| 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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|  | Meow Town Flower Power Cat Climbing Fun Playing Tower
$59.99 |
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 | Cat Keychain- I Love My Russian Blue- Pewter
$1.50 |
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|  | 55" Cat Tree Condo House Scratcher Pet Furniture bed-03
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|  | Cat Mate C20 Automatic Pet Feeder
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|  | FRONTLINE TOP SPOT flea med small dogs 0-22 lbs SALE~~
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 | SmartCat Cat Climber Multi-level Climbing Platforms
$99.95 |
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|  | Catnip Streamer Toy New Two
$5.95 |
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 | K&H Lectro Soft Outdoor Heated Med Dog Bed Free Cover
$54.98 |
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|  | Digital Photo Urns
$185.00 |
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 | HOLIDAY REINDEER Cat Collar Collars
$5.99 |
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|  | NEW Comfort PAW Dog & Cat Bed Small Size -Pink
$6.95 |
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 | Ceramic Pet Food Bowl ~ Southwestern Style
$10.50 |
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|  | 2 OUNCE PURE FRESH CANADIAN CATNIP -LOVE YOUR CAT!
$3.99 |
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(20) $1.00/2 COUPON PURINA WHISKER LICKIN'S CAT TREATS
$0.99 |
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|  | Cat Playpen Cage Midwest Model 130 With FREE BED !
$109.99 |
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 | NEW Comfort Small Dog & Cat Bed-Cow color
$9.95 |
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|  | NEW Comfort Dog & Cat Bed Small Size
$9.95 |
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 | Purrforma Plus XL Hooded Automatic Litterbox NIB!
$55.01 |
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|  | LITTER QUITTER AS SEEN ON TV TRAIN CAT TO USE TOILET
$59.99 |
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 | SmartCat Peek-A-Prize Toy Box - Cat Toy
$19.95 |
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| Littermaid LME9250 Elite Self Cleaning Litterbox
$20.50 |
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 | Pet Supplies Grooming Hamilton Cat CATS Muzzle *MEDIUM
$4.99 |
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|  | PINK ANIMAL **PRINCESS BED** WITH BOW AND RHINESTONE
$7.95 |
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 | shaking & rattling fur mouse short hair-50 piece lot
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|  | Flint River Ranch~Cat & Kitten Food 40 lbs
$68.99 |
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 | Brown & Pink Polka Dot Pet Carrier Cats or Dogs NWT
$24.99 |
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|  | Iams ProActive Health Adult Cat Food Coupons (6x$ 4.00)
$0.99 |
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 | Meow 4x 6 Cat Frame in Brown
$1.99 |
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|  | ADVANTAGE DOG/CAT KIT 4,5 AND 10 MONTH SUPPLLY EPA USA
$16.85 |
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 | NEW Comfort Small Dog & Cat Bed-Leopard Pink color
$12.99 |
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|  | NEW LITTERMAID LME9250 ELITE MEGA Automatic Litterbox
$25.00 |
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 | Antiqued Cast Iron Cat & fish key hook, 5 hooks
$4.99 |
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|  | 20 MONTH SUPPLY OF ADVANTAGE FOR CATS 0 - 9 LBS 4 6 EPA
$34.95 |
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 | 55" Cat Tree Condo House Scratcher Pet Furniture bed-3B
$59.99 |
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|  | Indoor Pet Containment and Dog & Cat Fences (Padlock)
$38.88 |
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 | MISTLETOE & WINE SWAROVSKI SPARKLIN CAT/DOG COLLAR
$19.99 |
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|  | PArt only:Soft Bed 4 Cat Condo,Tree,House,Pet Furniture
$10.00 |
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 | NEW Comfort Small Dog & Cat Sofa Bed -Leopard Color
$9.95 |
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|  | CAT WINDOW SEAT PERCH IN BOX BED TOY GIFT
$19.95 |
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 | Iams Healthy Naturals Cat Food Coupons (6x$ 4.00)
$0.99 |
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|  | Sift Clean Sifting Cat Litter Box/Pan Liners. 6-months
$31.95 |
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 | NEW Comfort PAW Dog & Cat Bed Small Size -Blue
$6.95 |
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|  | WOVEN CAT MAT
$3.99 |
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 | Dog, German Shepherd - Figurine Urn
$99.00 |
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|  | Go Go Mouse with Pull Back String Action (6) Six Mice
$9.99 |
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 | 73" Cat Tree Condo House Scratcher Pet Furniture bed-08
$99.99 |
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|  | Flint River Ranch~Lite Cat Food 9 lbs
$17.99 |
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 | DRINKWELL PLATINUM PET FOUNTAIN CAT DOG WATER DISH BOWL
$59.95 |
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|  | 60 Mice-mouse pet, cat, furry toy,
$10.00 |
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Littermaid LM700 Self-Cleaning Litterbox
$9.99 |
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|  | 55" Cat Tree Condo House Scratcher Pet Furniture bed-05
$59.99 |
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 | ORGANIC CATNIP CAT TOY HANDMADE 100% to PET CHARITY
$2.65 |
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|  | SmartCat Bootsie's Bunkbed and Playroom
$28.95 |
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 | FOOT LONG FURRY FUN KITTY SNAKE CAT TOY ORGANIC CATNIP
$9.95 |
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|  | Kitty Cat Christmas Stocking - NEW!
