Knowing Your Cat's Special Anatomy

Understanding your cat's body is essential for providing the best care. Take a minute to look your cat over from head to tail and discover how the body works.

Head:

A very flexible neck is a sure sign of your cat's predatory nature. It provides a wide range of motion for a strong skull to watch for prey.

Eyes:

Your cat's eyes are large and well protected deep inside strong sockets. Each eye is uniquely equipped with a depth of focus specialisation to allow for better distance judgment while hunting.

Teeth:

Your cat's teeth are typical of a hunting carnivore. Fangs for killing, incisors for holding onto prey and molars for tearing. The lower jaw is particularly flexible to give an extra boost to chewing food.

Ears:

Your cat's ears are like cups that collect a wide range of sounds. Muscles in the ears are precision instruments that shape the ears in specific ways to detect specific sounds. Just like your ears, your cat's inner ears help balance.

Back:

Your cat's back is marked by larger bones along the middle to support the weight of the torso. Muscles along the back are strong to help carry heavy prey over long distances if necessary.

Back Legs:

Your cat's back legs can only move backward and forward. The "knee" is the opposite of the "elbow" on front legs. They work together to give your cat a unique ability to spring and pounce.

Front Legs:

Unlike the back legs, your cat's front legs can not only move forward and backward, but also rotate a bit so the underside of paws can be turned toward the face. This lets your cat clean and wash effectively.

Paws:

Paws are so long that your cat actually walks more on its "fingers" supported by sensitive, dense pads. Claws can be retracted.