| 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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 | Large 20x24 Dog Cat Paw Print Deep Pet Bed:Pet Supplies
$12.44 |
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|  | 42 HEAD LAZER POINTER ~ LASER BEAM BRAND NEW
$3.95 |
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 | Scoop Free Self-Cleaning Litter Box W/ Litter Tray NEW!
$75.99 |
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|  | Catnip Convertible Cat Bed 1 pc
$9.99 |
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 | CATNIP SEEDS - LITTLE TRUDY - PERENNIAL - FREE SHIPPING
$2.50 |
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|  | Two Cat Dishes , 1 stainless, 1 ceramic
$3.00 |
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 | Omega Paw Self Cleaning Kitty Cat Litter Box - Regular
$23.95 |
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|  | 17" Cat Tree Condo House Scratcher Pet Furniture bed-11
$19.99 |
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 | 17" Cat Tree Condo House Scratcher Pet Furniture bed-11
$19.99 |
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|  | SmartCat Peek-N-Play Toy Box - Cat Toy
$16.95 |
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 | 20" Cat Tree Condo House Scratcher Pet Furniture bed-10
$25.99 |
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|  | Armarkat Cat Tree Pet Furniture Condo Scratcher #A6401
$0.99 |
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 | Frontline Plus for CATS 6 Doses
$47.00 |
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|  | BIO SPOT FLEA & TICK CONTROL FOR CATS
$6.50 |
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 | Pet Treat Jar - 54oz -New in Box
$14.99 |
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|  | DISCOUNTED 16 MONTH SUPPLY OF FRONTLINE PLUS FOR CATS
$38.00 |
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 | Catnip Convertible Cat Bed 1 pc
$9.99 |
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|  | CATNIP HEAVEN SIX CATNIP TOYS HANDCRAFTED-CAT TOY-PET
$5.49 |
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 | Pet Treat Jar - 54oz -New in Box
$14.99 |
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|  | STICK and ball: pet, dog cat toy, for use with condo
$9.90 |
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 | MOuse/Mice Scratcher:pet cat toy
$7.00 |
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|  | DISCOUNT 8 MONTH SUPPLY OF FRONTLINE PLUS FOR CATS
$21.00 |
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 | CAT Photo Mouse Pad " SANTA KITTY "
$5.49 |
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|  | LARGE CAT 14 lb Soft Claws Paws Nail Caps Cats Feline
$13.99 |
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 | SMALL CAT 6-8 lb Soft Claws Paws Nail Caps Feline Cats
$13.99 |
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|  | DRINKWELL PLATINUM PET FOUNTAIN CAT DOG WATER DISH BOWL
$58.95 |
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12 $1.00 off one bag of 9-lives cat food
$0.99 |
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|  | Part only:Soft Bed 4 Cat Condo,Tree,House,Pet Furniture
$9.99 |
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 | ONE CATNIP SOCK WAND-POLE-CAT TOY-TOYS-PET
$3.29 |
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|  | Engraved metal pet id tag middle size
$3.99 |
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 | 2 Cat Dog Plush Cotton Cushion Bed Pet Animal House NEW
$8.99 |
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|  | SMARTSCOOP AUTOMATIC CAT LITTER BOX SELF CLEANING NIB
$109.95 |
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 | Bungee Sisal Spool W/Feathers Cat Toy -Toys-PET
$1.99 |
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|  | Peticure Petite *NIB* ready to ship
$29.98 |
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 | 10 Lil Sew and Sews FELT CATNIP MICE CAT TOY PET BULK
$6.94 |
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| PURINA ONE, FANCY FEAST, FREE CAT & DOG FOOD COUPONS!
$0.40 |
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 | Pet ID Tag! Cat or Kitten! High Quality! Super Sale!
$3.35 |
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|  | BIG SALE 16 MONTH SUPPLY OF FRONTLINE PLUS FOR CATS
$38.00 |
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 | KITTEN CLEAR 2-5lb Cat Soft Claws Nail Caps Feline Pet
$13.99 |
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|  | Pretty Scratcher:pet, cat toy, for use with condo, tree
$6.99 |
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 | CAT TOYS FOR YOUR FURRY LITTLE BUDDY! THINK XMAS GIFT?
$5.42 |
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|  | 34 ** B1G1 & $1 off Whiskas & Purina Friskies Party Mix
$0.69 |
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 | CAT TOYS FOR YOUR FURRY LITTLE BUDDY! THINK XMAS GIFT?
