| 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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 | Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Post Furniture F11
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|  | SpotOn Plus for cats (As seen in Frontline's magazine)
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 | 8 months FRONTLINE PLUS CAT US EpA #1 VET CHOICE
$3.25 |
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|  | FRONTLINE PLUS FLEA CONTROL KIT FOR CATS 16 DOSES
$34.99 |
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 | K9 ADVANTIX FLEA KIT FOR SMALL DOGS 0-10 LBS 20 DOSES
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|  | (1) HALLOWEEN SCARY CAT SHAPED TIN EMBOSSED GREEN EYES
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 | 3 MONTH Frontline PLUS for Cats
$32.99 |
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|  | FRONTLINE PLUS FLEA/TICK KIT FOR CATS 16 DOSES (#6)/12
$34.49 |
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 | 62" Cat Tree Condo Furniture Scraching Post w Hammock
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|  | FRONTLINE PLUS flea control small dogs 0-22 lbs 6 dose
$18.95 |
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 | L@@K 57" Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Pet Furniture
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|  | Coupon $10.00 off 1 Tidy Cats Breeze Litter Box System
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 | PETMATE FRESH FLOW CAT DOG WATER FOUNTAIN IVORY WHITE
$29.49 |
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|  | Deluxe 73" Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Pet Furniture
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 | 48" Cat Tree House Toy Bed Scratcher Post Furniture F43
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|  | PURINA Antique Metal Dry Measure COOL - RARE
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 | Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Post Furniture F51
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|  | Paw Print Pets Dog House -16x16x14" - Bed Pet Supplies
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 | 80" Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Post Furniture F2030
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|  | Large 20x24 Dog Cat Paw Print Deep Pet Bed:Pet Supplies
$12.44 |
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 | 16 MONTH FRONTLINE PLUS FLEA CAT KITTEN USA EPA 3 6 12
$33.00 |
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|  | (1) HALLOWEEN SCARY CAT SHAPED TIN EMBOSSED BLUE EYES
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 | PetSafe Cat Window Veranda Perch Box Shelf With Door
$99.95 |
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|  | Cat Playpen Cage Midwest Model 130 With FREE BED !
$99.99 |
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 | 10 pk Petmate Litter Locker Refill Use up to 2 months
$64.99 |
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|  | Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Post Furniture F18
$9.99 |
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 | Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Post Furniture F2040
$19.99 |
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|  | 8 MONTH FRONTLINE PLUS FLEA CAT KITTEN USA EPA 3 6 12
$18.00 |
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 | SMALL CAT FEEDING DISH WITH EARS AND CAT'S FACE. MINT
$2.99 |
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|  | Cat Tree House Toy Bed Condo Post Furniture F21
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 | FOOT LONG FURRY FUN KITTY SNAKE CAT TOY ORGANIC CATNIP
$9.95 |
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|  | *Adjustable*Nylon CAT Walking HARNESS Cats *Walk Safely
$7.99 |
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 | CATS/FRONTLINE PLUS/8 DOSE FLEA/TICK KIT (K5)6,12
$16.14 |
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|  | ~ 74" Deluxe Cat Scraching Tree Furniture House Posts ~
$0.99 |
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 | 55" Cat Tree Condo House Scratcher Pet Furniture bed-03
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|  | ~52"~ Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher pet Furniture L@@K
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 | PLANT CAT/DOG ORGANIC GRASS digestive aid *BUY-1-GET-1
$2.50 |
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|  | FRONTLINE PLUS flea control small dogs 0-22 lbs 6 dose
$18.95 |
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 | SpotOn Plus Flea and tick for cats See the advantage's!
