| 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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|  | NEW PINK CAT DOG PAW PRINT PET BED FOR CATS OR DOGS
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|  | Armarkat Cat Tree Pet Furniture Condo Scratcher #B6605
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 | 5 - Coupons for bag of Yesterday's News - 34.95 Value!!
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|  | Cheese Mountain Electronic Motion Activated Cat Toy N
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 | Cat Scratching Post 17.5 "/pet toy furniture condo tree
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|  | Whimsical Cat Motif Wall Mount Key Hook Holder -Brass-
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 | Hip CAT COLLAR Pittsburgh Steelers NFL ADJUSTS 7-11"
$5.95 |
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|  | DRIVE SLOW, ONE ATTACK CAT AT PLAY
$9.00 |
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 | 55" Cat Tree Condo House Scratcher Pet Furniture bed-3B
$59.99 |
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|  | SHERPA PET Medium Size Animal Dog Cat Carrier Black 18"
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 | Armarkat Cat Tree Pet Furniture Condo Scratcher #A8001
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|  | Armarkat Cat Tree Pet Furniture Condo Scratcher #A8001
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 | ZODIAC SPOT ON flea&tick CONTROL 8mo 2 box medicine SM
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|  | Cosmic Stars Print Cat Collar Collars
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 | 100"-112" ADJ CAT TREE FURNITURE CONDO HOUSE SCRACHING
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|  | ADVANTAGE CAT FLEA 10 MONTHS DOSES UP TO 9 POUNDS
$21.00 |
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 | flea control small dogs 0-22 lbs 6 dose FRONTLINE PLUS
$17.95 |
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|  | Black "Judi" Dog Cat Pet Paw Print Shoulder Purse NWT
$12.95 |
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 | Petmat Cat Water Fountain Black & Stainless 314869
$17.99 |
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|  | Set Plastic cat/small dog collars with bell--6 pcs!
$16.74 |
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 | Replacement Fleece Bench Covers Cat Ferret General Cage
$0.99 |
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|  | Advanced Large Capacity Feline Cat Drinking Fountain
$26.01 |
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 | Rhinestone Cat Safety Collar, Brand New
$9.75 |
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|  | NIP - Nature's Miracle Kitten & Cat Care Starter Kit
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 | TradeWinds Tape Worm Tabs Cat 3 Tablets 23mg NIP
$13.00 |
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|  | A - DOOR - ABLE MOUSE ACTION TOY
$9.99 |
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 | Cat Tunnel - 51" Long - NEW! ~ SAVE GAS & TIME!
$18.00 |
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|  | StainlessSteel NON~SKID Pet Feeding Dish~Free Shipping*
$9.88 |
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 | New PF10 Large Automatic Pet Digital Feeder Dog Cat
$25.99 |
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|  | cat litter box furniture cabinet cover bathroom odor
$135.00 |
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 | 8 MONTH FRONTLINE PLUS FLEA CAT KITTEN GREEN 3 6 12 KIT
$19.93 |
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|  | FRONTLINE PLUS FLEA & TICK med ~*~ CATS 8 dose supply
$17.95 |
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 | Princess Halloween Costume Apparel Cat L, Dog S / M
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|  | Bio Spot Spot On 6 Month Supply 5 + lbs for Cats NIP
$17.00 |
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 | Cat toy 30 Furry Mice+++2Wobbly & roll Mice, Brand New
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|  | Armarkat Cat Tree Pet Furniture Condo Scratcher #B5301
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 | NEW LITTERMAID ELITE MEGA LME9250 Automatic Litter Box
$100.00 |
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|  | 8 Months Frontline Plus For Cats, EPA Approved # 3,6,12
$18.99 |
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 | New in Box Cat Scratch Post House Furniture Wood Sisal
$24.99 |
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|  | ADVANTAGE CAT FLEA 10 MONTHS DOSES UP TO 9 POUNDS
$21.00 |
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 | Wholesale 4 laser pointer 5 head lazer NEW C Low S+H
$3.57 |
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|  | Nutri-Cal For Cats Medium Energy Supplement
$2.99 |
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 | Petmate Litter RoundUp One Touch + Dome Cover + Ramp
$99.99 |
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|  | FRONTLINE PLUS FOR CATS - SINGLE DOSE
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 | PVC Pet Bed Yellow Hammock Cat Dog Ferret Gift
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|  | 11x11x7 Painted Wood Cat Storage Box with Handles
$0.99 |
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 | PET VACUUM-Catch the hair BEFORE it falls!
