| 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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 | Set of 5 Cat Ball Toys, New
$6.99 |
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|  | "Cats Rule"! car ribbon magnet QUALITY
$4.99 |
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 | ADVANTAGE FLEA CONTROL CATS OVER 9 lbs 5 MONTH SUPPLY 6
$17.99 |
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|  | 2DAY Petmate 24960 Deluxe Fresh Flow 50oz Fountain
$9.99 |
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 | New Deluxe Beige 52" Cat Tree Condo Scratcher 5067
$48.88 |
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|  | Leopard Print Cat Toy with Catnip Scent, New
$4.99 |
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 | Teaser Fleece Wand With Acrylic Rod Cat Toy
$2.21 |
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| 4 coupons - Fancy Feast Elegant Medleys
$0.79 |
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 | Ceramic Pet Food Bowl ~ Southwestern Style
$9.50 |
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|  | CAT CHRISTMAS Tapestry Christmas Stocking
$22.99 |
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 | Let Meow't Window Mounted Cat Patio
$75.00 |
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|  | Pet Carrier, Pet Tote, Handbag, Stroller, Dog, Cat
$59.99 |
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 | Pet kitty cat 28g premium quality organic Catnip
$5.99 |
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|  | LITTERMAID ELITE AUTO LITTER BOX
$16.00 |
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 | STAYWELL INFRA RED CAT COLLAR KEY PACK NEW NR L@@K
$0.99 |
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|  | Pet kitty cat 42g premium quality organic Catnip
$9.99 |
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 | Cat Playpen Cage Midwest Model 130 With FREE BED !
$99.99 |
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|  | Cat Toy lot 6 Plastic Rattle Balls /Pet toy,brand new
$0.89 |
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 | Staywell 500 Series InfraRed Collar for Cat Door Blue
$2.50 |
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|  | Adorable cat lover photo frame. MUST SEE!!
$9.99 |
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 | Cotton Catnip Pillow Filled W/The Finest Catnip
$1.68 |
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|  | Frontline Plus for Cats Flea & Tick Treatment NR
$0.99 |
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 | Pickens TABBY CAT Tapestry Christmas Stocking
$22.99 |
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|  | DRINKWELL PLATINUM FOUNTAIN AQUA GARDEN + SEED PODS
$15.99 |
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 | 8 Months Frontline Plus for Cats FREE SHIPPING 3 6
$19.90 |
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|  | "i Love my Cat"! car ribbon magnet QUALITY
$4.99 |
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 | Atomic Bouncing Ball 2 Pack
$2.00 |
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|  | Multivet SSSCAT Cat deterrent spray training aid SEALED
$24.95 |
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 | PETSAFE CAT FLAP NEW IN PLASTIC COMPLETE
$4.99 |
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|  | PVC Pet Bed Royal Blue Hammock Cat Dog Ferret Gift
$15.50 |
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 | Weazel Ball Motorized Appears Alive Cat Dog Toy Weasel
$5.49 |
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|  | ORGANIC CATNIP CAT TOY HANDMADE BENEFITS ANIMAL RESCUE
$2.65 |
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 | Whimsical Cat Motif Wall Mount Key Hook Holder -Brass-
$8.25 |
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|  | Cat Toy Rattle Balls W/Catnip/Pet toy,brand new,in pack
$0.01 |
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 | Saltwater Aquarium Video DVD - Relaxation Great 4 cats
$9.99 |
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|  | Catmeister Cat Toy
$2.21 |
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 | Simple Solution Grooming Glove For Pets
$2.42 |
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|  | Advanced Large Capacity Feline Cat Drinking Fountain
$9.99 |
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 | DRINKWELL ORIGINAL PET FOUNTAIN FILTERS 3 PACK NEW
$7.99 |
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|  | ORGANIC BARLEY SEEDS - CAT GRASS - FREE SHIPPING
$3.00 |
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 | * New Fat Cat Crackler Kitty Toy Organic Cat Nip
$4.99 |
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|  | 10 B4GO FRISKIES SELECTS INDOOR COUPONS
$1.00 |
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 | 2 Bottles Welactin Feline 125 ml (exp 04/2010)
$19.95 |
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|  | DRINKWELL ORIGINAL PET FOUNTAIN WATER DISH KIT
$67.75 |
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 | Cat Scratching Post or Block
$0.99 |
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|  | Jet-Set Cat Kitty Pet Travel Blanket Sleepover Bag Blue
$24.99 |
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 | Whimsical Cat Motif Wall Mount Key Hook Holder -Brass-
$8.25 |
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|  | Colorful Springs Thin 10 Pack
$1.79 |
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 | 3 ORGANIC CATNIP KNOTS CAT TOY BENEFITS ANIMAL RESCUE
$3.50 |
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|  | MEDIUM PINK DOG Soft Claws Paws Nail Caps 100% CHARITY
$6.99 |
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 | Paw Print "I Love my Beagle!" car magnet QUALITY