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|  | CAT PAW PRINT pet DECAL SHEETS
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 | 16 MONTH FRONTLINE PLUS FLEA CAT KITTEN USA EPA 3 6 12
$33.00 |
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|  | 5 MONTH SUPPLY OF ADVANTAGE FOR CATS OVER 9 LBS KIT EPA
$18.00 |
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 | NEW! WICKER RATTAN CAT HIDEAWAY PET LITTER BOX COVER
$49.99 |
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|  | PETSAFE CAT WINDOOR WINDOW MOUNTED PET FLAP CLEAR NEW
$67.00 |
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 | ADVANTAGE CAT OVER 9 LBS - 5 MOS - EPA - USA 4 6 12
$15.98 |
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|  | 45" Cat Tree House Toy Bed Scratcher Post Furniture F05
$0.99 |
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 | Cat Toys
$1.25 |
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|  | 9-LEVEL72" Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Pet Furniture
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 | PRECISION KITTY CLOUD SNOOZY 19 INCH ROUND WHITE ON NEW
$31.99 |
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|  | 70" Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Post Furniture F72
$15.99 |
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 | 8 MONTH FRONTLINE PLUS FLEA CAT KITTEN USA EPA 3 6 12
$18.00 |
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|  | "HUGE" Cat Tree Toy House Scratcher Post Furniture FC01
$9.99 |
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 | 2 Coupons for $4.00 off Purina Dog or Cat food
$3.92 |
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|  | 8 MONTH FRONTLINE PLUS FLEA CAT KITTEN USA EPA 3 6 12
$18.00 |
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 | 8 MONTH FRONTLINE PLUS FLEA CAT KITTEN 3 6 12 KIT GREEN
$19.89 |
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|  | ADVANTAGE CAT FLEA 10 MONTHS DOSES UP TO 9 POUNDS
$17.99 |
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 | 62" Cat Tree Condo Furniture Scraching Post w Hammock
$0.99 |
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|  | Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Post Furniture F05
$9.99 |
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 | 42" Cat Tree Condo House Scratcher Pet Furniture bed-07
$39.99 |
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|  | Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Post Furniture F2029
$19.99 |
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 | 10 MONTH SUPPLY OF ADVANTAGE FOR CATS 9LBS KIT EPA
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|  | ADVANTAGE FLEA KIT FOR SMALL DOGS 10-20 LBS 4 DOSES
$17.99 |
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 | 73" Cat Tree Condo House Scratcher Pet Furniture bed-08
$99.99 |
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|  | .026 PET TOY - CURIOSITY CUBE w. HANGING TOY HEMP ROPE
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 | NEW PLEASANT HEARTH 4 PANEL FIRE-PLACE SCREEN BRAS/NET
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|  | ^..^L@@K 65" Cat Tree Condo Scratcher Pet Furniture
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 | ADVANTAGE CAT 9 LBS AND UNDER-10 MOS-EPA - USA 4 6 12
$15.98 |
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|  | NEW Littermaid LMT100 Cat Privacy TENT Kabana Cave Cove
$29.89 |
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 | STEWART Pet Food FLAVOR ENHANCER for Cats
$5.99 |
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|  | MUST^..^L@@K 26" Cat Tree Condo Pet Furniture~~~NEW~~~
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 | SCOOPWELL Electric Litter Box Scoop for Littermaid
$9.50 |
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|  | DISCOUNT 16 MONTH SUPPLY OF FRONTLINE PLUS FOR CATS
$34.99 |
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 | 16 MONTH FRONTLINE PLUS FLEA CAT KITTEN USA EPA 3 6 12
$33.00 |
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|  | FAT CAT Yellow Funny Pet Collar Jewelry CHARM Tag New
$3.25 |
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 | Adjustable Nylon CAT CAR AUTO SAFETY HARNESS Cats
$9.99 |
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|  | Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Post Furniture F3031
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 | K9 ADVANTIX FLEA KIT FOR DOGS 11-20 LBS 8 DOSES
$34.99 |
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|  | ~~ EUROPEAN STYLE 66" CAT FURNITURE TREE GYM HOUSE ~~
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 | PETMATE FULLY AUTHOMATIC SELF CLEAN LITTER SYSTEM -DOME
$12.99 |
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|  | 48" Cat Tree House Toy Bed Scratcher Post Furniture F09
$0.99 |
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 | CATS/FRONTLINE PLUS/8 DOSE FLEA/TICK KIT (#5)6,12
$16.14 |
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|  | Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Post Furniture F09
$9.99 |
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 | 70" Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Post Furniture F72
$0.99 |
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|  | 48" Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Post Furniture T43
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 | Fancy ~9Level~ Cat Tree House Scratcher Pet Furniture
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|  | NWOT Cat/ Kitten sleeping bag, poly fill, flannel cover
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 | 8 MONTH SUPPLY OF FRONTLINE PLUS FOR CATS KIT EPA USA
$18.00 |
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|  | Gentle Leader Kitty Harness & Bungee Leash Medium NEW
$7.99 |
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 | PETMATE FRESH FLOW DELUXE CAT WATER FOUNTAIN Free Ship
$36.99 |
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|  | ~ 74" Deluxe Cat Scraching Tree Furniture House Posts ~
$0.99 |
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 | Fashion Pet Travel Gear Med Pet Front Pouch Carrier NEW
$8.99 |
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|  | 69" Cat Tree House Toy Bed Scratcher Post Furniture F42
$0.99 |
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 | 1.5 KG CAT FOOD
$2.99 |
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|  | PetSafe Cat Windoor Window Cat Flap Cat Door
$69.95 |
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 | PETSAFE CAT WINDOOR WINDOW MOUNTED PET FLAP CLEAR NEW
$67.00 |
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|  | 3 ORGANIC CATNIP KNOTS CAT TOY BENEFITS ANIMAL RESCUE
$3.50 |
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 | ADVANTAGE CAT FLEA 5 MONTHS DOSES OVER 9 POUNDS
$17.50 |
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|  | FRONTLINE PLUS CATS - 8 MOS - EPA APPROVED -USA 3 6 12
$18.99 |
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 | Kittywalk Deck & Patio Pet Cat Enclosure System + Cover
$44.95 |
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