$9.00 |
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 | "Happy Cat" Meow Cat Dish Hand Painted & Crafted
$9.25 |
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|  | Soft Claws Clear Nail Caps Kitten / Cat Stop Scratching
$2.50 |
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 | Saltwater Aquarium Video DVD - Relaxation Great 4 cats
$9.99 |
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|  | 65" Cat Tree Condo House Scratcher Pet Furniture bed-14
$89.99 |
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 | LAUREL BURCH FELINE FRIENDS LEATHER TOTE CAT PURSE BLK
$24.99 |
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|  | SmartCat Kitty Cat Corner Litter Box - Gray
$11.95 |
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 | Cat / Kitty HAMMOCK - WOW Christmas gift for Kitty too!
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|  | FRONTLINE PLUS DOG/CAT KIT 3 6 8 MONTH SUPPLY EPA USA!!
$16.85 |
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 | 73" Cat Tree Condo House Scratcher Pet Furniture bed-8C
$99.99 |
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|  | 67" Cat Tree Condo House Scratcher Pet Furniture bed-15
$94.99 |
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 | fur mice -60 piece-natural colors
$8.99 |
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|  | 10 MONTH SUPPLY OF ADVANTAGE FOR CATS OVER 9 LBS 6 EPA
$34.95 |
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 | SANTA'S BEST CAT, CHRISTMAS FEEDING DISH
$7.99 |
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|  | * Kitty Christmas Cat Toys by Pet Holiday*
$0.99 |
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 | Nu-Cat by Vetri-Science (100 tablets)
$6.99 |
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|  | 3 ORGANIC CATNIP KNOTS CAT TOY 100% to PET CHARITY
$3.50 |
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 | CHRISTMAS CAT & HUMAN MATCHING HEADBANDS 100% toCHARITY
$2.25 |
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| 4 coupons - Fancy Feast Elegant Medleys
$0.79 |
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 | 150 Fresh Step Paw Points
$3.25 |
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|  | FRONTLINE TOP SPOT flea med small dogs 0-22 lbs SALE~~
$23.99 |
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 | Fish Shaped Cat Bowl and Picture Frame Stoneware
$7.85 |
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|  | ADVANTAGE FLEA CONTROL KIT ALL SIZES dogs cats SAVE!!!!
$23.75 |
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 | Cat Veranda with Lockable Entry Flap
$99.95 |
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|  | 3 Months Frontline Plus For Cats 3 Pipettes Box, EPA
$38.99 |
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 | 20" Cat Tree Condo House Scratcher Pet Furniture bed-12
$29.99 |
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|  | LAUREL BURCH FELINE FRIENDS LEATHER TOTE CAT PURSE RUST
$24.99 |
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 | Cat Litter Box Cover Or Pet Hideaway Wicker Rattan 1805
$49.99 |
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|  | 4 pcs Set Diamante Cat Collars-Can fastened at any pt.#
$12.08 |
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 | Brand New Cat Collar Teal w/ Bell
$2.00 |
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|  | Meow Town Flower Power Cat Climbing Fun Playing Tower
$59.99 |
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 | NEW Comfort Small Paw Dog/CATS Bed - Package Deal
$24.95 |
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|  | Omega Paw Self Cleaning Kitty Cat Litter Box - Regular
$23.95 |
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 | ADVANTAGE FLEA CONTROL KIT all sizes dogs cats stock UP
$17.95 |
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|  | LOOK AT THIS GREAT CAT TUNNEL FOR CATS AND DOGS
$0.01 |
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 | Flint River Ranch~Cat Hair Ball Remedy Food 6lbs
$16.99 |
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|  | Buddha Pet Collar Charm Handcrafted
$0.99 |
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 | BRAND NEW LITTERMAID LM900 AUTOMATIC LITTERBOX
$9.99 |
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|  | MR. PET DOG & CAT ELECTRIC 24hr FEEDER INDOOR USE VGC
$16.99 |
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 | (20) $1.00 on 1 Whisker Lickins cat treats coupons!
$5.00 |
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|  | FANCY FEAST ELEGANT MEDLEYS FRISKIES CAT CHOW FREE SHIP
$21.99 |
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 | Christmas Kittens Homemade Quilted Stocking
$3.99 |
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|  | CAT STAND TALL LARGE CUSTOM MADE PICK UP TRI CITIES WA
$35.00 |
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