| 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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 | .021 PET TUNNEL w. PLATFORMS + HANGING TOY - CAT FERRET
$0.99 |
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|  | Ticks and Fleas Spray for Cats - 500 ml. UK only
$35.99 |
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 | NEW Littermaid ELITE Mega LME9250 Automatic Litterbox
$149.89 |
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|  | just bepaws cat collar tag
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 | 20" Cat Tree Condo House Scratcher Pet Furniture bed-12
$29.99 |
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|  | L@@K^..^NEW 66" Cat Tree Condo Scratcher Pet Furniture
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 | Get this EPA, FRONTLINE Plus for CATS - fAST Shpg
$21.89 |
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|  | FRONTLINE PLUS flea control small dogs 0-22 lbs 6 dose
$18.95 |
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 | ADVANTAGE FLEA CONTROL FOR CATS 10 LBS AND UP 5 DOSES
$17.99 |
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|  | ADVANTAGE FLEA KIT FOR SMALL DOGS 10-20 LBS 4 DOSES
$17.99 |
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 | WEAZEL BALL TOY FOR DOGS CATS & THIS GOOD WEASEL
$8.95 |
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|  | Bug Jar Cat Toy
$2.99 |
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 | LitterMaid Elite LME9000 Mega Automatic Cat Litter Box
$125.49 |
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|  | BRAND NEW PET SAFE CAT DOG DOOR LOCKABLE FLAP 12lbs
$17.99 |
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 | 72" Cat Tree House Scratcher Post Furniture F2040-Blue
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|  | 94" Cat Tree Condo House Scratcher Pet Furniture bed-09
$109.99 |
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 | **NEW** Original CatMouse LitterBox Odor Eliminator
$39.95 |
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|  | Drinkwell Platinum Pet Fountain - New - Pet Water Dish
$51.95 |
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 | Cosequin for cats-67 capsules
$10.50 |
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|  | 8 MONTH FRONTLINE TOP SPOT FLEA CAT GREEN dose 3 6 12
$17.00 |
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 | 9-LEVEL72" Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Pet Furniture
$0.99 |
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|  | Two Kitties Canvas Carry Bag
$8.00 |
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 | MANEKI NEKO - GOOD LUCK CAT Fat Cat in YELLOW
$9.99 |
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|  | CHEAP 16 MONTH SUPPLY OF FRONTLINE PLUS FOR CATS
$34.99 |
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 | PETMATE FRESH FLOW CAT DOG WATER FOUNTAIN IVORY WHITE
$29.49 |
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|  | ADVANTAGE CAT FLEA 5 MONTHS DOSES OVER 9 POUNDS
$17.50 |
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 | Cosequin for Cats
$17.95 |
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|  | PAW PRINTS KITTY QUILT BLACK N WHITE 27"X33"
$15.95 |
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 | Coupons - Nutro MAX CAT & Natural Choice Cat Food Cans
$1.29 |
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|  | bags on board cat litter scooper
$6.00 |
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 | YES! it's EPA - 8 Months of FRONTLINE for CATS -
$21.89 |
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|  | ADVANTAGE CAT FLEA 10 MONTHS DOSES UP TO 9 POUNDS
$17.50 |
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 | 6 WHOLESALE Wind Up Windup Fake Mouse Cat Dog Toy
$19.95 |
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|  | ADVANTAGE BOX FOR CATS UNDER 9 LBS 4 MONTH SUPPLY EPA 6
$33.99 |
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 | New 4' Black Leather Dog Leash - Brass Bones
$2.99 |
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|  | Cat From Hell Halloween Devil Costume
$12.95 |
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 | 8 MONTH KIT FRONTLINE PLUS FLEA CAT KITTEN GREEN 3 6 12
$19.93 |
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|  | ADVANTAGE CAT FLEA 10 MONTHS DOSES UP TO 9 POUNDS
$17.50 |
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 | FRONTLINE TOP SPOT flea med small dogs 0-22 lbs 6 dose
$19.99 |
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|  | CAT Dog PINK Gingham HARNESS/LEAD leash SET 8-14" Chest
$15.95 |
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 | Three Kitties Canvas Carry Bag
$12.95 |
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|  | Feline Greenies Variety Flavor 5 Pack
$3.29 |
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 | NEW Drinkwell BRAND Pet Fountain FILTERS 3PAC FREE SHIP
$7.87 |
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|  | GREAT 8 MONTH SUPPLY OF FRONTLINE PLUS FOR CATS
$16.50 |
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 | FRONTLINE PLUS flea control small dogs 0-22 lbs 12 mon
$36.75 |
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| 20 $1/6 Cans Of Fancy Feast Elegant Medleys Coupons
$0.99 |
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 | 74" Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Post Furniture F2040
$0.99 |
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|  | Puppy DOG Kitty CAT Spoiled GANZ Pet COLLAR Charm NEW
$5.99 |
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 | .137 PET SCRATCH TOWER - TIGER PRINT w. SAFE BOX SLEEP
$0.99 |
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|  | BRAND NEW Drinkwell Pet Fountain + 50oz RESERVOIR NIB
