| 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.
|
|
 | 2 Coupons for $4.00 off Purina Dog or Cat food
$3.92 |
|
|  | SmartCat Ultimate Scratching Post with Perch
$64.95 |
|
|
 | SpotOn Plus for cats (As seen in Frontline's magazine)
$9.99 |
|
|  | 4 OZ. OF CATNIP 100% ORGANIC cat toy green - FRESH!
$1.99 |
|
|
 | 2 OZ. OF CATNIP 100% ORGANIC CAT TOYS GREEN - FRESH!!!!
$1.50 |
|
|  | PRECISION KITTY CLOUD SNOOZY 19 INCH ROUND WHITE ON NEW
$31.99 |
|
|
 | 3 ORGANIC CATNIP KNOTS CAT TOY BENEFITS ANIMAL RESCUE
$3.50 |
|
|  | HUGE 80" CAT CONDO TREE HOUSE PET FURNITURE L@@K
$0.99 |
|
|
 | Cabin Kennel Pet Carrier
$5.99 |
|
|  | Large 20x24 Dog Cat Paw Print Deep Pet Bed:Pet Supplies
$12.44 |
|
|
 | Frontline Plus For Dogs 45-88 LBS 3 Applicators New
$10.51 |
|
|  | ADVANTAGE CAT FLEA 5 MONTHS DOSES OVER 9 POUNDS
$17.50 |
|
|
 | *Adjustable*Nylon CAT Walking HARNESS Cats *Walk Safely
$7.99 |
|
|  | PURINA Antique Metal Dry Measure COOL - RARE
$20.00 |
|
|
 | CAT PAW PRINT pet DECAL SHEETS
$4.98 |
|
|  | NEW PLEASANT HEARTH 4 PANEL FIRE-PLACE SCREEN BRAS/NET
$19.99 |
|
|
 | 62" Cat Tree Condo Furniture Scraching Post w Hammock
$0.99 |
|
|  | 64" Cat Tree House Toy Bed Scratcher Post Furniture F11
$0.99 |
|
|
 | PETSAFE CAT WINDOOR WINDOW MOUNTED PET FLAP CLEAR NEW
$67.00 |
|
|  | NEW LITTERMAID LME9250 ELITE MEGA Automatic Litterbox
$49.00 |
|
|
 | ADVANTAGE CAT FLEA 10 MONTHS DOSES UP TO 9 POUNDS
$17.99 |
|
|  | L@@K 57" Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Pet Furniture
$0.99 |
|
|
 | SOCCER BALLS ON BLACK Print Cat Collar Collars
$5.99 |
|
|  | 10 MONTH SUPPLY OF ADVANTAGE FOR CATS 9LBS KIT EPA
$18.00 |
|
|
 | FOOT LONG FURRY FUN KITTY SNAKE CAT TOY ORGANIC CATNIP
$9.95 |
|
|  | SCOOPWELL Electric Litter Box Scoop for Littermaid
$9.50 |
|
|
 | .026 PET TOY - CURIOSITY CUBE w. HANGING TOY HEMP ROPE
$0.01 |
|
|  | Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Post Furniture FC01
$19.99 |
|
|
 | 8 months FRONTLINE PLUS CAT US EpA #1 VET CHOICE
$11.00 |
|
|  | 55" Cat Tree Condo House Scratcher Pet Furniture bed-03
$59.99 |
|
|
 | Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Post Furniture F2029
$19.99 |
|
|  | PetSafe Cat Window Veranda Perch Box Shelf With Door
$99.95 |
|
|
 | CET Chews for Cats (30 chews) Fish Flavor
$8.99 |
|
|  | 60 Mice-mouse: cat, furry toy
$7.99 |
|
|
Littermaid LM700 Self-Cleaning Litterbox
$11.99 |
|
|  | Drinkwell Platinum Pet Fountain
$54.95 |
|
|
 | FRONTLINE PLUS FLEA/TICK KIT FOR CATS 16 DOSES (#6)/12
$34.49 |
|
|  | NWOT Cat/ Kitten sleeping bag, poly fill, flannel cover
$0.99 |
|
|
 | SmartCat Peek-A-Prize Toy Box - Cat Toy
$19.95 |
|
|  | ~52"~ Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher pet Furniture L@@K
$0.99 |
|
|
 | (1) HALLOWEEN SCARY CAT SHAPED TIN EMBOSSED GREEN EYES
$0.99 |
|
|  | Adjustable Nylon CAT CAR AUTO SAFETY HARNESS Cats
$9.99 |
|
|
 | 80" Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Post Furniture F2030
$0.99 |
|
|  | Frontline Plus For Dogs 9-132 LBS 3 Applicators New
$21.50 |
|
|
 | ADVANTAGE CAT FLEA 10 MONTHS DOSES UP TO 9 POUNDS
$17.50 |
|
|  | (1) HALLOWEEN SCARY CAT SHAPED TIN EMBOSSED BLUE EYES
$0.99 |
|
|
 | Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Post Furniture F2040
$19.99 |
|
|  | FRONTLINE PLUS CATS - 8 MOS - EPA APPROVED -USA 3 6 12
$18.99 |
|
|
 | Frontline Spray (250 mL)
$26.99 |
|
|  | ~ 74" Deluxe Cat Scraching Tree Furniture House Posts ~
$0.99 |
|
|
 | Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Post Furniture F09
$9.99 |
|
|  | 1 LB. OF CATNIP 16 OZ. 100% ORGANIC * FRESH! * GREEN!
