The activity that normally occurs along the gastrointestinal (GI) tract begins when a cat takes food into her mouth, chews it into small pieces, and allows it to move to the pharynx, the hollow structure at the back of the oral cavity. From this holding area, the food is swallowed, passing into the cat’s stomach. Within the stomach, which is a muscular, bag-shaped organ, the ingested food mixes with powerful acids and enzymes produced by the stomach lining, and from there it progresses through a narrow sphincter into the duodenum—the very first section of the small intestine.
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