Cat anatomy

May 22, 10:14 PMBoise Cat Care ExaminerSieglinde "Kitty" Scanlan

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Manx cat on the prowl 

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Cats are carnivores and their entire body structure is geared for the hunt of small prey such as rodents and birds.

The basic physical characteristics of the domestic house cat do not differ much from that of it's cousins in the wild. The only difference really is size. The skull is compact and the jaw is moved by powerful muscles. With a few exceptions most cats have long tails to help with balance. Their hindlegs are strong and controlled by powerful muscles that help a cat quickly pounce at it's prey or leap up onto a fence or wall to escape danger.

The muscles are strong and the skeleton is very flexible; cats can turn their heads nearly 180 degrees. On average, cats have ten to twelve more vertebrae than humans and they are more loosely connected which makes cats much more agile. A cat's clavicle is not a true collarbone like in humans, this allows them to twist and turn their way through narrow openings.

The cat's circulatory system is very similar to that of humans. Oxygenated blood is pumped through the body by the heart via arteries. The depleted blood (de-oxygenated blood) flows back to the lungs through the veins to release carbon dioxide and aquire fresh oxygen which is then carried back to the heart to be pumped through the body again. 

Cats have highly developed senses. Felines have long, thick, flexible hairs called whiskers which are located at the sides of the nose, above their eyes, on their chin and at the back of their front legs. The impressive nose whiskers help a cat manouver through tight spaces. A cat's whiskers are about as wide as it's body and at the tips are sensory organs called proprioceptors. You may have seen a cat test several times with it's head to see if it will fit through a small opening before actually squeezing through. The whiskers help him determine if he will fit, that's why (unlike dogs) you rarely see a cat stuck. The smaller whiskers at the back of their front legs help cats gauge the size, shape and position of it's prey. Cats are far-sighted and have trouble seeing things upclose. That's why sometimes if you put food or a toy right infront of a cat it acts like it doesn't see it, that's because it probably can't. The whiskers also change direction depending on mood. When a cat is happy the whiskers are usually pointed slightly forward. When a cat is in an agressive mood or feels threatened, the whiskers will be pulled back against it's face. By watching the position of the whiskers and ears you can judge what mood your cat is in.

A cat's teeth are very pointy and sharp and are formidable weapons even in a kitten. In the older cat it is not uncommon for the canine teeth (fangs) to protrude outside the closed mouth. The kitten has 26 teeth, the adult cat 30. The front teeth (incisors) are very small and are mainly used for grooming. The prominent canine teeth are long and pointy for biting, the carnassial teeth (pre-molars) are also sharp but shaped like small triangles made for ripping. The back molars are jagged slicing tools, characteristic of a carniverous diet. A cat does not chew it's food, it merely chops it down a bit, then swallows the morsels.

As mentioned before, cats are far-sighted, another characteristic trait of the hunter. It enables them to see prey from a great distance. The retina in a cat's eye is specially designed to see in the dark, taking in every little bit of available light. Contrary to popular believe cats cannot see in total darkness. The pupil changes size from fully open and round in dim light to a mere slit in bright light. Unlike human eyes, the cat, like many other nocturnal hunters has what is called a tapetum lucidum [latin for bright tapestry]. It is a layer of tissue in the eye that lies immediately behind the retina and reflects light back through it thus increasing the available light to the photoreceptors and improving vision in low light. That is why it appears that a cat's eyes are glowing in the dark when you shine a flashlight at them.

The abrasive, almost velcro-like surface of a cat's tongue is covered with tiny backward pointing hooks called papillae. Their purpose is to help the cat strip the flesh off the bones of it's prey and also aids in grooming by pulling loose fur off. A cat's tongue is very long and flexibable which helps in self-grooming and lapping up liquids.

Cats have a sensory receptor unique to felines, snakes and a few other species of mammals. It is called the Jacobson's organ and is located just behind the upper front teeth inside the cat's mouth. This organ is connected to the nasal cavity and provides the cat with a sense that is believed to be something halfway between smell and taste. Sometimes you will see a cat making a weird lip-curling grimace with it's mouth partially open. This is known as the Flehman Response or "flehming".

The cat's ears are very large in proportion to it's head and the upright outer ear flap is movable. You may have seen a cat change the position of the outer ear towards the direction of sound. A cat can hear frequencies up to two octaves higher than humans can. It can hear the whispering of mice which are inaudible to us.