$6.99 |
|
|
Littermaid LME9250 Elite Self Cleaning Litterbox
$52.00 |
|
|  | FRONTLINE PLUS flea control small dogs 0-22 lbs 6 dose
$18.95 |
|
|
 | K9 ADVANTIX FLEA KIT FOR SMALL DOGS 0-10 LBS 20 DOSES
$34.99 |
|
|  | ADVANTAGE CAT 9 LBS AND UNDER-10 MOS-EPA - USA 4 6 12
$15.98 |
|
|
 | Cat Tree House Toy Bed Condo Post Furniture F21
$0.99 |
|
|  | 8 MONTH SUPPLY OF FRONTLINE PLUS FOR CATS KIT EPA USA
$18.00 |
|
|
 | PETMATE FULLY AUTHOMATIC SELF CLEAN LITTER SYSTEM -DOME
$12.99 |
|
|  | 62" Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Post Furniture F28
$9.99 |
|
|
 | FRONTLINE PLUS cats FLEA & TICK med 8 month supply ~*~
$18.95 |
|
|  | Fashion Pet Travel Gear Med Pet Front Pouch Carrier NEW
$8.99 |
|
|
 | 48" Cat Tree House Toy Bed Scratcher Post Furniture F09
$0.99 |
|
|  | FAT CAT Yellow Funny Pet Collar Jewelry CHARM Tag New
$3.25 |
|
|
 | New Littermaid Plus LM700 Self Cleaning Litter Box
$36.00 |
|
|  | 8 MONTH KIT FRONTLINE PLUS FLEA CAT KITTEN GREEN 3 6 12
$19.93 |
|
|
 | ~~ EUROPEAN STYLE 66" CAT FURNITURE TREE GYM HOUSE ~~
$0.99 |
|
|  | SALE 8 MONTH SUPPLY OF FRONTLINE PLUS FOR CATS
$16.50 |
|
|
 | ^..^L@@K 65" Cat Tree Condo Scratcher Pet Furniture
$0.99 |
|
|  | Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Post Furniture F18
$9.99 |
|
|
 | 70" Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Post Furniture F72
$15.99 |
|
|  | 60 Mice mouse pet cat, leather toy, for use with condo
$7.99 |
|
|
 | Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Post Furniture F05
$9.99 |
|
|  | 8 MONTH FRONTLINE PLUS FLEA CAT KITTEN 3 6 12 KIT GREEN
$19.89 |
|
|
 | FRONTLINE PLUS FLEA CONTROL KIT FOR CATS 16 DOSES
$34.99 |
|
|  | FRONTLINE PLUS FLEA KIT FOR CATS 8 DOSES
$18.99 |
|
|
 | ANIMAL PRINT STRIPES Print Cat Collar Collars
$5.99 |
|
|  | 9-LEVEL72" Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Pet Furniture
$0.99 |
|
|
 | FLAMES ON BLACK Print Cat Collar Collars
$5.99 |
|
|  | 60 Mice-mouse pet, cat, furry toy,
$7.99 |
|
|
 | 8 MONTH FRONTLINE PLUS FLEA CAT KITTEN GREEN 3 6 12 KIT
$19.93 |
|
|  | Frontline Spray LARGE (500 mL)
$45.99 |
|
|
 | Paw Print Pets Dog House -16x16x14" - Bed Pet Supplies
$8.99 |
|
|  | 48" Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Post Furniture T43
$9.99 |
|
|
 | 55" Cat Tree Condo House Scratcher Pet Furniture bed-03
$59.99 |
|
|  | 69" Cat Tree House Toy Bed Scratcher Post Furniture F42
$0.99 |
|
|
 | SpotOn Plus Flea and tick for cats See the advantage's!
$9.99 |
|
|  | "HUGE" Cat Tree Toy House Scratcher Post Furniture FC01
$9.99 |
|
|
 | Fancy ~9Level~ Cat Tree House Scratcher Pet Furniture
$0.99 |
|
|  | Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Post Furniture F51
$9.99 |
|
|
 | .026 PET TOY - CURIOSITY CUBE w. HANGING TOY HEMP ROPE
$0.01 |
|
|  | 74" Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Post Furniture F2040
$0.99 |
|
|
 | 5 MONTH SUPPLY OF ADVANTAGE FOR CATS OVER 9 LBS KIT EPA
$18.00 |
|
|  | Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Post Furniture F11
$9.99 |
|
|
 | 1 OZ. OF CATNIP 100% ORGANICALLY GROWN GREAT QUALITY!!
$0.75 |
|
|  | Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Post Furniture F3031
$9.99 |
|
|
 | ADVANTAGE CAT OVER 9 LBS - 5 MOS - EPA - USA 4 6 12
$15.98 |
|
|  | ADVANTAGE CAT FLEA 5 MONTHS DOSES OVER 9 POUNDS
$17.50 |
|
|
 | PLANT CAT/DOG ORGANIC GRASS digestive aid *BUY-1-GET-1
$2.50 |
|
| |
|