| 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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FRONTLINE PLUS cats FLEA & TICK med 16 month supply ~
$36.75 |
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FRONTLINE PLUS FLEA CONTROL CATS EPA APPROVED 8 DOSES
$19.50 |
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PETMATE FRESH FLOW DELUXE CAT WATER FOUNTAIN NEW+SEALED
$23.99 |
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MEOW TOWN WICKER BASKET BED FOR CATS KITTENS DOGS PUPPY
$39.00 |
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Dog Cat Pet Odor Stain Eliminator Best Urine Remover
$8.95 |
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Cat Tree House Toy Bed Scratcher Post Furniture F18
$0.99 |
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Cat Collar - Red Bandana
$5.75 |
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WORLD OF CATS "THE INDOOR CAT" FOR ONLY 1 CENT!!!!
$0.01 |
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SKULLS / BLACK ~ Breakaway CAT Collar
$3.99 |
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EPA - 8 Months of FRONTLINE PLUS for CATS - fAST Shpg
$22.50 |
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51" Cat Tree House Toy Bed Scratcher Post Furniture F51
$0.99 |
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10 MONTH SUPPLY OF ADVANTAGE FOR CATS OVER 9 LBS 6 EPA
$35.95 |
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Cat Collar - Black w/Pink Hearts and White Paws
$5.75 |
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Frontline Spray For Dogs & Cats Great 4 Multi Pet Homes
$17.99 |
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LARGE 14+ lb ~ SOFT CLAWS PAWS ~ Nail Caps Covers
$6.99 |
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Cat Tree Toy Bed House Scratcher Post Furniture F601-R
$0.99 |
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Cat Tree Plans-Free Shipping !
$5.00 |
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PINK SILVER STARS ~ Breakaway CAT Collar
$5.50 |
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PIGS PRINT Cat Collar Collars
$5.99 |
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20" Cat Tree Condo House Scratcher Pet Furniture bed-10
$25.99 |
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20 MONTH SUPPLY OF ADVANTAGE FOR CATS 0 - 9 LBS 4 6 EPA
$35.95 |
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NEW Littermaid ELITE Mega LME9250 Automatic Litterbox
$149.89 |
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ADVANTAGE CAT FLEA 5 MONTHS DOSES OVER 9 POUNDS
$17.50 |
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ADVANTAGE CAT FLEA 5 MONTHS DOSES OVER 9 POUNDS
$17.50 |
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74" Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Post Furniture F2040
$0.99 |
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OMEGA PAW SELF CLEANING LITTERBOX & MAT SIZE LARGE
$44.99 |
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K9 ADVANTIX FLEA KIT FOR DOGS 11-20 LBS 4 DOSES
$19.99 |
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.136 CAT Tower: Double Platform HEMP Column Scratcher
$0.99 |
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MEDIUM 9-13 lbs ~ SOFT CLAWS PAWS ~ Nail Caps Covers
$6.99 |
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Cat Toy Zanies Glitter Balls
$0.99 |
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ADVANTAGE CAT FLEA 10 MONTHS DOSES UP TO 9 POUNDS
$17.50 |
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5 MONTH SUPPLY OF ADVANTAGE FOR CATS OVER 9 LBS 4 6 1
$17.99 |
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Kitty Tree house Hideaway, cat scratch post
$135.00 |
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FRONTLINE PLUS cats FLEA & TICK med 16 month supply ~
$36.75 |
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FRONTLINE PLUS flea tick control dog 23-44 lbs 6 dose
$36.75 |
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20 MONTH KIT ADVANTAGE CAT UNDER 9 LBS ORANGE 6 USA EPA
$34.99 |
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NEW Omega Large Cat Self-Cleaning Litter Box
$20.02 |
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LOT OF 10 PETMATE CHARCOAL LITTER BOX FILTER LARGE NIP
$5.99 |
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Kitty, Cat Tree House, scratching post, bird watcher
$89.95 |
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Cat Tree Toy Bed House Scratcher Post Furniture F12
$0.99 |
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5 LEATHER MICE - CAT KITTEN TOY - @@LOOK@@
$0.99 |
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FRONTLINE TOP SPOT FLEA & TICK CONTROL CATS 3 PACK EPA+
$12.50 |
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Cat Tree Toy Bed House Scratcher Post Furniture F602-B
$0.99 |
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CAT KITTEN KITTY ZANIES TUNNEL OF FUN NEW
$14.95 |
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Frontline Plus for Cats (3 applications) FREE SHIPPING
$26.99 |
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FRONTLINE PLUS flea tick control dog 23-44 lbs 6 dose
$36.75 |
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10 MONTH KIT ADVANTAGE CAT PURPLE OVER 9 LBS 6 USA EPA
$34.99 |
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BLACK & WHITE CHECKER ~ Breakaway CAT Collar
$3.99 |
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FRONTLINE PLUS flea control small dogs 0-22 lbs 12 mon
$36.75 |
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.026: HEMP Rope PARTY CUBE : scratcher toy CLOSEOUT
$0.01 |
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FRONTLINE PLUS FLEA CONTROL CATS EPA APPROVED16 DOSES
$36.50 |
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MEOW TOWN KITTY CAT PET PUPPY BASSINET CANOPY BED BLUE
$24.99 |
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UV Blacklight Black Light Locates Cat Dog Urine NEW
$10.99 |
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New Medium Cheetah Print Dog / Cat Pet House Pet Supply
$14.34 |
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K9 ADVANTIX FLEA KIT FOR DOGS 11-20 LBS 8 DOSES
$36.99 |
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.026: HEMP Rope PARTY CUBE : scratcher toy CLOSEOUT
$0.01 |
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Frontline Plus Cats 6 "FREE USA SHIPPING* 3 12 TOO!
