Physical and Psychological Characteristics

Like almost all mammals the cats have 7 cervical vertebrae, 13 thoracic vertebrae, 7 lumbar, 3 sacral vertebrae like most mammals and except for the Manx cats 22 or 23 caudal vertebrae. The extra lumbar and thoracic vertebrae account for the cat’s enhanced spinal mobility and flexibility, compared with humans. The free-floating clavicle bones, which allows them to pass their body through any space into which they ca fit their head into.

Mouth

The teeth of cats have highly specialized teeth for the tearing of meat. The first molar and premolar together compose the carnassials pair on each side of the cats mouth, which efficiently functions to shear meat like a pair of scissors. This is present in canids but is highly developed in felines. The tongue of cats has sharp spines, or papillae. The papillae are useful for retaining and ripping flesh from a carcass and the small backward-facing hooks that contain keratin which also assists in their grooming.

The oral structure of the mouth also is why cats use a variety of vocalizations for communications.

Ears

The individual muscles in each ear allow for directional hearing. Each ear can move independently of the other. Most cats have straight ears pointing upward. There are folded eared cats that are known as Scottish Folds. Also have to note that there are cats with curled ears like the Highlanders. Ears of that type are known as a genetic mutation. The cat uses the ears as a form of expression also when angry or frightened, the ears will lay back on its head and often times is accompanied by growing or hissing sounds. That is a warning from the cat. Some times at play the ears can turn back and they also do that so they can hear behind them. If you want to understand the mood of a cat the ear is an important clue to their mood.

Legs

Dogs and Cats are digitigrades: they walk directly on their toes , the bones of their feet making up the lower part of the visible leg. Felines place each hind paw ( almost) directly in the print of the corresponding forepaw, minimizing noise and visible tracks, this way of walking is called directly register. Cats also have very sure footing even when they navigate rough terrain.

Most mammals move legs on alternate sides in sequence. Cats are different than most mammals when they walk by moving both legs on one side and the both legs on the other side. It is interesting to note that this gait is shared with giraffes, camels and pacer horses and a few other mammals. There has not been a connections found thus far to explain why this is that way.

Members of the cat family excluding the cheetah have retractable claws. A relaxed cat has the claws sheathed with skin and fur. When in the wild this would prevent wear from contact with the ground and rocks and would help keep the claws sharp. Stalking can also be done with out claws being heard by prey. The claws on the forefeet are typically sharper than those on the hind feet. Cats can extend the claws in hunting or self-defense, climbing, during biscuit time, or for extra traction on soft surfaces. They can extend their claws voluntarily on one or more paws at will. A cat will also cooperate and let a human extend its claw by carefully pressing both the top and the bottom of the paw. This comes in handy for clipping the nails.

Many breeds have five claws on their front paws and four or five on their rear paws. Long ago a mutation took place and some domestic cats are polydactyl and may have six or seven toes. The fifth front claw, often called the dewclaw is in a more proximal position than those other claws. More proximally, there is a protrusion which appears to be a sixth “finger”. This special feature of the front paws, on the inside of the wrists, is the carpal pad, also found on the paws of big cats and dogs. It has no function in normal walking, but is thought to be an anti-skidding device used while jumping.

Skin

Cats have rather loose skin. This serves many purposes. The cat can turn to confront a predator or another cat when it has a grip on them. The fact that they have loose skin helps with veterinary purposes and simplifies injections.

The loose skin at the back of the neck is called the scruff and we have all seen a mother kitten carry her kittens as she grips that area to move them. A cat tends to become calm when gripped there even as an adult and it can prove useful when attempting to treat or move one. Special care should be used to support the lower part of the cat including hind legs if you do have a hold on the scruff. An adult cat weighs much more than a kitten and injury could happen.

