All the fluffy fur of felines hides the cat skeleton which is complex and with many more bones than the human anatomy. However, we do carry some similarities, such as the skull and jaw with teeth, spine and thoracic vertebrae. But why can they "move" more than us and still fall on their feet? Well, it turns out that the feline spine does not have as many ligaments as ours andtheir intervertebral discs are more flexible. Curious, right? Let's see a little more about the cat's skeleton in this article below!

Pet osteology: feline skeleton is more complex than that of humans

To begin with, the bone elements of cats vary according to their age. For example, while an adult has "only" 230 bones, a kitten has up to 244. This is because the bones of the younger ones are shorter and develop (connect) as they develop. But it doesn't stop there! Did you know that we have 206 bones? Yes, it doesn't look like it, but cats have more bonesthan us.

Another detail is that in the midst of the cat's fur, the feline's bony anatomy carries very accentuated and also well evidenced bones. All this is due to their development, which needed to run fast from hunters and also to act like a predator, full of manemolence.

It is also interesting to point out that in this skeleton, the cat has strong bones, being the second hardest natural substance in the body (the first is tooth enamel). This structure is a support of the body, anchoring the tissues and other organs and allowing muscle movement.

Cat skeleton has sturdy skull and flexible jaw

The cat's skull is made up of several bones, is strong and small-faced, and has nasal and tympanic cavities (which contributes to the cat's good hearing) with dental elements in the lower part. The cat's jaw is flexible due to the temporomandibular joints which allow food to be chewed firmly. And the feline skull is divided into two parts: neurocranium, withstructures that protect the central nervous system, such as the cerebrum and cerebellum; and the rostral viscerocranium, which preserves the nasal and oral part.

After all, how is the cat's skeleton divided into vertebrae?

Just like us, cats also have a well-formed spine with partitions. Another mammal that has this characteristic is the dog. Both do not have as many ligaments and the good feline flexibility comes through the invertebral discs. Now, learn how the dog and cat skeleton is divided: with cervical, thoracic (chest), lumbar and caudal vertebrae. Starting with the cervical, locatedon a short neck, it has seven vertebrae and is also flexible.

And what do the cat's ribs look like? Skeleton has several bone elements

The cat's thoracic vertebrae lie just posterior to the cervical vertebrae ("in the middle"). This region is broad and heavily muscled, divided into the rib cage, sternum and thoracic limbs:

• Thoracic cage: of the thirteen rib vertebrae, nine of them attach to the sternum through cartilages (called sternal ribs), which protect the lung and the last four do not attach but are associated with the anterior costal cartilage.
• Sternum: known as the "breastbone", it protects the cat's heart and lungs. It lies below the rib cage and is the same for both dogs and cats. The cat's sternum is also cylindrical in shape (unlike pigs, which are flat). There are eight sternums in total. The first is called the manubrium and the last is called the sternum xiphoid appendage, a bone formed by cartilagexiphoid, which allows the cat more movement (so they can do a 180° turn).
• Thoracic limbs: divided by the scapula (shoulder), which has a pronounced spine, humerus (upper arm), which is wide and slightly sloping, radius and ulna (forearm), with rounded ends that cross each other. Some veterinarians argue that the cat has a small, non-functional clavicle between the limbs, while others believe that this limb is just cartilage. A curious fact about the forelimbs isthat the cat's elbows are opposite the knee.

In its skeleton, the cat has a back with pronounced bones

The rear region of the cat's skeleton begins with the lumbar, is followed by the pelvis and finalized by the femur.

• Lumbar: seven vertebrae in total, which connect the rib cage to the caudal vertebrae.
• Pelvis: is narrow and funnel-shaped, and is formed by the pelvic girdle, which has the ilium at the top, the pubis at the front and the ischium (ischial arch) at the bottom. The ilium (buttock) is concave and the ischium is horizontal and precedes the caudal vertebrae. In this region, the sacrum bone is also located. The bones of the cat's pelvis are larger than those of the flat bones (e.g. the skull) and theycome together to form the acetabulum, which is what allows the femur to articulate.
• Femur of the cat: This region of the thigh is cylindrical and also has a patella, which is long and convex. Below it, there is a facet for articulation of the sesamoid (of movement). And further down, we find the tibia and fibula, with a sesamoid for their articulation.

The front paws of the cat skeleton have thumbs!

Even though they are short, the cat's front paws are made up of several bony components: carpus, metacarpus and phalanges.

• Cat's body: this palmar region has proximal and distal sesamoid bones and is divided into radial, intermediate, ulnar and accessory carpus.
• Metacarpal: is digitigrade, i.e. it leaves its footprints on the ground and is supported by dense pads (the famous pads). Therefore, cats always walk "on tiptoe". This also helps them to achieve great jumps and have high running power. A curiosity about the cat is that they also walk with their side paws in pairs.
• Phalanges: The front four phalanges are middle and distal, and the middle two are larger than the first and last. The fifth phalanx, which is proximal and distal, is that "little finger", affectionately nicknamed "thumb".

Compared to humans, the anatomy of the paws of the cat skeleton is very similar to our hand. However, they do not have the trapezium, so it is not possible to "close" the cat's paw (only the phalanges).

Cat skeletal hind legs are quite different from the front ones

It may not look like it, but the hind legs are quite different from the front legs (just like we have different feet and hands). But the tarsus (base) is equivalent to the carpus (palm) and the metatarsus is equivalent to the metacarpal.

The distinctions are in the metatarsus, which is longer (literally, a "little foot") and the absence of the fifth distal phalanx. This means that the cat's hind legs do not have that little toe on the side. The tarsus has seven bones and is connected to the tibial bone.

The tail is part of a cat's skeleton (yes, it has bones!).

The cat's tail is super malleable and moves according to the feline's emotions. Even so, the cat's tail is formed by bones, being an extension of the spine. Depending on the breed, the cat's tail has up to 27 vertebrae. Another interesting thing is that the front and upper region of the feline is made to support its entire weight. And while humans have the spine as a support, that of thefelines is seen as a bridge.

A cat's skeleton also has nails and teeth

Another similarity we bear with felines are the teeth and nails that are part of their skeletal anatomy (but beware: they are not bones!). Cats usually have 30 teeth in a pointed shape and with four canines, just like dogs. However, an adult dog has up to 42 teeth.

Cat's nails are attached to the distal interphalangeal joint, and they don't stop growing like human's either, as they are made up of keratin-filled cells which, when they stop developing, die and form cellular debris (which are the nails). The reason for a cat scratching everything, is that they also file their nails to remove the old coating (and the only way to do that is to scratch them).that is with scratches).

Due to natural selection and survival instinct, feline claws are long and sharp, but unlike ours, they have nerves (so you should be very careful when cutting your cat's nail).