Paws and Claws
The domesticated cat can walk easily along the narrow edge of a two-by-four piece of lumber, a traverse rod, or the head of your bed. Their feet are short, narrow in diameter, and have thin, light bones. Also, a cat's manner of walking allows its feet to land on almost the same print; the left and right paw prints line up right behind each other. A cat's feet are also without fur. The pads on the bottoms of the feet are like supple leather, enabling the animal to silently stalk, cushions landings, and stop suddenly in mid-run.
Except for the cheetah, members of the cat family have retractable front claws that are usually pulled into a fold of skin around each toe. The cat's claws are made of keratin, the same subtance that forms human nails. The curved fore claws are kept razor sharp by scratching to remove the outer sheaths, which are shed from time to time. Compressed on each side and hooked, these claws are the perfect cutting tool.
The hind claws are not as curved as the fore claws but are thicker and very dangerous weapons in defense against attacking animals. Cats chew the sheaths off the hind claws. Since the hind toes are less flexible than the front ones, and the claws are curved all in one direction, cats frequently have difficulty getting down trees, although they are excellent climbers for going up.
Many people claim that the cat hears through the soles of its feet. They may not be far wrong in this assumption, for a great many cats can predict the approach of earthquakes or volcanic eruptions, as evidenced from their upset behavior prior to the natural disaster.
Cats don't perspire as humans do and must pant to cool the body. However, they do perspire on the bare pads of thier feet when they become upset, frightened, or overheated. The pads of the feet are the only place a cat has sweat glands.
©1999
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