$9.95 |
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|  | NEW K&H THERMO HEATED KITTY NEST CAT BED PAD
$39.93 |
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 | 8 MONTH FRONTLINE PLUS KIT FLEA CAT KITTEN GREEN 3 6 12
$19.93 |
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|  | CAT/DOG BED
$4.95 |
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 | Evolve Natural Chicken Cat Food Case of 24 3oz Cans
$11.26 |
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|  | Littermaid Plus Litter Box System Automatic LM700
$27.00 |
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 | Pet Supplies Grooming Hamilton CAT MUZZLE HP MUGZ *MED
$4.99 |
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|  | Rhinestone Cat Safety Collar, Brand New, Purple
$9.75 |
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 | Hartz Flea and Tick Drops for Cats
$0.99 |
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|  | HARTZ ULTRA GUARD PRO FOR CATS********
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 | cats FLEA & TICK med 8 month supply ~*~FRONTLINE PLUS
$17.95 |
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|  | ADVANTAGE CAT FLEA 5 MONTHS DOSES OVER 9 POUNDS
$21.00 |
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 | Armarkat Cat Tree Pet Furniture Condo Scratcher #B6203
$0.99 |
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|  | Cat Toy lot 30 Crystal Rattle Balls /Pet toy,brand new
$9.99 |
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1-COUPON SAVE $10 ON PURINA BREEZE LITTER SYSTEM
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|  | NEW Cat Genie Self Cleaning Washing Litter Box! w/ DOME
$299.95 |
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 | Greenies Cat Treats ( 2 packs)
$4.99 |
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|  | Armarkat Cat Tree Pet Furniture Condo Scratcher #B6802
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 | FRONTLINE CAT PLUS (ALL SIZES) 3PK
$59.99 |
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|  | Armarkat Cat Tree Pet Furniture Condo Scratcher #B5301
$0.99 |
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 | ADVANTAGE CAT FLEA 5 MONTHS DOSES OVER 9 POUNDS
$21.00 |
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|  | YOUR CATS PHOTO ON 120 CUSTOM RETURN ADDRESS LABELS
$5.25 |
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 | Armarkat Cat Tree Pet Furniture Condo Scratcher #B7701
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|  | DISCOUNT 16 MONTH SUPPLY OF FRONTLINE PLUS FOR CATS
$38.00 |
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 | PETMATE FRESH AND CLEAR DRINKING FOUNTAIN CATS DOGS MED
$19.99 |
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|  | N2N Cat Carrier Pet Cage Small Animals Cats/ Dogs
$3.25 |
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 | Cat Scratching Post 27.5 "/pet toy furniture condo tree
$9.99 |
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|  | FRONTLINE PLUS flea tick control dog 23-44 lbs 6 dose
$34.95 |
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 | Cat Litter Box Cover Or Pet Hideaway Wicker Rattan 1805
$49.99 |
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|  | Petmate Hybrid Black Stainless Cat Dog Water Fountain
$29.99 |
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 | CAT LOT 20 TOYS, REMOTE Ctrl MOUSE, GREENIES, Scratcher
$19.07 |
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|  | CAT SCRATCH POST-WITH POM POM
$45.99 |
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 | 8 Months Frontline Plus For Cats, EPA Approved # 3,6,12
$18.99 |
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|  | Simple Solution Dog Stain Removing Wipes 30 Count
$2.99 |
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 | L@@K^..^NEW 83" Cat Tree Condo Scratcher Pet Furniture
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|  | Cat Fountain filtered water bowl / dish! NEW IN BOX NR
$18.99 |
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 | OUT Self Warming Cat Cushion NEW
$8.99 |
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|  | CAT TRAVEL CARRIER
$31.99 |
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 | Cat Litterbox Cover - Nightstand Pet Dog Bed
$99.99 |
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|  | Armarkat Cat Tree Pet Furniture Condo Scratcher #B3803
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 | Armarkat Cat Tree Pet Furniture Condo Scratcher #A7401
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|  | Cat Playpen Cage Midwest Model 130 With FREE BED !
$109.99 |
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 | Petsafe Indoor Wireless Deluxe Cat Fence Boundary
$138.99 |
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|  | RING SLING PUPPY POUCH PET CARRIER ANY SOLID COLOR $9
$9.00 |
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 | Autumn Fall Thanksgiving Cat SM Dog Pet Pillow Bed NWT
$9.99 |
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|  | Littermaid ELITE LME5000 Automatic Electric Litter Box
$89.89 |
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 | CERAMIC PAW PRINT WHITE STONE CAT DISH 5
$8.99 |
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|  | Gettin' Buggy Print Cat Collar Collars
$5.99 |
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 | Brand new kitty door
$1.25 |
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|  | Catit Cat Pet Drinking Fountain by Hagen
$21.99 |
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