| 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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 | 10 doses ADVANTAGE FLEA CONTROL KIT cats 10 lbs up
$36.75 |
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|  | ADVANTAGE CAT FLEA 10 MONTHS DOSES UP TO 9 POUNDS
$17.50 |
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 | 16 FANCY FEAST ELEGANT MEDLEYS CANNED FOOD COUPONS $1/6
$0.99 |
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|  | CAT SAFETY REFLECTIVE COLLARS BY SPOT MY CAT
$8.99 |
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 | BIG! cat toy lot $50.00 value! MUST SEE!! all new!
$12.99 |
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|  | 5 Knitted Sparkle Balls - Cat Toys
$3.76 |
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 | .137 PET SCRATCH TOWER - TIGER PRINT w. SAFE BOX SLEEP
$0.99 |
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|  | Cat Tree House Toy Condo Scratcher Post Furniture FC04
$15.99 |
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 | ADVANTAGE FLEA CONTROL KIT 10 doses SMALL DOGS 0-9 lbs
$18.95 |
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|  | Bug Jar Cat Toy
$2.99 |
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 | PAW PRINTS KITTY QUILT BLACK N WHITE 27"X33"
$15.95 |
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|  | ADVANTAGE CAT FLEA 10 MONTHS DOSES UP TO 9 POUNDS
$17.50 |
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 | Raised Cat or Dog Wet Food Pottery Dish Bowl CD6-S
$29.00 |
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|  | Cat Dog Pet Carrier Crate Travel Tote Black
$5.99 |
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 | Armarkat Cat Tree Pet Furniture Condo Scratcher #A7401
$0.99 |
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|  | Drinkwell Platinum Fountain + Brush + 4 Filters NEW
$69.99 |
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 | 2 $4.00 off Purina Dog Or Cat food coupons
$2.47 |
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|  | RING SLING PUPPY POUCH PET CARRIER DESERT CAMO $10.99
$10.99 |
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 | Drinkwell Platinum Pet Fountain - New - Pet Water Dish
$51.95 |
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|  | 10 I LOVE MY FRISKIES CAT FOOD DISHES NEW NEVER USED
$1.99 |
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 | Armarkat Cat Tree Pet Furniture Condo Scratcher #B7701
$0.99 |
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|  | NWT - PET CARRIER FOR CAT OR DOG -W@W
$9.99 |
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 | 8 Months ofEPA FRONTLINE Plus for CATS - fAST Shpg
$21.89 |
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|  | Comfort Zone w Feliway Refill Bottles (3) EX 06/11 NEW
$39.01 |
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 | MiracleBeam Laser Pet Toy PETSMART RED Cat Dog Birds
$0.99 |
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|  | MANEKI NEKO - GOOD LUCK CAT Fat Cat in YELLOW
$9.99 |
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 | Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Post Furniture F04
$9.99 |
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|  | ADVANTAGE FLEA CONTROL CATS & KITTENS 0-10 LBS 10 DOSES
$17.99 |
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 | 36" Cat Tree Condo House Scratcher Pet Furniture Kitty
$19.95 |
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|  | Cat Tree House Toy Condo Scratcher Post Furniture F21
$9.99 |
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 | ADVANTAGE FLEA CONTROL KIT 10 doses SMALL DOGS 0-9 lbs
$18.95 |
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|  | 50 Peacock Feathers - Cat Toys Kitten Scratcher Pet Toy
$24.85 |
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 | COMFORT ZONE SPRAY W/FELIWAY ( 2 ) LOT 75ML NIP CAT
$23.50 |
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|  | ADVANTAGE FLEA KIT FOR SMALL DOGS 10-20 LBS 4 DOSES
$17.99 |
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 | 42" Cat Tree Condo House Scratcher Pet Furniture Kitty
$24.95 |
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|  | Hip CAT COLLAR Halloween Spiders Webs ADJUSTABLE 7-11"
$5.95 |
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 | Cat Hole - Interior Cat Door - Hide the litter box!
$39.99 |
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|  | Littermaid Mega LM900 Automatic Litter Box FREE SHIP
$129.89 |
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 | 8 MONTH FRONTLINE PLUS FLEA CAT KITTEN GREEN 3 6 12 KIT
$19.93 |
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| 15 1.00 Coupons on (6) cans of FANCY FEAST MEDLEYS11/30
$1.25 |
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 | Litter Robot LRII Automatic Self-Cleaning Litter Box
$212.50 |
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|  | PETMATE FRESH FLOW LARGE CAT WATER FOUNTAIN 108 oz NEW
$32.49 |
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 | 65" Cat Tree House Toy Bed Scratcher Post Furniture F45
$0.99 |
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|  | Cat Tree House Toy Bed Scratcher Post Furniture F18
$0.99 |
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 | Great Two Story Cat Condo/Playhouse Exc. Condition
$15.99 |
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|  | 42" Cat Tree Condo House Scratcher Pet Furniture bed-07
$39.99 |
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 | ADVANTAGE CAT FLEA 5 MONTHS DOSES OVER 9 POUNDS
$17.50 |
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|  | 69" Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Post Furniture T42
$9.99 |
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 | 8 Months ofEPA FRONTLINE Plus for CATS - fAST Shpg
$21.89 |
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|  | Coupon For $5.00 Off IAMS Healthy Naturals Cat Food
$1.50 |
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 | Ceramic CAT Pet Food Water Feeding dishes BOWLS freetoy
$6.99 |
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|  | 15 GOODLIFE RECIPE TREATS FOR CATS COUPONS
$1.30 |
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Lot of (15) Cat Food Coupons....
