| 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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 | Drinkwell Platinum, 13 Filters, Garden & Cleaning Kit!
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|  | 55" Cat Tree Condo House Scratcher Pet Furniture bed-03
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55 CAT FOOD AND LITTER COUPONS
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|  | Pet supplies Cat House Bed Blue New Cat Bed
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 | ORGANIC OAT CAT GRASS SEEDS - FREE SHIPPING
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|  | Cat Ownership 101: Secrets to Buying & Raising Cats
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 | Pair Cat Feeding Bowls-Very Sturdy Plastic
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|  | Animal Cat Rescue T shirt "L" "Wait just a minute..."
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 | 94" Cat Tree Condo House Scratcher Pet Furniture bed-09
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 | SmartCat Kitty Ultimate Litter Box
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 | Large ~CAT~ Jungle Play Gym Condo Furniture ~CLEAN~
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 | 60 MICE-mouse pet, cat, furry toy,
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|  | NEW DOG CAT PUPPY COLLAR BLINK PET
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|  | MEDIUM CAT 9-13 lb Soft Claws Paws Nail Caps 4 Cats Pet
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 | 9 inch YELLOW Cat Safety Collar Bell & Faux Pearls
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|  | 2 Small Plaid Collar - Pink and Blue - New
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|  | 9 inch Baby Blue Cat Safety Collar Bell & Faux Pearls
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 | NEW LITTERMAID LME9250 ELITE MEGA Automatic Litterbox
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|  | LARGE CAT 14 lb Soft Claws Paws Nail Caps Cats Feline
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 | PLUSH FUR PASTEL COLORED MICE - Pack of 25
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|  | Wood Cat Picture Frame 4X6
$11.77 |
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 | Cat Collar - Bones and Bows
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|  | New Littermaid Plus LM700 Self Cleaning Litter Box
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 | FUR MICE ASSORTED SAMPLER- (50) PIECES
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|  | Cat Flea&Tick FRONTLINE PLUS 16dose/48mon SAVE$100s USA
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10 $1.00/1 MEOW MIX DRY CAT FOOD COUPONS EXP 11/10/08
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|  | Handcrafted Catnip mice for your kitty 100% Catnip!!
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 | Custom Made All Wood Cat Litter Box Cabinet Furniture
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 | Retro Modern Pet Bed: cat small dog mid century tweed
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|  | Purrfect Playhouse Cat Furniture Cat Tree Cat Gym72inch
$199.00 |
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 | Saltwater Aquarium Video DVD - Relaxation Great 4 cats
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|  | Body Pillow Catnip Toys-100% Natural Organic!-Lot of 3
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 | SCOOPFREE AUTO CAT LITTER BOX CARTRIDGE. 3PK. NEW!
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|  | 50 SISAL MULTICOLORED MICE
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 | Handcrafted Catnip mice for your kitty 100% Catnip!!
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|  | Cat Wormer - Gets ALL Worms dewormer - 10 tabs box
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 | KITTEN CLEAR 2-5lb Cat Soft Claws Nail Caps Feline Pet
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|  | WHITE SIDE TABLE FOR BATHROOM HIDES CAT LITTER BOX
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 | Cat Fountain filtered water bowl / dish! NEW IN BOX NR
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|  | 55" Cat Tree Condo House Scratcher Pet Furniture bed-03
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 | Cat Flea&Tick FRONTLINE PLUS 16dose/48mon SAVE$100s USA
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|  | 10 month USA CAT KIT *advantage flea killer* SAVE 1000%
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 | KITTY LITTER FRESHENER 24oz
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|  | MR HERZHER 'S JUMBO WICKER RATTAN CAT LITTER COVER
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 | 4 PETMATE CAT DOG FRESH FLOW PET FOUNTAIN WATER FILTERS
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|  | 9 inch Red Orange Cat Safety Collar Bell & Faux Pearls
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|  | "KITTY FACE" Cat Kitten Pet Bowl Dish Food Feeder
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 | Omega Paw Self-Cleaning Litter Box Large Green & Beige
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 | SOCCER BALLS ON BLACK Print Cat Collar Collars
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|  | 55" Cat Tree Condo House Scratcher Pet Furniture bed-3B
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 | 9 inch Green Cat Safety Collar Bell & Faux Pearls
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|  | SmartCat Ultimate Scratching Post
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 | 2 Small Swirls Collars - Pink and Blue - New
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 | CATNIP SEEDS - LITTLE TRUDY - PERENNIAL - FREE SHIPPING
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|  | ORGANIC GRAIN GRASS SEEDS - FREE SHIPPING
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 | FRONTLINE Plus for Cats & Kittens 12 months supply
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|  | Drinkwell Platinum Pet Fountain - New - Pet Water Dish
$48.95 |
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