Senses

Cats hearing, eyesight, taste and touch receptors are highly advanced. Their night vision is superior to humans but their day vision is inferior to us. Humans and cats have a similar range or hearing on the low end of the scale but the much higher-pitched sounds the cat has a better range. Up to 64 kHz, which is 1.6 octaves above the range of a human, and even one octave above the range of a dog. The sense of smell is about fourteens times as strong as a human’s. The whiskers (vibrissae) aid with navigation and sensation, cats have dozens of them over their body and face. They have lost the taste for sweetness due to a mutation in an early cat ancestor.

Metabolism

A cat will sleep more than most animals and this is in part to conserve energy. They will sleep even more as they grow older. The duration of sleep per day varies, usually 12-16 hours, with 13-14 hours being the average. The cat has an ability to falls asleep for a brief period and time and through out the years it has come to be called a cat nap. A cat sleeping curled into a tight ball to conserve body heat. They are also known to enter a period of increased activity and playfulness during the evening time and also early morning. All of us that have cats have seen this and sometimes it might interfere with our sleep.

Cats conserve energy by sleeping more than most animals, especially as they grow older. The daily duration of sleep varies, usually 12–16 hours, with 13–14 being the average. Some cats can sleep as much as 20 hours in a 24-hour period. The term cat nap refers to the cat's ability to fall asleep (lightly) for a brief period and has entered the English lexicon – someone who nods off for a few minutes is said to be "taking a cat nap".

Cats will sleep curled into a tight ball to conserve body heat and they will also ball up with other cats in the household to do the same. A cats’ normal body temperature is between 38 and 39 C (101 and 102.2 F). A cat is considered febrile ( hypothermic) if it has a temperature of 39.5 °C (103 °F) or greater, or hypothermic if less than 37.5 °C (100 °F). In comparison a human has a normal temperature of approximately 36.8 C (98.6 F). The normal heart rate of a cat ranges from 140 to 220 beats per minute and it really depends on how excited the cat is. The average heart rate at rest should be between 150 and 180 beats per minute which is about twice that of a human.

Behavior

Social

The close proximity with humans (and other animals kept by humans as pets) have developed over thousands of years and is somewhat symbiotic. The social relationships cats have with their human keepers is hard to really sort out but it is obvious that cats view humans different than they do other cats. Watch how cats respond with body language and vocal tones to other cats and then compare that to how they respond to you as a human. It has been suggested that the cat views humans as a surrogate mother of sorts and that adult domestic cats have an extended kitten hood. The same has been said about the human relationship with the dog and the extended puppy hood that our dogs have.

Cats have been known to express affection towards their humans and it shows even more so if they imprint with the same human at a very young age and are treated with consistent affection and taken care of well. Some breeds are even more social by instinct than other breeds.

Cohabitation With Other Cats

Humans can learn much about their domestic cat by observing feral cat colonies. Each cat in a colony has a set territory and there can be areas of neutral areas where cats will meet one another without territorial fights of conflict. The dominate male will have the largest territory. Outside of neutral areas there can be conflict if a cat comes into the known territory of another cat. The warning may start with a chase, hissing, growling and if that does not drive the violator away a violent attack may come.

Domestic cats do not have to depend on one another to survive so they do not show pack mentality. A lone cat can take care of the basic needs on its own so they are long hunters. They do not hunt in groups like dogs are lions do.

Fighting

The self defense of a cat consists of arching their backs, turning sideways and of course hissing. The mentioned actions are done often times in the hopes to scare off the threat.

Cats will fight in self defense, over territory, reproduction and dominance. Like other animals in the animal kingdom they often times will fluff or raise their fur to try to make themselves appear more threatening and bigger as they arch their backs. Cats also behave this way while playing. If the attach is serious there will be powerful slaps or cuffs to the face and body with the forepaws as well as bites. The weaker cat will often times run away after this round with little harm done. It is also amazing to see how cats will throw themselves to the ground in a defensive posture to rake with their powerful hind legs and we have seen many farm cats take on large dogs or coyotes in this manner. When cats fight there is the possibility of infections of the scratches and bites and this has been known to kill a cat if left untreated. Fighting is believed to be the primary way feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is transmitted. A sexually active male will be in many fights during their lifetime and will often times have the scars that show that. Females will also fight over territory or to defend their kittens. Neutered cat will also fight over territories.

