| 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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 | Omega Paw Roll Away Self Cleaning Litter Box - Large
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|  | LitterMaid Large Cat Self-Cleaning Litter Box Kitty New
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 | Pet Wear Adjustable Red Nylon Cat Safety Harness - NEW
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 | Natural Holistic grain Free Beef/Salmon Cat Food 3 lbs
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|  | Calming Cat Mat with Microwaveable Buckwheat Insert
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 | BOODA 3-PLY JUMBO Clean Step Litter Box Liners 17-PACK
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|  | FRONTLINE PLUS FOR CATS FLEA/TICK KIT 8 DOSES
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 | 9 inch YELLOW Cat Safety Collar Bell & Faux Pearls
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 | PET KITTY CAT CHRISTMAS STOCKING POCKET FOR PICTURE NEW
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|  | CAT TOYS/CAT TUNNEL FOR PLAYING & LOUNGING
$9.99 |
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 | FLEA COLLAR Hartz 2in1 Advanced Care for KITTENS
$4.50 |
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|  | LitterMaid LM700 Self-Cleaning Automatic Litter Box NEW
$90.00 |
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 | 3 Small Plaid Collar - 3 colors - New
$0.99 |
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|  | SAVVY TABBY TINY TWEETERS-CATNIP TOY-CAT TOYS-PET
$3.29 |
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 | SoftpaW brand Claw Covers Cat Scratching Furniture?
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|  | RAISED CAT BOWL / CAT DISH / FEEDER 15" HIGH HANDMADE
$24.99 |
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 | Let Meow't Easy Mount Window Cat Door 72475
$44.99 |
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|  | Whimsical Cat Motif Wall Mount Key Hook Holder -Brass-
$8.25 |
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 | Custom SANTA CLAUS/HOLIDAY DOG/CAT/PET BOWL/DISH
$15.00 |
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 | ADVANTAGE DOG/CAT KIT 4,5 AND 10 MONTH SUPPLLY EPA USA
$16.85 |
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|  | Simple Solution Grooming Glove For Pets
$2.42 |
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 | New CLS design! CAT Large 14+ lb BLUE Soft Claws Paws
$17.98 |
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|  | Comfort Zone CAT refill Feliway by Farnam
$16.50 |
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 | Cat Lovers T-Shirt size M
$5.00 |
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|  | Brown & Pink Polka Dot Pet Carrier Cats or Dogs NWT
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 | Omega Paw Self Cleaning Litter Box - Large with Mat
$39.99 |
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|  | SmartCat Peek-N-Play Toy Box - Cat Toy
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 | Omega Paw Deluxe Window Perch Seat For Kitty Cats
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|  | NEW Omega Paw Self Cleaning Cat Kitty Litter Box NIB
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 | Cat Lovers T-Shirt size L
$5.00 |
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|  | PERSONALIZED FLEECE KITTY BLANKET
$14.00 |
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 | Cat Lovers T-Shirt size XL
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|  | ORGANIC GRAIN GRASS SEEDS - FREE SHIPPING
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 | SmartCat Bootie's Combination Scratcher-Scratching Post
$19.95 |
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| ScoopFree HP1 purple NEW! Scoop-Free Scoop Free
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 | FRONTLINE PLUS FLEA/TICK KIT FOR CATS 8 DOSES (6,12)
$17.95 |
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|  | *** Killer Bud *** Catnip Kitty Drugs - The Catnip King
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 | FLAMES ON BLACK Print Cat Collar Collars
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|  | PURR PET CAT ACTIVITY MAT FOR CATS & ferret -PET
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 | Deluxe Kitty Nest w/Fleece Sides Cat/Dog Bed -Assorted
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 | Whimsical Cat Motif Wall Mount Key Hook Holder -Brass-
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|  | Omega Paw Self Cleaning Kitty Cat Litter Box - Lrg /mat
$37.95 |
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 | BRIGHT SQUIGGLE STRIPES Print Cat Collar Collars
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|  | Catmeister Cat Toy
$2.21 |
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 | CAT PET DOG URINE ODOR ELIMINATOR REMOVER
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|  | New CLS design! CAT Large 14+ lb CLEAR Soft Claws Paws
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 | Soft Claws Nail Caps for Cats
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 | CAT PET DOG URINE ODOR ELIMINATOR REMOVER
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|  | 2 ADORABLE CERAMIC CAT DISHES IN EXCELLENT CONDITION
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