$32.95 |
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72" Cat Tree House Scratcher Post Furniture F2041-Beige
$0.99 |
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Feliway Comfort Zone Outlet Refill Lot of 6 Cat Supply
$88.99 |
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Rhinestone Cat Safety Collar, Brand New Pink
$9.75 |
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SPARKLE FISH - CAT KITTEN TOY - LOW SHIPPING!!
$0.99 |
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10 MONTH SUPPLY OF ADVANTAGE FOR CATS 0 - 9 LBS 4 6 1
$17.99 |
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12 COMFORT ZONE FELIWAY REFILL LOT + 2 BONUS DIFFUSERS!
$191.00 |
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16 MONTH SUPPLY OF FRONTLINE PLUS FOR CATS
$35.99 |
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PINK BLACK LEOPARD ~ Breakaway SAFETY CAT Collar
$4.24 |
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PINK DRINKWELL Limited Edition Pet Cat Water Fountain
$34.89 |
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CAT KITTEN KITTY TABBY HOLIDAY HIDEOUT KRINKLE SACK NEW
$12.95 |
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49" Cat Tree House Toy Bed Scratcher Post Furniture F41
$0.99 |
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72" Cat Tree House Scratcher Post Furniture F2040-Blue
$0.99 |
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cat food bowls~set of whimsical cat dishes~kitten bowls
$18.50 |
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PLUM MOCHA / DOTS ~ Breakaway SAFETY CAT Collar
$4.24 |
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.026: HEMP Rope PARTY CUBE : scratcher toy CLOSEOUT
$0.01 |
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SMALL 6-8 lb ~ Soft Claws Paws ~ Nail Caps Covers
$6.99 |
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NEW 41" Cat Kitten Kitty Pet Hide Out Bed Toy Tunnel
$26.99 |
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FRONTLINE Plus for cats Prevention 6-Pack
$36.00 |
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FRONTLINE PLUS FLEA CONTROL CATS EPA APPROVED16 DOSES
$36.50 |
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$32 3pc Luxury Kitten Set - Siamese
$5.14 |
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10 MONTH SUPPLY OF ADVANTAGE FOR CATS OVER 9 LBS 6 EPA
$35.95 |
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BLACK STARS ON LIME ~ Breakaway SAFETY CAT Collar
$8.00 |
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ADVANTAGE CAT FLEA 10 MONTHS DOSES UP TO 9 POUNDS
$17.50 |
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PURPLE BLACK STARS ~ Breakaway CAT Collar
$4.77 |
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Blue dolphin small dog/cat Harness
$6.00 |
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$32 3pc Luxury Kitten Set - Siamese
$5.14 |
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1/4" Sisal Rope 100' CAT SCRATCHING POST Bird Toys Toy
$5.24 |
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Chenille Bed, Pebble Blue, Medium cat/ dog
$19.00 |
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NEW TIDY CAT BREEZE LITTER BOX SYSTEM ODOR CONTROL MEOW
$34.95 |
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10 FURRY MICE! - CAT KITTEN TOY - LOW SHIPPING! *LOOK*
$2.75 |
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ADVANTAGE CAT FLEA 10 MONTHS DOSES UP TO 9 POUNDS
$17.50 |
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8 MONTH SUPPLY OF FRONTLINE PLUS FOR CATS
$17.50 |
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8 MONTH SUPPLY OF FRONTLINE PLUS FOR CATS
$17.50 |
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Frontline Plus Cats 12 *FREE USA SHIPPING* 3 6 TOO!
$60.35 |
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20 MONTH SUPPLY OF ADVANTAGE FOR CATS 0 - 9 LBS 4 6 EPA
$35.95 |
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"Safe Cat" Nylon Break Away Collar-You Choose Color NWT
$3.25 |
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ADVANTAGE flea control cats over 9 lbs 4 pack EPA APRV
$45.00 |
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8 MONTH SUPPLY OF FRONTLINE PLUS FOR CATS
$17.50 |
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ADVANTAGE CAT FLEA 5 MONTHS DOSES OVER 9 POUNDS
$17.50 |
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FRONTLINE PLUS flea tick control dog 23-44 lbs 6 dose
$36.75 |
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CAT KITTEN KITTY KRACKLING HIDE-N-SEEK SACK BAG NEW
$12.95 |
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16 MONTH SUPPLY OF FRONTLINE PLUS FOR CATS
$35.99 |
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