| 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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 | Matatabi powder in a handy bottle
$5.20 |
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|  | PINK 5 Head Dolphin Laser Pointer Cat Toy, Cats Charity
$4.00 |
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 | PART only:Soft Bed 4 Cat Condo,Tree,House,Pet Furniture
$9.99 |
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|  | 5 LBS Plastic Pellets Refill Granules For Cat Genie
$23.00 |
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 | 1/4" Sisal Rope 100' CAT SCRATCHING POST Bird Toys Toy
$5.24 |
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|  | Beige kitty pillow usable as "kicker"
$6.50 |
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 | Drinkwell Platinum Pet Fountain
$54.95 |
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|  | "GLOW IN THE DARK" CAT COLLAR
$5.50 |
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 | $18 Value - Iams ProActive Health Cat Food
$0.99 |
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|  | Water Bottle For Small Pets
$3.00 |
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 | Advantage for cats under 9lbs. (Orange)
$35.00 |
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|  | FRONTLINE PLUS 8 DOSE KITTEN CAT GREEN TICK FLEA 12 *
$17.97 |
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 | ADVANTAGE CATS DOGS 1 10 11 20 21 55 9 18 FLEA KITTEN E
$17.97 |
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|  | Japanese MANEKI NEKO - GOOD LUCK CAT Fat Cat in GOLD
$9.99 |
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 | 8 Months Frontline Plus for Cats FREE SHIPPING 3 6
$19.90 |
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|  | Petmate Deluxe Fresh Flow Pet Fountain JUMBO, White
$35.95 |
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 | SWAROVSKI BABY PINKS & PEARLS TIARA CHARM CAT COLLAR
$25.99 |
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|  | 6 plain colors adjust nylon cat collars wt a bell^
$15.75 |
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 | Hello Kitty Catnip Cat Toys 4" - Buy 1 Get 1 Free
$4.00 |
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|  | Frontline Plus for Cats 3 pack
$30.99 |
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 | PetSafe Deluxe In-Ground Cat Fence *NEW IN BOX*
$120.00 |
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|  | GENUINE BAYER ADVANTAGE® FLEA 6 DOSES CATS OVER 9 LBS
$27.95 |
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 | Water Bottle For Small Pets
$3.00 |
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|  | FLAMES ON BLACK Print Cat Collar Collars
$5.99 |
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 | NEW CAT KIT WITH COUPONS-MUST SEE!!!
$1.99 |
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|  | Brandnew 25" tan, beige suede Dog Training Leash 1/2"w
$4.99 |
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 | ODOR LOCKERS-Scented Clumping Cat Litter 3x10 lb Bags
$12.00 |
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|  | Water Bottle For Small Pets
$3.00 |
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 | Cat Scratcher Poles, hand made
$35.00 |
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|  | "KITTY FACE" Cat Kitten Pet Bowl Dish Food Feeder
$16.99 |
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 | KittyWalk Town & Country Cat Kennel
$179.99 |
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|  | FRONTLINE PLUS CAT DOG KITTEN PUPPY MEDIUM FLEA TICK S
$18.97 |
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 | 6 REPLACEMENT FILTERS HAGEN CATIT DRINKING FOUNTAIN
$9.49 |
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|  | NEW IDEAL MEDIUM PET,DOG,DOGGIE DOOR FLAP, 7" X 11 1/4"
$14.99 |
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 | Large Square Cat Bean bag Bed Cats Just Love These!
$14.99 |
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|  | OVERSIZED LARGE Multi Cat BIG Litter Box BIG Cat Pan
$16.99 |
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 | CAT DOG Clothes PINK Camoflauge Tee Shirt !! Large
$10.99 |
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|  | Multivet SSSCAT Cat deterrent spray training aid - NEW!
$26.95 |
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 | 200 LINERS - LITTERMAID LITTERBOX WASTE RECEPTACLES
$11.00 |
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|  | Brandnew 21" moss green suede Dog Training Leash 3/4"w
$4.99 |
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 | SCOOPWELL Electric Litter Box Scoop for Littermaid
$9.50 |
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|  | Red, White and Blue Beaded Jewelry Box
$15.00 |
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 | CAT Tunnel,40",Pet Toy,Noisy, Soft, for use with condo
$15.00 |
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|  | 3 x PETMATE FRESH FLOW WATER FOUNTAIN FILTERS FILTER
$2.24 |
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 | Kitty House
$22.00 |
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|  | BLUE WEIGHTED CAT TOY W BELL IN BALL,FEATHER TOP
$0.99 |
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 | The Cat Dancer Complete Action Cat Toy - BEST TOY EVER!
