Cats are true carnivores. Your cat's digestive system plays two important roles: it breaks down food into nutrients that your cat's body can readily absorb, and it also acts as a protective barrier against harmful bacteria and other pathogens (disease causing agents) that your cat may ingest. Humans and Cats are similar in their digestive process in the sense that when food enters the mouth large amounts of saliva are secreted. The saliva will lubricate, dissolve, and chemically break down the food. As a cat takes food into its mouth, it chews it into small pieces. The tongue will assist moving the food to its oral pharynx, the hollow structure at the back of its oral cavity. From there, the food is swallowed, passing into the esophagus--a tube that travels down through the animal's chest



