The cat’s body
Most cats are about 50 to 55 cm long and weigh around 5 kg, although female cats are usually a bit lighter and smaller than their male counterparts of the same breed. Depending on the breed, there are cats that, when fully grown, weigh only 2 kg or approach 10 kg without being considered overweight. Such large cats are significantly bigger than the standard 50 to 55 cm length of head and body. These breeds are also referred to as large cats. A cat’s tail typically measures between 25 and 30 cm. According to the Guinness World Records, the longest cat in the world is 123.2 cm long.
Cat legs and claws
The length of a cat’s legs varies significantly depending on the breed, so shoulder height can be as low as 20 cm or as high as 40 cm or more. Cats have five toes on each front paw and four toes on each back paw. They have a well-developed sense of touch in their paws, allowing them to explore unfamiliar objects. Each toe has a claw that can be extended through muscle contraction, and its curvature aids in climbing vertically.
If a cat does not engage these specific muscles, the claws retract to prevent wear. However, due to this curvature, a cat cannot descend from trees, for example. If a cat is unable to jump, it remains stuck in the tree and may need assistance. Additionally, a cat with retracted claws can use its soft paws to sneak up on prey quietly.
Cat ears and hearing
A cat’s head is relatively small, with large, prominent ears. However, there are many exceptions, such as the Scottish Fold, which has folded ears that do not stand up. Cats can hear in all directions by swiveling their ears accordingly. The cat’s ear is one of the most developed among mammals.
Cats can hear frequencies ranging from about 60 Hz to 100 kHz. Frequencies around 100 kHz are used by mice to communicate with each other. Humans, on the other hand, can only hear frequencies from about 20 Hz to 20 kHz. Thus, cats can hear about five times more frequencies than humans.
Cat whiskers
Whiskers help cats navigate in the dark, detect the slightest movements in the air and water, and to some extent, maintain balance. However, whiskers have nothing to do with a cat’s purring. Depending on whether the whiskers are close to the face or extending outward, much can be inferred about the cat’s current state of mind, though whiskers alone do not provide a clear expression of its mental state.
Cat eyes
Like humans and other animals with forward-facing eyes, cats can see in three dimensions. Due to their slit-shaped pupils, a cat’s visual acuity for horizontal objects varies significantly. With slit-shaped pupils, cats perceive vertical objects much better than horizontal ones. This is also why cats often turn their heads to better focus on horizontal objects.
Under the same conditions, cats do not see horizontal lines as well as humans but are much better at seeing vertical lines. Cats’ color vision is also not as developed as humans’. Cats perceive their environment primarily in shades of blue and green. However, cats see very well in low light.
Cat smell
A cat’s sense of smell is relatively less developed compared to its hearing or eyesight. Nevertheless, cats can smell much better than humans but not as well as dogs. Cats use their sense of smell to explore other animals and people, helping them remember creatures they haven’t seen for a while. Cats can also detect pathogens and thus identify other sick cats. To improve your cat’s body health, check out here.