Anatomy of a cat
The skeleton consists of 250 bones. The neck vertebrae are short, and the spine is very flexible. The clavicle cats, small like all felines, is connected to the sternum by a single ligament: this gives it great flexibility, the shoulder can move independently of one another. Like all carnivores, the last premolar and first upper molar less form the carnivorous cat who can tear his food, thanks to powerful muscles attached to the sides of his head, and swallow without chewing. The hyoid bone is completely ossified, allowing the cat to purr but not to roar
The legs are equipped with claws retractile. The cat has five fingers with forepaws, but only four fingers touch the ground, the thumb remaining aloof and four toes on the hind legs Cases of polydactyly exist and certain standards of cat breeds admit in competitions The pads or balls, are made of an elastic membrane which give a silent
These features give the animal a flexibility and relaxation breaks loose when he can jump to such a height greater than five times its size In the race, his average speed is 40 kph and it is 9 seconds for 100 meters, but it is not a distance runner and he gets tired very quickly Contrary to what one might think, all cats are very good swim and they will not hesitate to jump into the water if they are forced
An average cat weighs between 2.5 and 4.5 kilograms and measuring 46 to 51 cm without tail, 20 to 25 cm long. The record of weight and size Himmy is owned by a cat neutered Australian who, until his death in 1986, weighed 21.3 kilograms to 96.5 cm in total length and a waist circumference of 84 cm
Skeleton of a cat.
Claw with the nerves visible.
Infrared thermography of the cat.
Digestive System
Anatomy of the vital organs of the cat
The little cat chews and the digestion process starts directly in the stomach, small size (about 300 milliliters) but which has a pH very acidic which is also useful as a means of preventing gastrointestinal infections His gut is rather short (about one meter for the small intestine and 20 to 40 inches for the large intestine), typical hunter small prey. These dimensions explain why the cat has to eat frequently but in small amounts (between 10 and 16 meals daily) The cat's digestive system is poorly adapted to dietary diversity, which is usually diarrhea and vomiting.
Finally, the cat's digestive transit is fast, between 12 and 14 hours
Hair
Cat mid-long coat
The types of coats are numerous, for highly variable depending on the races. The cat's coat is composed of hair long (jar) and bearing the marks of dress (eg patches). Below are the shortest hairs (floss), then down. This organization provides a good insulation of the body. There are long haired, short, curly or even kinky. Some breeds, like the sphinx, are almost devoid of hair, a very lightweight duvet covers the body and tail
The dress of a cat is composed of one or more colors that form various combinations (patterns) called masters: some individuals have large spots, some scratches or speckles, and others united coat The dress can also be pigmented darker towards the extremities of the body (dresses Colorpoint, mink and sepia). The combination of different colors and patterns give all possible variations of fur for a cat. The color of the fur of the cat can take many colors (black, white, blue, red ...), more or less diluted or dark. The reasons for male DNA can be only one or two colors at once (exceptions) only in principle females can have three: the dresses are tortoiseshell and calico An effect refers to a color changing reflections due to the change of light and dark on the hair length (dresses chinchilla, shaded, smoke or cameo).
Read Also: Anatomy of a Cat: The senses, The view, Smell, Taste, Jacobson's organ