Cat Anatomy: Fascinating Feline Anatomy Facts!

Cat anatomy is really fascinating when you think about it. How can cats jump so high? How do they function so well in the dark? Why is their sense of smell so good? .

This section of the website looks at feline anatomy in detail and answers some of the most common, unusual and fascinating questions about how cats’ bodies work.

First, there’s a table which compares feline and human anatomy. Below this, there are some frequently asked questions about cat anatomy, followed by links to more pages that answer some of the most interesting questions on how and why cats’ bodies work the way they do.

Cat Anatomy vs. Human Anatomy

	Cat	Human
No. of bones	290	206
No. of muscles	Approx. 500	Approx. 600
No. of ribs	13 pairs	12 pairs
Normal body temperature	38 – 39.2°C (100.5 – 102.5°F)	36.3 – 37.1°C (97.3 – 98.8°F)
No. of teeth (adult)	30	32
Blood group	A, B or AB	A, B, AB or O
Third eyelid	Yes	No
Sweat glands	No	Yes
Maximum jumping height	6x own height	1.25x own height (World Record)

How Fast can Domestic Cats Run?

Cat anatomy is designed in such a way that allows cats to run very fast! The fastest domestic cats can reach speeds of up to 30mph. If you ever watch cats walking, you’ll notice that they move their legs alternatively (like humans) – so the front right leg will move, followed by the front left, followed by the front right again etc.

However, when they run, their front and back legs move together, so they are effectively making long, low leaps into the air between landings, almost giving the appearance that they are flying through the air. This ability to run is useful for hunting and also when the cat is fleeing from danger.

Although cats can run fast like this, they can only do it for short bursts of time – so they are great sprinters but wouldn’t do well in a marathon!

How do Cats Jump so High?

A combination of a very flexible spine and powerful leg and back muscles, which are capable of releasing very large amounts of energy in short bursts, gives a cat the ability to jump about six times its own height.

If you ever watch a cat preparing for a particularly difficult jump – e.g. a very high height, or where the landing spot is small or narrow – you’ll notice the preparation that goes into it beforehand, where he seems to be “psyching himself up” to do the jump. What is he doing?

Because he will push off with a large amount of force, he’ll test the surface he’s on with his back legs to make sure it is stable enough. He then judges the distance that needs to be jumped and “calculates” how much force he’ll need to push with from his back legs to complete it successfully.

Once all that’s done, he crouches forward, bends his legs, knees, back, hips and ankles (a bit like a cioled spring) before doing the jump. A great example of cat anatomy at its best!

How does a Cat’s Sense of Smell Differ to a Human’s?

It’s much stronger than a human’s – about 14 times stronger!

Kitty’s sense of smell is extremely important to him, and he relies on it for survival. Cats use their sense of smell to locate food, find a mate, smell enemies and danger and find their own territory (which they mark either by spraying (!) or by rubbing their chin on objects. The chin contains glands which release a scent-producing substance, leaving their unique scent behind).