$0.99 |
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|  | Cat Tree House Toy Bed Scratcher Post Furniture F14
$0.99 |
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 | Ticks and Fleas Spray for Dogs&Cats - 500 ml. Cheapest
$35.99 |
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|  | Lot of 2 lazer laser pointer 5 head NEW C LOW S+H
$0.99 |
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 | MANEKI NEKO - GOOD LUCK CAT Fat Cat in YELLOW
$9.99 |
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|  | Raised Cat Small Dog Wet Food Pottery Dish Bowl CD6-T
$38.50 |
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 | BARGAIN 8 MONTH SUPPLY OF FRONTLINE PLUS FOR CATS
$16.50 |
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|  | Cat Tree Toy Bed House Scratcher Post Furniture F12
$0.99 |
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 | Armarkat Cat Tree Pet Furniture Condo Scratcher #B5301
$0.99 |
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|  | 17 Natures Best $5.00 dry cat or dog coupons 11/30/08
$0.99 |
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 | NEW Large Brown Rattan-Wicker Cat Litter Box Cover
$56.85 |
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|  | Four Paws Ultimate Touch Nail Trimmer Dogs Small Medium
$6.24 |
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 | Coupon $3.00 off any IAMS Dry Cat Food + Bonus Coupon
$1.00 |
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|  | 8 MONTH FRONTLINE PLUS KIT FLEA CAT KITTEN GREEN 3 6 12
$19.93 |
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 | 94" Cat Tree Condo House Scratcher Pet Furniture bed-09
$109.99 |
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|  | Armarkat Cat Tree Pet Furniture Condo Scratcher #B3803
$0.99 |
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 | Frontline Plus Cats (6 mon.) ~NOTa KIT
$24.99 |
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|  | ADVANTAGE CAT FLEA 10 MONTHS DOSES UP TO 9 POUNDS
$17.50 |
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 | ADVANTAGE CAT FLEA 5 MONTHS DOSES OVER 9 POUNDS
$17.50 |
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|  | NEW Jumbo Natural Rattan-Wicker Cat Litter Box Cover
$73.85 |
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 | *SOFT CLAWS NAIL CAPS SMALL FOR CATS-KITTENS 6-9 LBS***
$8.50 |
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|  | Booda Dome Clean Step Litter Box in Titanium
$14.46 |
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 | ADVANTAGE FLEA CONTROL KIT 10 doses SMALL DOGS 0-9 lbs
$18.95 |
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|  | NEW Littermaid ELITE Mega LME9250 Automatic Litterbox
$149.89 |
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 | BRAND NEW PET SAFE CAT DOG DOOR LOCKABLE FLAP 12lbs
$15.99 |
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|  | COMFORT ZONE REFILL W/FELIWAY FOR CATS LOT 3 NIP
$30.01 |
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 | Flame Catnip Pad
$5.00 |
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|  | FRONTLINE Top Spot for CATS - EPA Appoved
$14.59 |
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 | CHEAP 16 MONTH SUPPLY OF FRONTLINE PLUS FOR CATS
$34.99 |
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|  | HUGE 8 MONTH SUPPLY OF FRONTLINE PLUS FOR CATS
$16.50 |
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 | Drinkwell Platinum Fountain +Garden+Brush+10 Filter+Mat
$94.99 |
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|  | Frontline Plus Cats 6 "FREE USA SHIPPING* 3 12 TOO!
$32.95 |
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 | FRONTLINE TOP SPOT flea med small dogs 0-22 lbs 6 dose
$19.99 |
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|  | Hip CAT COLLAR Teal Camouflage CAMO ADJUSTABLE 7-11"
$5.95 |
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 | Kitty Condo Tree
$90.00 |
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|  | 48" Cat Tree House Toy Bed Scratcher Post Furniture F43
$0.99 |
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 | 72" Cat Tree House Scratcher Post Furniture F2041-Beige
$0.99 |
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|  | 20" Cat Tree Condo House Scratcher Pet Furniture bed-10
$25.99 |
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 | Good Pet Stuff Hidden Cat Litter Box NEW 2DAYSHIP NIB
$64.90 |
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|  | NEW Petsafe Simply Clean Automatic Cat Litter Box
$79.94 |
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 | RING SLING PUPPY POUCH PET CARRIER BLACK W/DOTS+$10.99
$10.99 |
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|  | FRONTLINE TOP SPOT flea med small dogs 0-22 lbs 6 dose
$19.99 |
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 | K9 ADVANTIX FLEA KIT FOR DOGS 11-20 LBS 4 DOSES
$18.99 |
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|  | ADVANTAGE CAT FLEA 5 MONTHS DOSES OVER 9 POUNDS
$17.50 |
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 | Cat Tree House Toy Bed Condo Post Furniture F21
$0.99 |
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|  | CATS BY RACHAELHALE 16 MONTH 2009 CALENDAR-BRAND NEW
$0.99 |
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 | GREAT 8 MONTH SUPPLY OF FRONTLINE PLUS FOR CATS
$16.50 |
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