Play

Domestic cats have a well known love of play. The behavior with either adults or kittens mimics hunting and it helps kittens learn to stalk and capture prey. There are as many choices of toys for your cat as all the colors in the rainbow just make careful choices and look to see if the toy will come apart or pose a choking threat. Good supplies of toys help keep your cat from getting bored and offer entertainment for the entire family including humans!

Hygiene

Cats clean themselves by licking their fur. They have a specialized tongue and their saliva is a powerful cleaning agent as well as a deodorant. The act of grooming can also show the dominance level of the cats involved with the dominant one will start to lick and clean a cat that is lower in the status level.

This topic will of course bring us the issue of hair balls. Time to time some cats will regurgitate a pellet (reminds me of what an owl will leave on a hay bale) of fur that has been in their stomach as a result of their grooming. Long haired cats have this problem more often than short haired cats. Hair balls can be prevented with certain cat foods and there are also remedies that ease the elimination of a hair ball. Pet stores sell it and there are also home remedies. Humans can help the cats and add time in to the schedule that includes brushing your cat.

Scratching

The scratching behavior is a natural drive, it helps the cat clean the claws, remove the worn outer sheath and it also provides exercise and helps them stretch their muscles. A cat enjoys doing this and it would seem it is something that drives the humans crazy. The best method of control for this is to buy a scratching post. That way at least you can hopefully get them to use that instead of your couch. They will pick an area to use if you don’t provide them with one.

A scratching post is typically covered in carpeting or sisal rope. The sisal rope is a better idea than carpet if you think about it because you may also have carpet as covering on yours floors. Corrugated cardboard is also used and can even be part of a toy. Surprisingly cats do like it and you can buy refills at the pet store.

Scratching also serves the cat by keeping the claws from getting to long. The nails can be trimmed with a small nail trimmer used by humans or a guillotine type cutter that is made specifically for animals nail trimming. Be careful not to cut the claw to short because a cat has a quick just like we do and if the nail is cut too short it will bleed and maybe painful. You can see the quick through the translucent nail with light colored claws and do not cut past that. Dark nails will not allow you too see the quick but it is better to clip too long than too short and once you get used to doing it your judgment

Declawing or Onychectomy

This procedure is a major surgery and performed under anesthesia. The surgery removes the tip of each digit (from the first knuckle out) of the cat’s forepaws and sometimes the hind paws. The primary reason for declawing cats is to prevent them from damaging your furniture, floorings and door jams. The procedure is uncommon outside of North American and is prohibited by animal cruelty laws in many countries worldwide.

There are alternatives to declawing. One method is the application of blunt, vinyl nail caps that are affixed to the claws with nontoxic glue, requiring periodic replacement when the cat sheds its claw sheaths (about every four to six weeks). Another alternative is to clip the nails once a week like we discussed above.

Fondness for heights

There are many theories about why cats seem to like heights. It may go back to the wild times of surveying their territories and watching for prey. Cats have an acute sense of balance and flexibility and they can right themselves before they fall from a high place but they can also still get hurt. An old wives tail is that the cats tail aides the cat with its balance and to be honest a tailless cat can do the same thing. It is the humans’ responsibility to safe guard the cat from getting hurt even in regards to high places. Take steps in your home to make it safe for your cat.

Habitat

It is thought that domestic cats are related to desert animals and cats enjoy heat and the exposure to the sun. They search out a sunny spot on the rug or window frame and seem to prefer warm temperatures. Cats do not show signs of discomfort with heat until their skin reaches about 52 C (126 F). Humans typically start to feel uncomfortable when their skin temperature gets higher than 44.5 C (112 F). .

