Cat Bones

Flexible Bones

Ha! We have more bones than humans. OK, the extra ones in the tail are obvious but take a look at those extra back bones. And, they help us balance in those places where humans might fall. 

Here's the drill on the back bones from Wikipedia

Cats have seven cervical vertebrae like almost all mammals, thirteen thoracic vertebrae (humans have twelve), seven lumbar vertebrae (humans have five), three sacral vertebrae (humans have five because of their bipedal posture), and, except for Manx cats and other shorter tailed cats, twenty-two or twenty-three caudal vertebrae (humans have three to five, fused into an internal coccyx). The extra lumbar and thoracic vertebrae account for the cat's enhanced spinal mobility and flexibility, compared to humans. The caudal vertebrae form the tail, used by the cat as a counterbalance to the body during quick movements. Between their vertebrae, they have elastic discs, useful for cushioning the jump landings.

They're why we are more supple. And we have extra padding between those bones.

And, humans wonder why we can move through such small openings. Whiskers are the limit! Our shoulders attach to our forelegs by free-floating bones so we can pass through any space where our head will fit.

I get into some tight spots in Tails from the Park like down holes and under houses, but I'm still here to tell my stories thanks to my bones.

Hey, don't you think the cat in the illustration looks almost like me? Except, not as handsome of course.

If you are way into details, here's more on all of our fantastic cat bones.

A – Cervical or Neck Bones (7 in number). B – Dorsal or Thoracic Bones (13 in number, each bearing a rib).C – Lumbar Bones (7 in number).D – Sacral Bones (3 in number).E – Caudal or Tail Bones (19 to 21 in number).

1 – Cranium, or Skull.
2 – Mandible, or Lower jaw.
3 – Scapula, or Shoulder-blade.
4 – Sternum, or Breast-bone.
5 – Humerus.
6 – Radius.
7 – Phalanges of the Toes.
8 – Metacarpal Bones.
9 – Carpal or Wrist-bones.
10 – Ulna.
11 – Ribs.
12 – Patella, or Knee-cap.
13 – Tibia.
14 – Metatarsal Bones.
15 – Tarsal Bones.
16 – Fibula.
17 – Femur, or Thigh-bone.
18 – Pelvis, or Hip-bone.

Max

The Importance of Cat Whiskers

Whiskers!

Each side of a cat's face has about 12 whiskers.
I don't talk much about whiskers in my stories but whiskers are very important cat assets.

Whiskers help us see in the dark and stay clear of predators because they are a well-honed sensory tool.

We don't just have them on our face but in other places, too, like ears, jaw and forelegs.

Whiskers are very fancy sensory organs with extremely sensitive sensors at the tips. I think whiskers are why some people think cat's have ESP (extrasensory perception). Ha! We are gifted with whiskers.

Here's what Pet MD says:

Whiskers, unlike human hair, are actually touch receptors. These longer, stiffer hairs -- also called vibrissae -- are embedded more deeply in the cat’s body than the shorter top-fur coat. The vibrissae are connected securely to the sensitive muscular and nervous systems, sending information about the surroundings directly to the cat’s sensory nerves, giving it a heightened sense of feeling and helping the cat to detect and respond to changes in its surroundings - sort of like kitty radar.

A cat’s tactile hairs may be the most prominent on either side of its nose and upper facial lip. You may be also able to see shorter whiskers above each of the eyes (kind of like eyebrows). But did you know that cats also have whiskers on their jaw line and on the back of their front legs?

Cats use their whiskers in the same way that we use the touch receptors in our finger tips to feel our way around in the darkness, and to alert us to potentially painful situations.

Cats have a sensory organ at the end of their whiskers called a proprioceptor, which sends tactile signals to the brain and nervous system. The proprioceptor is related to the position of the body and limbs, an important part of knowing where every part of the body is so that decisions can be made for the next immediate movement. This organ makes the cat’s whiskers very sensitive to even the smallest change in the cat’s environment. A cat’s whiskers not only help it to gauge whether it can fit into a tight space (without even being able to see it), they can even respond to vibrations in the air, such as when the cat is chasing prey.

Whiskers also serve as a way for cats to visually measure distance, which is why they are able to leap so quickly and gracefully onto a narrow ledge or out of harm’s way.

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#catwhiskers