| 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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|  | Zanies Sparkle Teasers (3-pack ) Christmas Cat toys
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$35.00 |
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|  | 72" Cat Tree Condo House Scratcher Pet Furniture bed-13
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 | 9 inch YELLOW Cat Safety Collar Bell & Faux Pearls
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$26.50 |
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|  | FRONTLINE PLUS CAT 6 MONTH EPA APPROVED 3 12 TOO
$32.95 |
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 | Lot of Cat Rabbit Ferret Harness Leads Groomer Retail
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|  | NEW! 4 COMFORT ZONE W/FELIWAY PORTABLE SPRAYS FOR CATS
$27.00 |
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LOT OF 46 TEMPTATIONS CAT TREAT COUPONS SAVE$31! L@@K!
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|  | Mouse-A-Roni & Cheese Organic Catnip Cat Toy NEW TAGS
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 | 10 doses ADVANTAGE FLEA CONTROL KIT SMALL DOGS 0-9 lbs
$17.95 |
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|  | Cat Shaped Food Dish
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 | .180 Large Pet Tower - Cubby hole Scratch Post Hemp NEW
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|  | Buddhist Funeral Altar for Pet
$40.00 |
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 | Armarkat Cat Tree Pet Furniture Condo Scratcher #B3001
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|  | NIB The Cat Loft Cat Bed Attaches to your Mattress!!!
$59.95 |
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 | KOOL KATZ DRY SHAMPOO MOUSSE
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|  | .021 PET TUNNEL w. PLATFORMS + HANGING TOY - CAT FERRET
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 | Soft N Cozy Sleeping Bag/Bed/Sack for your Cat/Dog
$20.00 |
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|  | Small Mini Small Pet Santa Claus Hat for Cat Kitten NEW
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 | GenieReset Automatic Litterbox Solution Reset & Refill
$56.00 |
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|  | NEW! FLING-AMA-STRING AUTOMATIC CAT TOY - SEE VIDEO!
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 | Cat Charmer interactive cat toy
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|  | How To INSTRUCTIONS for DIY'S Dog Rhinestone Cat Collar
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 | Cat Tree Toy House Condo Scratcher Post Furniture F12
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|  | 65" Cat Tree Condo House Scratcher Pet Furniture bed-14
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 | FRONTLINE PLUS DOG/CAT KIT 3 6 8 MONTH SUPPLY EPA USA!!
$16.85 |
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|  | 3 Jingle Yarn Balls, Organic Catnip, Cat Toys w a Bell
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 | Paw Print "I LOVE MY PITBULL!" car magnet QUALITY
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|  | (4) IAMS $4.00 OFF PROACTIVE HEALTH CAT FOOD + more
$2.76 |
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 | Armarkat Cat Tree Pet Furniture Condo Scratcher #A7101
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|  | CAT PLEEZER GURDY GARDEN SNAKE Cat Toy active
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 | *NEW* PENN PLAX LARGE CRATE BOWL
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 | Cat Napper Window Seat Perch Hammock Bed No Hardware!
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|  | 2 PIECE PET BOWL SET WITH STAND STAINLESS STEEL
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 | shaking & rattling fur mouse short hair-50 piece lot
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|  | PEDIPAW GROOMING PET NAIL TRIMMER PEDIPAWS CAT DOG 3
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 | 48" Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Post Furniture T43
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|  | Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Post Furniture F2040
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 | Cat Toy Teaser Tickler Cat Play Wands - New!!
$7.95 |
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|  | Petmate Purrforma easy-tie waste bags, 8 bags total!!
$2.25 |
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 | Kittywalk Deck &Patio Pet Cat Enclosure Portable System
$49.99 |
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|  | CATS kitten FRONTLINE PLUS 8 M FLEA & TICK medicine
$16.99 |
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 | Frontline Plus Cat Multi Pack 24 Dose 3 6 12 TOO!
