Cat Anatomy
Anatomy of the cat
Body size: | 30-50 cm length 30-35 cm tail length |
Weight: | 4-6 kg depending on the breed and age up to 10 kg Maine Coon |
Spinal column: |
51 vertebra and 26 ribs |
Bone structure: | fine, delicate bone structure |
Pelvis: | is ideally constructed for sneaking and feathering (from falls and jumps) |
Claws: | stuck in claw macchinations and only come out on command. They are very thoroughly maintained and sharpened (cat tree) Forepaw: 5 claws Hindpaw: 4 claws |
Head: | rotate up to 180 degrees |
Teeth: | Predator's teeth: long canine teeth (fangs) and strong ones behind back teeth (= carnassial teeth) Cats have 30 teeth - 16 at the top, 14 in the bottom (26 milk teeth) These are: 4 carnassial teeth, 14 molars, 12 incisors |
Tongue: | The tongue is covered with small, rear-facing papillae (ideal for skin cleaning) |
Lips: |
On the upper lip there are whiskers, called vibrissae = tactile sense |
Intestine: | The small intestine is relatively short - typical for all carnivores |
Eyes / Eyesight: |
Cats see in the dark almost as much as during the day. In the dark, the pupils are very large and can collect a lot of light. The brighter it is, the more narrow the pupil becomes until only a small slit collects light. |
Ears: | Believe it or not, but cats hear better than dogs. A mouse whistle is enough for the cat to locate the mouse. People would not hear this high-pitched tone. But a cat can perceive vibrations up to 60'000 Hz, which is already in the ultrasonic range. A quiet sound is enough for the cat and it knows, where the mice nest is located and with which speed the victim moves into which direction. |
Nose: | On the hunt itself cats rely less on their sense of smell, although it is more developed with 200 million olfactory cells compared to humans. The sense of smell plays a much more important role in social behavior of the cat. Therefore, the first contact of two cats is always from nose to nose. The cat marks with scent glands on both sides of the head at the chin, lips and tail. Fragrance checks are carried out on trees, objects, other animals and even humans. This substance is for us humans not smell able, applies under cats however as a sign of friendship. Male cats that have not been castrated put also scent marks with their anal glands. In order to smell these, a very fine nose is required! |
Tactile sense: | Unknown objects are being palpated by the cat with its whiskers on the cheeks, above the eyes, around the nose, under the chin and on the front paws. The movements of the stiff whiskers in the face can be directly controlled by the cat, so that they may determine the quality of an object precisely. The cat’s paws also play an important role in the sense of touch. The paw pads have very sensitive receptors that respond immediately to any vibration. The cat uses its paws to tap things that appear dangerous to her and to get more information this way over the bales. |
Hunting way: | Loner, sneaking up on the prey (= creep hunter), capture it in the jump and kill it by bites. |
For questions and problems, please contact our trained team at the Zoo Roco store. It can offer professional advice on all issues.