ANATOMY

Cat Anatomy



Domestic cats are similar in size to the other members of the genus Felis, typically weighing between 4 and 5 kg (9 and 10 lb).
Some breeds, however, such as the Maine Coon, can occasionally exceed 11 kg (24 lb). Conversely, very small cats, less than 2 kg (4 lb), have been reported.
The world record for the largest cat is 21 kg (50 lb).
The smallest adult cat ever officially recorded weighed around 1 kg (2 lb).
In the Boston area, the average feral adult male will weigh 4 kg (9 lb) and average feral female 3 kg (7 lb).
Cats average about 23–25 cm (9–10 in) in height and 46 cm (18 in) in head/body length (males being larger than females), with tails averaging 30 cm (12 in) in length.

Unique physical characteristic
The Amazing Sense of Smell
The Cat’s sense of smell, not vision, is its primary resource for identifying the individuals and objects in its environment. The cat’s visual acuity is 10 times less then that of humans. However, they have 200 million odor-sensitive cells in their noses compared to only 5 million for humans. Cats live in a sensory world completely apart from ours. The sense of smell plays a very insignificant role in human relationships and in our response to our environment, while for cats, it is all-important and may result in some puzzling and disturbing behaviors.
The Intelligent Cat
Cats learn by observation, imitation, trial and error just as humans do. Stories abound which describe cats turning doorknobs to open doors, ringing doorbells, opening cupboards, turning off lights, and even using the toilet solely by observing the owner performing these activities. Many feline behaviorists as well as child psychologists seem to agree that the intelligence of an adult cat equals that of a 2 to 3 year old child. We know how clever and manipulative children of this age are, is it any wonder that cats are better at training their owners than the owners are at training them?

How the animal breath?
As a cat inhales, fresh air moves through the nose (or mouth), pharynx, and larynx to the trachea. The trachea carries the air to the bronchi, which in turn supply the lungs. Air exchange occurs in the alveoli and the used air follows the opposite path of new air: passing into the bronchi, into the trachea, through the larynx and pharynx, finally exiting through the nose or mouth.
Breathing is relatively simple and is accomplished by the actions of the rib muscles (intercostals) and the movement of a great internal muscle called the diaphragm. The diaphragm muscle separates the chest, containing the heart and lungs, from the abdomen which holds the intestines, stomach, liver, bladder, etc. As this great muscle moves toward the abdomen, it creates a negative pressure and pulls fresh air and oxygen into the lungs, causing the cat to breathe in (inhale). The chest cavity surrounding the lungs is a vacuum, thus allowing the lungs to inflate easily when the cat inhales. When the muscle moves forward (towards the animal's head), it causes the lungs to compress and force air out (exhale), thus ridding the body of used air.



How long the average cats lives?
Life expectancy depends on many things, including one important factor - whether your cat is an indoor-only cat or an outdoor cat. Indoor cats generally live from 12-18 years of age. Many may live to be in their early 20s. The oldest reported cat lived to be an amazing 28 years old.