$41.89 |
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 | FRONTLINE PLUS FLEA CONTROL FOR CATS 8 MONTHLY DOSES
$18.99 |
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|  | CAT SAFETY REFLECTIVE COLLARS BY SPOT MY CAT
$8.99 |
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 | Advantage Topical Flea Treatment for cats
$18.50 |
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|  | 3 x PETMATE FRESH FLOW WATER FOUNTAIN FILTER FREE SHIP
$7.99 |
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 | 51" Cat Tree House Toy Bed Scratcher Post Furniture F51
$0.99 |
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|  | ~ 74" Deluxe Cat Scraching Tree Furniture House Posts ~
$0.99 |
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 | Fresh Step Scoop Litter Coupons $10 Saving - For Rescue
$0.99 |
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|  | NEW Drinkwell BRAND Pet Fountain FILTERS 3PAC FREE SHIP
$7.87 |
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 | ~82"@11 LEVEL~ Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Furniture
$0.99 |
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|  | CLICKER FUN KIT TRAINING FOR CATS BY KAREN PRYOR
$12.95 |
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 | BRAND NEW Drinkwell Pet Fountain + 50oz RESERVOIR NIB
$41.89 |
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|  | WEAZEL BALL TOY FOR DOGS CATS & WEASEL
$8.95 |
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 | MANEKI NEKO - GOOD LUCK CAT Fat Cat in YELLOW
$9.99 |
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|  | NEW LitterFree Litter Free Washable Granules Lot of 4
$0.99 |
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 | ADVANTAGE CAT FLEA 5 MONTHS DOSES OVER 9 POUNDS
$17.50 |
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|  | PETMATE FRESH FLOW DELUXE CAT WATER FOUNTAIN Free Ship
$36.99 |
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 | 55" Cat Tree Condo House Scratcher Pet Furniture bed-03
$59.99 |
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|  | 25 $1/1 Jerky Treats Dog Snacks coupons-SAVE $25-10/11
$0.99 |
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 | NEW PINK CAT DOG PAW PRINT PET BED FOR CATS OR DOGS
$10.41 |
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|  | (10) $5 SCIENCE DIET Nature's Best coupons exp 9/30/08
$0.99 |
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 | BRAND NEW Drinkwell Pet Fountain + 50oz RESERVOIR NIB
$41.89 |
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|  | Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Post Furniture F04
$9.99 |
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 | Comfort Zone Feliway Plug In Vial FOUR REFILLS New! Cat
$63.99 |
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|  | ADVANTAGE FLEA CONTROL CATS & KITTENS 0-10 LBS 10 DOSES
$17.99 |
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 | 64" Cat Tree House Toy Bed Scratcher Post Furniture F11
$0.99 |
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|  | NEW Safari Print Pet Bed for dog or cat
$37.30 |
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 | CATS Frontline Plus (6 mon.)~ NOTT a KIT
$24.99 |
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|  | CAT TOY. RUNAWAY RASCAL BY SMARTYKAT. REMOTE. NIB
$3.00 |
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 | Cat Tree House Toy Bed Scratcher Post Furniture F18
$0.99 |
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|  | Coupon - Free Purina One Kitten or Cat Food
$3.09 |
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 | CAT pet dog halloween costume BRAIDED HAIR WIG new!
$0.99 |
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|  | Cute Koala pet travel case/carrier -NEW
$16.99 |
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 | Kitten Canvas Carry Bag
$12.00 |
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|  | Four Paws Ultimate Touch Nail Trimmer Dogs Small Medium
$6.24 |
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 | K9 ADVANTIX FLEA KIT FOR SMALL DOGS 0-10 LBS 10 DOSES
$18.99 |
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|  | NEW Drinkwell BRAND Pet Fountain FILTERS 3PAC FREE SHIP
$7.87 |
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 | Cat Toys!
$1.04 |
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|  | ADVANTAGE IN BOX FOR CATS OVER 9 LBS 4 MONTH SUPPLY EPA
$35.99 |
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 | Slumber Pet THERMAL CAT MAT Bed Reflects Heat 22x18
$11.99 |
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|  | (20) FRISKIES PARTY MIX CAT TREAT PRODUCTS-2 FLAVORS
$4.99 |
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 | Coupon Lot - Save $10 on BLUE Natural Cat Food
$3.00 |
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|  | NEW Petsafe Simply Clean Automatic Cat Litter Box
$79.94 |
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 | FRONTLINE PLUS flea control small dogs 0-22 lbs 6 dose
$18.95 |
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|  | 49" Cat Tree House Toy Bed Scratcher Post Furniture F41
$0.99 |
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 | ADVANTAGE FLEA CONTROL KIT 10 doses SMALL DOGS 0-9 lbs
$18.95 |
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|  | 48" Cat Tree House Toy Bed Scratcher Post Furniture F09
$0.99 |
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 | 48" Cat Tree House Toy Bed Scratcher Post Furniture F43
$0.99 |
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|  | HUGE 8 MONTH SUPPLY OF FRONTLINE PLUS FOR CATS
$16.50 |
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