Cats have elastic bodies. Their spines are held together
by muscles, instead of ligaments as in the human body. Due to this extra
elasticity, they are able to move their spines by as much as 180 degrees.
They have 7 cervical, 13 thoracic, 7 lumar and 3 sacral vertebrae -
5 more than we have. There are also 21 caudal vertebrae in the tails
of most cats.
Cats have no collarbone, as such, and shoulderblades with unique shoulder
joints attached to the sides which allow the legs to turn in nearly
any direction. These features allow for increased movement and power.
Ernest E. Thompson, in his book 'Anatomy of Animals', says of the cat:
" The shoulder has so much play that the scapula may touch the jaw,
or slide back as far as the 8th or 10th rib, while the muscles regulating
these movements are greatly developed, endowing the Cat with remarkable
power for climbing and for striking blows."
Cats walk with minimum expenditure of energy. The hind feet fall into
the track left by the front, leaving a single, irregular track. Most
domestic cats can run at about 31 miles per hour - this allows them
to escape from most predators.
Cats sleep 16 hours a day, with 70% of that spent in light catnaps.
Only 30% of cat sleep is deep sleep, often with their paws twitching
and ears flicking in dreams. A cat will only sleep deeply if it is in
a safe and secure place - such as a concealed or high area, or, of course
its favourite chair!
Cats possess the largest eyes of all carnivores. The eyes of the domestic
cat use nearly 50% more available light than ours, and thus need only
1/6th the level of illumination. Although cats generally have good sight,
a cat's near vision isn't very good, and a cats peripheral vision is
clearer than looking straight ahead. Cats do see in colour, but they
may not see colours as we do - they can see more shades of grey than
we can, and could be more sensitive to ultraviolet light.
Cats ears are adapted to hear high-pitched sounds - corressponding to
the cries of their prey, birds and rodents. They do not hear extremely
low tones, but can outhear us on the higher end of the scale. Cats can
hear the sounds made by mice up to 60 00 cycles per second - compared
with our 20 000 cycles per second.
Perhaps the cats most important sense in scent. Cats use scent in mating,
recognizing food and identifying other cats and people. They have 67
million olfactory (scent) cells in their nose, while we have only 5-20
million.
As you can see from above - our cats are truly amazing animals. They
are the ultimate predators, capable of super-fast reactions, and have
incredible power in comparison to body size. They can be quiet, soft
and gentle - then suddenly explode into action.
They can be extremely noisy while fighting and mating, almost silent
while hunting or walking around the house - and can delicately and easily
navigate the tops of fences or cluttered desks and benches. The cat
is incredible!
