The anatomy of the cat includes the internal and organizational structure of the feline. Do you want to know their bones, muscles, organs or senses? In this article on our site we are going to offer a broad perspective of the most outstanding characteristics of this animal, those that make us identify it, without any doubt, as the athletic, agile animal and, we cannot forget it, the predator that it is.
Cat lovers will then have some basic information that will allow them to discover the fundamental aspects of the constitution and functioning of the feline organism In this way it will be easier for us to understand both behavior and pathologies.
Cat Anatomy Notes
The cat is an animal mammal, which implies that it has mammary glands with which the females, after giving birth, will feed their the new kittens. In addition, it is a carnivorous animal. In the following sections we will discuss the basic characteristics of each of your body's systems:
The fur and fur of cats
We will begin the review of the cat's anatomy with the skin and the mantle, since they perform important functions. One of them is protection against adverse weather conditions. It also highlights its role in maintaining the feline's body temperature. Cats are homeothermic animals, which means that they are capable of maintaining a constant body temperature, in their case around 38-38.5 ºC.
In addition, hair is also very important in the language and communication of cats. For example, a bristling cat tells us that he is angry. Other modified hairs fulfill tactile functions, such as whiskers or eyebrows, as we will see.
Finally, we highlight in this section the role of the nails, which the cat can keep retracted or, if necessary, exposed. This ability allows the nails to remain sharp, unlike in the case of dogs in which, as they are always exposed, they are filed when they come into contact with surfaces. A cat should never have its nails removed.
The skeleton of the cat
As for the cat's anatomy relative to the bones, a skull stands out where only the lower jaw is mobile. The spine is made up, from top to bottom, of seven cervical, thirteen thoracic, seven lumbar, three sacral, and about twenty caudal vertebrae. The intervertebral discs are what give the feline skeleton its celebrated flexibility. Attached to the thoracic vertebrae are thirteen pairs of ribs. If we ask ourselves how many bones a cat has, we should know that there is no fixed number. An average figure of 244 is given.
Cats, when walking, lean on the tips of their fingers. They have five in the front paws and four in the rear. The hind limbs are capable of achieving great impulses by folding in the form of a zeta. Finally, the skeletal muscles are very powerful, especially those found in the extremities, which also give the animal speed.
The cat's digestive system
The cat's anatomy relative to its digestive system begins in the oral cavity, where food begins to be processed for digestion. We will see that the cat's teeth differ formally according to the function they are intended for. In addition, cats, like humans, have a double dentition, that is, a milk or transitory teeth and the definitive one
Kittens are born without teeth. These come out around 2-3 weeks of life and fall off at approximately six months to be replaced by permanent ones. The tusks stand out, adapted for hunting. Cat teeth consist of 12 incisors, 4 fangs, 8-10 premolars and 4 molars.
The tongue is characterized by being very rough, which is used for feeding and also for grooming Due to their hygienic habits cats can form and expel hairballs. After the mouth, the pharynx and the esophagus lead to the stomach and intestines, where nutrients are assimilated and unusable substances go to the rectum for expulsion.
The cat's cardiorespiratory system
In this section we will review the cat's anatomy at the pulmonary and cardiac level Therefore, the lungs stand out, as they are responsible for gaseous exchange with the outside, that is, breathing, through inspiration and expiration movements.
The heart, which is divided into two atria and two ventricles, distributes blood throughout the body. Arterial blood is the one that leaves the lungs, therefore, it is oxygenated. The venous, for its part, contains the waste substances from the different organs of the cat. To find out where a cat's heart is, we can lay it on its right side and put a hand on its chest, at the end of the upper leg.
The cat's urogenital system
This part of the cat's anatomy is very important, since these felines usually suffer from urinary problems and, very frequently, kidney problems. The kidneys are the organs responsible for filtering the blood and removing toxic substances through urine.
On the other hand, the cat has two testicles in the scrotum to ensure the right temperature for sperm formation. The uterus of the females is bicornuate and they are seasonal polyestrous, which implies that they will be in heat for a good part of the year.
Cat's senses
We finish the review of the cat's anatomy referring to the following senses:
- Sight: How do cats see? the cat's pupil can dilate and contract depending on the light received. Thus, we will see how it occupies almost the entire eye or, on the contrary, it is reduced to a fine line. Cats have a third eyelid, also called nictitating membrane, which helps protect the eye. The vision is adapted to night hunting, which does not mean that the cat is able to see in the dark.
- The ear: The pinna picks up sounds that are going to pass to the middle and inner ear. These pinnae can be moved to address the source of the sound. Cats have good hearing.
- Taste: It seems that the cat's taste buds are not capable of appreciating the sweet taste, instead, they do identify and like s alty.
- Olfaction: cats have this highly developed sense, which is useful for hunting but also for communication, because for her they use pheromonesAlready at birth their sense of smell is highly developed and they are guided by it to find their mother's nipple and thus begin to feed. In addition to the nose, cats can sniff by opening their mouths and using the Jacobson's organ
- Touch: Cats have different receptors all over their bodies that help them perceive contacts with the outside world. This is especially important when you have to travel in the dark. Eyebrows and mustaches stand out.
- Balance: Mechanisms that maintain balance are well developed in cats. That is why they do not get dizzy and fall on their feet most of the time, in addition to being able to climb, from a very young age, with agility. Even so, we must not neglect security measures, because the cat could fall out of a window with dire consequences.