$119.95 |
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|  | I DON'T DO LEFTOVERS PLACEMAT FOR PAWS LEERE' ALDRICH
$3.99 |
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 | Life Extension Cat Mix Nutritional Supplement, 100 Gms
$11.00 |
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|  | fur mice -60 piece-natural colors
$8.99 |
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 | NEW Lazy Pet Cat Window Perch Sheepskin Adjustable Blue
$22.95 |
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|  | Decorative Small Pet Carier/Tote. Black,Pink,White
$21.99 |
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 | Zanies Cat Christmas Stocking Gift Treat (lot of 2)
$6.95 |
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|  | TERRIFIC FRESH PET AREA DEODORIZER/AIR PURIFIER - NIB
$9.99 |
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 | CAT FOOD COUPONS!! Pro Plan Purina (save $9.00 or more)
$0.99 |
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|  | ADVANTAGE DOG/CAT KIT 4,5 AND 10 MONTH SUPPLLY EPA USA
$16.85 |
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 | Zanies Santa Paws Hat Cat Toy
$4.95 |
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|  | Cat Collar SWAROVSKI Crystals ~Classic on Purple~ LRG
$27.99 |
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 | Bio Spot Spot On Flea & Tick Control Cats 5 lbs & Over
$7.99 |
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|  | MOTH TRAPS FOR PANTRY, CAT FOOD, DOG FOOD, BIRD SEED
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 | Laser Pet Toy - The World's Most Powerful Hand Held Red
$1.97 |
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|  | 16 MONTH FRONTLINE PLUS FLEA CAT KITTEN USA EPA 3 6 12
$34.00 |
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 | NEW Soft Dog Pet House Red Bear Print Checkered Fabric
$48.00 |
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|  | CUTE 2 PART CERAMIC CAT FOOD AND WATER DISHES
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 | CEDAR wood cat KITTY Castle House Condo FULLY ASSEMBLED
$99.00 |
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|  | Cat Toy Teaser Tickler Cat Play Wands - New!!
$7.95 |
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 | METRO MODERN STAINLESS CAT DOG PET FOOD BOWL DISH MARS
$20.00 |
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|  | SML Wrap Kitten Cat Collar ~ Blue Fish ~ by AzDS
$10.99 |
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 | PEDIPAW GROOMING PET NAIL TRIMMER PEDIPAWS CAT DOG 13
$18.99 |
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|  | Cocktail Wiener Dog Organic Catnip Cat Toy NEW TAGS
$0.99 |
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 | 70" Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Post Furniture F72
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|  | CATS FRONTLINE PLUS 8 dose FLEA & TICK medicine SALE~
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 | CAT FLAP DOORWAY
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|  | *CARPET Cat Tree Toy Bed House Scratcher Post Furniture
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 | Hip CAT COLLAR Dallas Cowboys NFL ADJUSTABLE 7-11"
$5.95 |
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|  | fur mice cat toy LONG HAIR- pack of 50
$9.99 |
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 | Armarkat Cat Tree Pet Furniture Condo Scratcher #A4201
$0.99 |
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|  | ** 36 Stylette LitterSweep / Litter Roundup Bags NEW **
$9.99 |
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 | Teenie Sardini Organic Catnip Cat Toy NEW TAGS
$0.99 |
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|  | 12 tiny CATNIP BAGS! CAT FABRIC TOYS! FRESH HOME GROWN
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 | Bio Spot Spot On Flea & Tick Control Cats 5 lbs & Over
$7.99 |
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|  | CRAZY CAT- FRAME A PET AIR FRESHENER VANILLA SCENTED
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 | ADVANTAGE FLEA CONTROL KIT all sizes CATS kittens 1-UP
$17.84 |
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|  | 70" Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Post Furniture F72-B
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 | 23-44 lbs 3 dose FRONTLINE PLUS flea tick control dog
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|  | Saltwater Aquarium Video DVD - Relaxation Great 4 cats
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 | Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Post Furniture F45
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|  | ADVANTAGE FLEA CONTROL KIT ALL SIZES dogs cats SAVE!!!!
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 | 65" Cat Tree Condo House Scratcher Pet Furniture bed-14
$80.99 |
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|  | Savvy Tabby Holiday Hideout Cat Toy
$5.95 |
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 | Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Post Furniture F2041
$0.99 |
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|  | ADVANTAGE FLEA CONTROL CATS OVER 9 lbs 5 MONTH SUPPLY 6
$17.97 |
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 | Catnip Cat Pet Bed Green with Organic Catnip
$9.99 |
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|  | Zanies Cat Toy Holiday Value Pack (Small) (Set of 2)
$3.95 |
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 | Paw Print "I LOVE MY PIT BULL!" car magnet QUALITY
$4.99 |
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|  | PEDIPAW GROOMING PET NAIL TRIMMER PEDIPAWS CAT DOG 23
$19.99 |
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 | Cat Tree House Condo Scratcher Post Furniture F18
$0.99 |
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