Cats as a whole can withstand hot and and cold temperate climates as long as they are not for extended periods of time. Some cats like the Norwegian Forest Cat and the Maine Coon have developed heavier coats for fur than other cats they have little restance against moist cold like rain, snow or fog and struggle to maintain their 102 F body temperature when wet. Most cats do dislike immersion in water but there are some breeds that actually show a fondness for it including the Turkish Van.

Domestication

Humans and cats have possibly been in association with each other for 9,500 years. A grave excavated in 2004 contained skeletons laid close to one another of a human and a cat.

A domestic cat that lives indoors typically will live 14 to 20 years but there has been some reach the age of 36. It is important to note here that a domesticated cat tends to live longer if they are not permitted to go outdoors and if they are neutered. The health benefits of neutering are that your cat will not get not testicular cancer or ovarian cancer and both have a reduced risk of mammary cancer.

Cats and humans have a mutual arrangement which started long ago. The cats helped remove rats and mice from the humans’ food. The cat does not eat the grains, fruits, or vegetables. This arrangement is taking place right now in rural areas where farms have semi-feral cats hunting the barns and fields and ridding them of rodents that cause a lot of damage. Many pet cats hunt and kill rabbits, rodents, birds, lizards, frogs, fish and large insects by instinct. They may not eat their prey but they hunt all the same and they may even show their human their catch of the day.

Interaction with humans

The attitudes of a human towards cats vary widely. Some have cats as a casual companion and others go to great lengths to pamper their cats and even treat them like children. Cats are also bred and shown as registered pedigree pets and that hobby is known as the cat fancy.

It has been noted that when a cat bonds with its human guardian the cat may display behaviors of their human. It has also been said that they will try to mimic the sounds from a human. Cat lovers do believe that the cat also communicates with body language to get the human to understand a want or need or even a concern.

Allergens

Some humans are allergic to cats and the symptoms can include hay fever, asthma or skin rash. The allergic reactions to cat dander or cat salivia are the most common reason why people don’t like cats. Some people have acclimated themselves to a particular animal and can cohabitate in the same home while still being allergic to cats in general. Other people do not acclimate and experience symptoms whenever they are around a cat. There are many cat owners that say the rewards of having a cat as a companion far outweigh the discomfort associated with the allergens and cope with taking allergy medicine along with bathing their cats frequently. It is said that a weekly bath will eliminate about 90% of the cat dander. There are also wipes that can be bought in some supply magazines that can cut the dander down but make sure you use ones that are made for that purpose and don’t try to use the baby wipes.

Trainability

Times have changed in regards to how many view the cat and training. Many owners train their cat in performing tricks much like a dog. Cats have also been known to manipulate simple mechanisms like doorknobs by themselves. There are also owners (I for one) that train the cat to go on walks with a leash and harness. This is very enjoyable and has really expanded the times we can take our cats with us. It is not as hard as one might think and it is well worth it in the end. Cats will also obey simple commands like “time to eat”. Patience and some effort will pay off for those of you that make the choice to work with your cat.

Litter Boxes

Litter boxes are provided for indoor cats and are usually filled with some adsorbent material. There are many products out there now to choose from and the personal choice is yours and needs to fit your budget. The litter box needs to be cleaned daily. Depending on how many cats you have you may need more than one. If the box is not kept clean the cat may decide to take matters into their own paws and pick other places in the home to use as a litter box. This event will not please the owner but it is the owners fault if the box is not kept clean.

Cleaning the box daily also helps keep the cat healthy. There are many different litters and styles of litter boxes including ones that automatically sift the litter after each use.

The box may also pose a risk of toxoplasmosis transmission to susceptible pregnant women and immuno-compromised individuals. Transmission risk may be reduced by daily litter box cleaning by someone other than the susceptible individual.

Toilet Training

Some people have started to toilet train their cats. Some cats can be toilet trained and the litter box is taken out of the home. There is an adapter that fits over the bowl area and you slowly take pieces out a week at a time until they are just perching on the seat and seem to like the idea of it. When training is complete, the cat uses the toilet by perching over the bowl.