The Body
Cats have amazing physical anatomy and characteristics. For example, cats have 244 bones in their skeleton, a bone structure vastly different from other mammals. The skeletons of larger cats are similar to that of the domestic cat. The number of bones in the tail varies according to the species. The cat's rounded head (large in proportion to its body), large forward-pointing eyes, and high brain case are the marks of a hunter. The seven vertebra in its neck are much shorter than those of other animals. Since the cat only needs to digest meat, its intestines are short and simple.
Most cats are very intelligent, with an IQ far superior to other animals. In fact, a cat's memory can be up to two hundred times more rententive than that of a dog. Their abilities astound scientists and make fortunes for business people. However, cats exhibit their intelligence in their own way and at their own time and can't be trained in the same manner as dogs.
Its body is built for power and agility, from its narrow chest to its powerful hindquarters. When it crouches, it contracts two muscles: the hamstring and the tibialis (in front of the tibia and fibula bones).
The difference between the longest and shortest of facial profiles is only about two inches. The only other major difference between cats, besides coloring, facial shapes, and ears, is that few cats have extra toes.
Unless there is a physical ailment that upsets the sense of balance, a cat has the remarkable ability to keep its balance in situations that would have humans rigid with fear. Their ability to right themselves when falling, though, does not always keep them from harm. It all depends on the distance the cat falls, how it lands, and what it falls on. Some humans engage in the cruel practice of holding a kitten upside down and dropping it, just to see how it will land. This can cause back injuries and certainly doesn't do much for establishing love and trust.
This ability to fall on their feet comes from the cat's flexing ability of the backbone; the primary reason for the flexability is because the cat has five more vertebrae than humans. These extra vertebrae run back from the shoulder blades, giving the cat the ability to twist as much as 180 degrees. Like other animals who are good runners, the cat has practically no collarbone. Its shoulder blades lie along the side of the chest. As a result of this skeletal structure, the cheetah, for example, can increase its walking stride by as much as four and one-half inches.
A relaxed cat will breathe twice as fast as humans, twenty-five to thirty times a minute. Their heartbeat is also twice as fast, 110 to 140 times a minute. As a consequence, their half pint of blood circulates completely through their body every eleven seconds. Because of this, cats are less likely than dogs or humans to have atherosclerosis or cerebral hemorrhages.
Cats have two blood types, A and B. These blood types are not the same as human blood groups. Most cats have A type blood. The white count of cats is much higher than that of humans; normally it is around 12,500. However, stress can quickly change the white count, as well as make the cat ill in other ways.
The tail of a cat can either be long and thin or short, and plume-like, depending on their hair length and the type of cat. Cats have marvelous control over this appendage, using it as a rudder when turning a corner at high speed or as a balance when walking on a narrow surface. It also comes in handy for keeping the nose warm or the light out of eyes when sleeping.
©1999
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