$11.00 |
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|  | Drinkwell Platinum Pet Fountain
$54.95 |
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 | ONE Zanies Rockin' MOUSE-CAT TOY-TOYS -PET
$1.49 |
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|  | 2 Two NEW Whisker City 12" Snag Proof Safety Cat Collar
$0.99 |
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 | Frontline Plus for dogs 89-132 LBS 6 Doses
$62.00 |
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| 20 $1.00/1 WHOLESOME BY MEOW MIX COUPONS EXP 11/10/08
$0.99 |
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 | Frontline Plus for dogs up to 22 LBS 6 Doses
$47.00 |
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|  | 3 COUPONS ~~ FREE CASE OF FANCY FEAST ~~ $38.16 VALUE
$25.00 |
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 | LOOK 16 MONTH SUPPLY OF FRONTLINE PLUS FOR CATS
$38.00 |
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|  | DRINKWELL PET FOUNTAIN CAT DOG WATER DISH PACKAGE
$54.95 |
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 | SmartCat Kitty Cat Corner Litter Box - Gray
$11.95 |
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|  | Armarkat Cat Tree Pet Furniture Condo Scratcher #A5801
$0.99 |
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 | Engraved metal pet id tag small size
$2.99 |
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|  | Bio Spot Spot On 6 Month Supply 5 + lbs for Cats NIP
$17.00 |
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 | 24" SISAL CAT SCRATCHING POST SIENNA
$24.99 |
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|  | 3 MO SUPPLY FRONTLINE PLUS FOR CATS, FREE SHIPPING!
$28.99 |
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 | Gold-Tone St Saint Francis Cat Pet Medal Charm ~ NEW
$3.15 |
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|  | Saltwater Aquarium Video DVD - Relaxation Great 4 cats
$9.99 |
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 | Staywell Magnetically operated cat flap with two keys!!
$25.00 |
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|  | WOW 16 MONTH SUPPLY OF FRONTLINE PLUS FOR CATS
$38.00 |
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 | 17" Cat Tree Condo House Scratcher Pet Furniture bed-11
$19.99 |
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|  | Petmate Hybrid Black Stainless Cat Dog Water Fountain
$29.99 |
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 | Ear Cleaner for Cats- 3-8oz Bottles-Prevent Infections
$14.98 |
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|  | LOOK 8 MONTH SUPPLY OF FRONTLINE PLUS FOR CATS
$21.00 |
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 | 60 Mice-mouse: cat, furry toy
$7.99 |
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|  | CAT TOYS FOR YOUR FURRY LITTLE BUDDY! THINK XMAS GIFT?
$8.00 |
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 | Comfort Zone Diffuser Kit + 3 Extra Refills!
$0.99 |
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|  | SmartCat Cat Climber Multi-level Climbing Platforms
$99.95 |
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 | Cat Fountain filtered water bowl / dish! NEW IN BOX NR
$18.99 |
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|  | SCratcher Board: pet, cat toy w/ condo, furniture, tree
$9.99 |
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15 $1.00 of Tidy Cat exp 12/15
$1.99 |
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|  | CAT Tunnel,40",Pet Toy,Noisy, Soft, for use with condo
$15.00 |
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 | FIVE TWO TONE FUR MICE W/RATTLE CAT TOY PET TOYS
$2.79 |
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|  | ACTION PLAY BALL by perr-pet-catnip-CAT TOY-TOYS-PET
$3.49 |
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 | EURO Small Dog Agility Tunnel, Pet Toy,dia 16", 6.5 ft
$25.00 |
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|  | Frontline Plus for dogs 45-88 LBS 6 Doses
$58.00 |
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 | CATNIP SEEDS - LITTLE TRUDY - PERENNIAL - FREE SHIPPING
$2.50 |
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|  | Pet Cat Toy- Remote Control Techno Mouse up to 100 feet
$23.99 |
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 | Wholesale 6 laser pointer 5 head Lazer New C Low S+H
$4.80 |
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|  | CatGenie Unscented Cartridges and Granules
$25.00 |
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 | ADVANTAGE CAT FLEA 5 MONTHS DOSES OVER 9 POUNDS
$21.00 |
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|  | 3 COUPONS ~~ FREE CASE OF FANCY FEAST ~~ $38.16 VALUE
$25.00 |
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 | ADVANTAGE CAT FLEA 10 MONTHS DOSES UP TO 9 POUNDS
$21.00 |
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|  | LOT 8 - PETMATE Waste Box Bags PURRFORMA Litter Boxes
$3.99 |
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 | 60 MICE-mouse pet, cat, furry toy,
$7.99 |
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|  | 60 Mice-mouse pet, cat, furry toy,
$7.99 |
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 | SmartCat Bootsie's Bunkbed and Playroom
$28.95 |
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|  | SALE 8 MONTH SUPPLY OF FRONTLINE PLUS FOR CATS
$21.00 |
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20 $2.00/1 HUGGIES DIAPERS (ANY) COUPONS EXP 11/14/08
$0.99 |
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|  | SAVVY TABBY TINY TWEETERS-CATNIP TOY-CAT TOYS-PET
$3.29 |
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 | Keychain Urn & Vial cremation urn for a black cat --
$8.00 |
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|  | ADVANTAGE FLEA CONTROL KIT 10 doses cats kitten 0-10 lb
$17.95 |
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 | "KITTY FACE" Cat Kitten Pet Bowl Dish Food Feeder
$16.99 |
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|  | MEDIUM CAT 9-13 lb Soft Claws Paws Nail Caps 4 Cats Pet
$14.74 |
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 | 60 Mice-mouse pet, cat, furry toy,
$7.99 |
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|  | Cat Scratcher Kitten Scratch Post Tweety Bird catnip
$0.01 |
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