$4.99 |
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|  | NEW ** Super Cute CAT ** Italian Links Watch - 14688767
$0.99 |
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 | Iams ProActive Health Adult Cat Food Coupons (6x$ 4.00)
$0.99 |
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|  | 3 HOLIDAY STUFFED CAT TOYS BENEFITS ANIMAL RESCUE
$2.75 |
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 | Original CatMouse LitterBox Odor Eliminator-Closeout
$19.95 |
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| Two Cat houses together
$10.00 |
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 | LED Leather w/Rhinstones 7.5" to 8.5"L x 1/2"W X-Small
$7.99 |
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|  | Cat Wormer - Gets ALL Worms dewormer - 10 tabs box
$12.00 |
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 | CAT KITTEN FOOD WATER BOWL PET CHAMPION FISH MEOW FACE
$4.99 |
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|  | Lot of 2 lazer laser pointer 5 head NEW C LOW S+H
$0.99 |
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 | Zodiac FleaTrol Cat & Kitten Spot On 3 month supply
$3.00 |
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|  | Cat Sisal Scratch Me 19.5"/pet toy tree with catnip bag
$9.99 |
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 | ADVANTAGE FLEA CATS UNDER 9 lbs 10 MONTH SUPPLY 1 4 6 8
$17.99 |
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|  | PETMATE FRESH FLOW, PET FOUNTAIN
$7.00 |
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 | Frontline, 3 month supply
$9.99 |
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|  | GANZ BELLA CASA CAT PLATE 11 X 8 NEW
$9.99 |
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 | ORGANIC BARLEY SEEDS - CAT GRASS - FREE SHIPPING
$3.00 |
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|  | Cat Litter Box Cover Or Pet Hideaway Wicker Rattan 1805
$49.99 |
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 | Organic Catnip in HP Jar, Witch, Wicca, Cat Magic
$5.99 |
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|  | "I Love my Siamese Cat"! car ribbon magnet QUALITY
$4.99 |
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 | WICKER 2 TIERED CAT BASKET WITH WASHABLE PILLOW COVERS
$4.99 |
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|  | Pet kitty cat 14g premium quality organic Catnip
$4.69 |
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 | Burlap Mouse w/ Catnip - 3 Pack
$2.52 |
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|  | NWOT T-shirt or Tank With Rhinestone Cat Face Motif
$23.95 |
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 | Littermaid Elite Mega LME9000MB Ultimate Edition-Black
$134.95 |
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|  | Cat & Dog Pet Carrier New Nylon Folds Flat Airplane
$6.50 |
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 | Cat Toy lot 6 Colorful Stretchy Balls/Pet toy,brand new
$0.89 |
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|  | Raised Cat Food Dish Water Bowl WDB6-T Blue
$40.00 |
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 | CAT LOVER WALL SWITCH PLATE 100% BENEFITS ANIMAL RESCUE
$2.50 |
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|  | Cat Litter Scooper & Built-in Biodegradeable Waste Bags
$6.50 |
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 | LED Flashing Adjustable Cat & Dog Collar & Bell X-Small
$7.99 |
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|  | ADVANTAGE FOR CATS 4 6 12 KIT 10 - 18 lbs = 5 MONTHS
$18.97 |
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 | "I Love my Cat"! car ribbon magnet QUALITY
$4.99 |
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|  | MASON CASH CAT DISH~TWO LOVELY FELINES~FROM ENGLAND
$4.99 |
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 | "Proud owner of an Adopted Cat! car ribbon magnet QuAL
$4.99 |
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|  | ADVANTAGE CAT KITTEN flea KIT 9 lbs **20** MONTHS
$32.97 |
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 | Staywell 500 Series InfraRed Collar for Cat Door Pink
$2.50 |
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|  | TERRIFIC FRESH PET AREA DEODORIZER/AIR PURIFIER - NIB
$9.99 |
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 | Iams Healthy Naturals Cat Food Coupons (6x$ 4.00)
$0.99 |
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|  | STAYWELL INFRA RED CAT COLLAR KEY PACK NEW NR L@@K
$0.99 |
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 | Kittywalk Deck &Patio Pet Cat Enclosure Portable System
$49.99 |
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|  | 30" SISAL SISAL CAT SCRATCHING POST COFFEE
$42.99 |
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 | *** Killer Bud *** Catnip Kitty Drugs - The Catnip King
$4.99 |
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|  | Cat Playpen Cage Midwest Model 130 With FREE BED !
$109.99 |
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 | Shed Ender Shedender 4 Pet Dog Cat Brush As Seen on TV
$3.99 |
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|  | 2 Bio Spot On for Cats & Kittens - Under 5lbs Fleas
$12.99 |
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 | "I Love my Calico Cat"! car ribbon magnet QUALITY
$4.99 |
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|  | Littermaid Elite Mega LME9000MB Ultimate Edition-Black
$134.95 |
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 | fur mice cat toy LONG HAIR- pack of 50
$9.99 |
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|  | NEW ** Super Cute CAT ** Italian Links Watch - 14688766
$0.99 |
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