$3.55 |
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|  | SCIENCE DIET PUPPY/ADULT CAT FOOD LOT
$3.99 |
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 | Japanese MANEKI NEKO - GOOD LUCK CAT Fat Cat in GOLD
$9.99 |
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|  | The Original Cat Dancer - BEST TOY EVER for CATS!!!
$3.55 |
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 | 8 Day Plus Automatic Pet Feeder for cat
$27.00 |
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|  | MANEKI NEKO - GOOD LUCK CAT Fat Cat in WHITE
$9.99 |
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 | Custom Cat Condo Tree Sisal Scratcher Single Post w/Bed
$109.99 |
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|  | Red Lobster Claw Catnip Cat Toys 5" - Buy 1 Get 1 Free
$4.00 |
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 | FRONTLINE PLUS KIT flea tick 4 cat kitten 8 month 6
$16.87 |
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|  | HAGEN CATIT FRESH & CLEAR AUTOMATIC DRINKING FOUNTAIN
$22.50 |
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 | cat bowl
$12.87 |
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|  | Frontline Plus *CAT* 3 MONTHS! EPA!! NIB!!
$25.99 |
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 | Drinkwell Pet Fountain 50 oz Accessory Kit With Brushes
$25.95 |
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|  | New Catnip Camo Toys! Pink Mice & Ball+++Free Ship!
$1.00 |
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 | CAT PALM TREE- SCRATCHING POST COLORFUL CAT TREE**COOL*
$49.99 |
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|  | Outdoor Feline Funhouse -Portable Outdoor Cat Enclosure
$69.95 |
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 | MANEKI NEKO - GOOD LUCK CAT Fat Cat in WHITE
$9.99 |
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|  | 16 month FRONTLINE PLUS KIT flea tick 4 cat green 6 8
$32.97 |
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 | SmartCat Peek-A-Prize Toy Box - Cat Toy
$19.95 |
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|  | LitterMaid Cat Privacy Tent Pet Litter Maid Box
$23.97 |
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 | Cat Collar - Bones and Bows
$5.75 |
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|  | Matatabi sticks
$5.60 |
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 | How To INSTRUCTIONS for DIY'S Dog Rhinestone Cat Collar
$5.99 |
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|  | MANEKI NEKO - GOOD LUCK CAT Fat Cat in RED
$9.99 |
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 | CLEVER CAT TRICK KIT KITTY BEHAVIOR TRAINING
$0.99 |
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|  | Stars and Stripes Print Cat Collar Collars
$5.99 |
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 | Bear Catnip Cat Toys 5" - Buy 1 Get 1 Free
$4.50 |
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|  | SOCCER BALLS ON BLACK Print Cat Collar Collars
$5.99 |
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 | Red light lazer keychain laser pointer 5 head C NEW
$0.01 |
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|  | Ba-Da-Beam Automatic Rotating Laser Cat Toy 4 Dogs too!
$13.85 |
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 | Brandnew - 20" black Leather Dog Training, Show Leash
$4.99 |
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|  | SmartCat Kitty Cat Corner Litter Box - Gray
$11.95 |
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 | DRINKWELL PLATINUM PET FOUNTAIN FILTERS 12 PACK *NEW*
$27.60 |
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|  | MANEKI NEKO - GOOD LUCK CAT Fat Cat in RED
$9.99 |
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 | RUFF & READY PET CARRIER-BLACK
$18.00 |
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|  | Brandnew 4' black suede leash with purple Swarovskis
$4.99 |
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 | Purina Pro Plan Kitten
$0.99 |
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|  | Brand new make-a-fish catnip toy makes 2 toys
$0.99 |
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 | New Snap Away Nylon Cat Collar (Fits 6"-11") Reflective
$0.99 |
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|  | Custom Cat or Dog Bed w/Pets Name Embroidered!Free Ship
$49.99 |
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 | HAGEN CAT IT DRINKING FOUNTAIN REPLACEMENT FILTERS 6 PK
$9.29 |
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|  | Customize Your Own Stainless Steel & Enamel Pet ID Tag
$11.00 |
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 | New CLS design! 2 sizes KITTEN & SMALL Soft Claws Paws
$17.99 |
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