2. Step 1
The mouth, Typically a cat swallows her
food in chunks rather than chewing.
The tongue positions the food for
shredding and tearing and mixes it with
saliva to start the breakdown of
carbohydrates.
3. Step 2
The esophagus, After the tongue pushes
the food toward the throat, the muscles in
this 12- to 15-inch-long tube move it
down to the stomach.
4. Step 3
The stomach, Here, acid begins the
serious breakdown of food, particularly
proteins. A cat’s stomach acid is strong
enough to dissolve bones. The
contractions of the stomach mix and grind
food with secretions, turning it into a
liquid before it passes to the next stage of
digestion.
5. Step 4
The duodenum,the liver and pancreas,
Here, two things happen: the gall bladder
releases bile and the pancreas releases
several enzymes.
Bile, a chemical produced by the liver and
stored in the gall bladder, breaks up large
fat molecules into smaller ones that can
be absorbed in the next stage of the
digestive process
6. Step 5
The small intestine, The small intestine is
the longest part of the cat’s digestive
system. All nutrients are absorbed there:
the small intestine is lined with tiny bodies
called villi, which absorb proteins,
enzymes, electrolytes and water.
7. Step 6
The large intestine, In the large intestine,
also known as the colon, the last available
water and electrolytes are absorbed from
the food. Solid feces form and beneficial
bacteria produce enzymes that break
down material that is more difficult to
digest.
8. Step 7
The rectum and anus, Here, the formed
feces collect until they’re ready to be
ejected into the litter box. The transit
time from mouth to anus is about 20
hours.
