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Cat Anatomy: From Top To Tail

Eyes

Vision is a cat's strongest sense. Cats can see in very dim light. They have a mirror-like tapetum in the back of their eye (a special layer of cells in the retina). The tapetum reflects any available light back through the cat's eye. The reflected light is known as eyeshine, and is what makes a cat's eyes appear to "glow" in the dark. Cats do have colour vision but it is limited. They see moving objects better than still objects. Cats have a third eyelid called the nictating membrane. It protects the eye and varies in colour from pale pink to dark depending on the colour of the cat.

Ears

Cats ears are important for both hearing and balance. Cats often "prick up" their ears when they hear a sound. They are aiming their ears to lock into the source of sound waves in the air. Cats ears are more sensitive to high-pitched sounds than human ears. Cats can hear noises made by their prey that humans can not hear at all.

Nose

Cats have a very good sense of smell. They can sense odours (odors) that are totally undetectable to a human. A cats nose can be pale pink, grey, black or a combination of colours depending on the cats coat colour.

Whiskers

These coarse hairs contain sensitive nerve endings at their base which are stimulated when the whisker tips brush past an object. This helps to guide the cat through plants and tall grass when it is stalking prey. It is also thought that whiskers give the cat information about the amount of room it has when moving through a dark narrow space.

Fur

A cats coat is a good insulator and helps the cat adapt to temperature changes. The coat traps a layer of air which insulates the skin. The amount of insulation varies with shedding of the hair in warm weather and growth of a thicker coat in cold weather. Cats living indoors shed a small amount of hair year round. Indoor temperatures are more stable than outdoor temperatures and cats adapt to this stable environment. When a cat faces a frightful situation, its body and tail fur bristles (stands on end). The cat appears to be larger and more threatening than it actually is.

Claws

Cats claws are used for climbing, hunting, self-defense and scent marking. Cats claws are retracted into skin folds above the toe pads when not in use. Cats that spend part of their time outdoors should never be de-clawed as it leaves them almost defenseless.

Tail

The tail is an extension of the vertebral column. It helps the cat to balance while climbing and to right itself during a fall from height. The tail is also used to communicate pleasure and anger to humans and other cats. A softly waving tail shows pleasure. Frenzied waving or beating the tail on the floor shows annoyance or anger.

Purring

All cats, both domesticated and wild, purr. Cats purr when they're contented but sometimes also when they are in pain. How cats purr is still a mystery. Purring is thought to come from vibrations in the muscles of the larynx (voicebox) and the diaphragm (a muscle used in breathing).

References

Page S, The Complete Cat Owners Manual, Australia: Readers Digest, 1997

Taylor D, The Ultimate Cat Book, Great Britain: Dorling Kindersley, 1989

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