60 |
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|  | Pointer Spotbrites Laser Mouse Toy For Cats
$3.40 |
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 | Creeps Cat Toy
$2.00 |
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|  | Twin Miami Mice 2 Fur Black And White
$1.50 |
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 | Graffiti Ping Pong Balls 4 Pack
$1.50 |
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|  | Catnip Cup 0.5 Ounce Fresh And Aromatic Catnip
$1.60 |
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 | Laxatone Tuna Flavor Medium Treats Hairballs In Cats
$4.60 |
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|  | Bobcat Cat Toy
$2.80 |
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 | Fur Feather Teaser W/2Toys Assorted For Cats
$3.70 |
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|  | Toy Cleaning Brush Red Large
$4.70 |
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 | Booda Catnip Terry Hippo Soft Cat Toy
$2.30 |
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|  | Toy Cleaning Brush Red Small
$4.70 |
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 | Burlap Mouse w/ Catnip - 3 Pack
$2.00 |
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|  | Dinner Mat Cat Assorted For Food Dishes
$3.70 |
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 | Plush Fur Spotties Catnip 2Pk Toys For Cats Assorted
$2.20 |
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|  | Cotton Catnip Pillow Filled W/The Finest Catnip
$1.60 |
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 | Cup Catnip 2 Ounces Fresh And Aromatic Catnip
$3.30 |
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|  | Pink Crown Wand Toy W/Catnip For Cats
$2.10 |
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 | Holiday Cat Tennis Balls 2 Pack
$1.80 |
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|  | Organic Catnip 1/2 Oz For Cats
$1.60 |
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 | Wind Up Windup Fake Mouse Rat Cat Dog Pet Toy NEW!!!!!!
$6.95 |
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|  | Booda Catnip Terry Hedgehog Soft Cat Toy
$2.20 |
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 | Cat Hanging Pocket Planter - NEW!
$15.00 |
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|  | Simple Solution Grooming Glove For Pets
$2.10 |
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 | Lattice Plastic Balls With Bells 4 Pack
$1.50 |
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|  | Pink Pet Carrier 15.75 X 8.25 X 12
$7.50 |
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 | Sponge Soccer Balls 4 Pack
$2.10 |
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|  | Booda Catnip Terry Mouse Soft Cat Toy
$2.30 |
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 | Toy Rainbow Mice 9Pk Toys For Cats
$4.70 |
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|  | Laxatone 2. 5Oz For Cat Hairballs
$4.60 |
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 | Bizzy Kitty Center Cat Toy Red/White
$6.80 |
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|  | Swatical Cat Toy
$3.10 |
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 | Catnip Bubbles 8 Oz Blow Bubbles For Your Cat
$2.20 |
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