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http://www.catster.com/lifestyle/facts-cat-anatomy-claws
) /RD [0 0 0 0] /Rect [33.8984 20.61505 283.2384 30.61505] /Subj (Text Box) /Subtype /FreeText /Contents (http://www.catster.com/lifestyle/facts-cat-anatomy-claws) /CreationDate (D:20160228152116-05'00') >> endobj 7 0 obj << /C [1 1 1] /F 4 /M (D:20160228161244-05'00') /P 5 0 R /T (AC) /AP << /N 24 0 R >> /BS << /W 0 >> /DA (/Helv 10.000 Tf 0.000 0.000 1.000 rg) /LE /None /NM (393d8b74-2cc2-4aeb-974a8ce35de07ea5) /RC (1. Your cat walks on his fingertips
Cats are digitigrade walkers, which means that instead of walking on their heels and the balls of their feet like we humans do, they walk on tiptoe. In this photo, I’ve tried to approximate how a cat’s weight is distributed.
) /RD [0 0 0 0] /Rect [216 556.575122 585 625.652994] /Subj (Text Box) /Subtype /FreeText /Contents (1. Your cat walks on his fingertips\r \rCats are digitigrade walkers, which means that instead of walking on their heels and the balls of their feet like we humans do, they walk on tiptoe. In this photo, Ive tried to approximate how a cats weight is distributed.) /CreationDate (D:20160228152226-05'00') >> endobj 8 0 obj << /C [1 0 0] /F 4 /M (D:20160228161509-05'00') /P 5 0 R /T (AC) /AP << /N 25 0 R >> /NM (44506f4e-9188-4113-aa346372c5306729) /Name /FromClipBoard12596296 /Rect [51.36 526.583472 196.052385 627.626987] /Subj (Stamp) /Type /Annot /Subtype /Stamp /CreationDate (D:20160228152515-05'00') >> endobj 9 0 obj << /C [1 1 1] /F 4 /M (D:20160228161246-05'00') /P 5 0 R /T (AC) /AP << /N 26 0 R >> /BS << /W 0 >> /DA (/Helv 10.000 Tf 0.000 0.000 1.000 rg) /LE /None /NM (393d8b74-2cc2-4aeb-974a8ce35de07ea5) /RC (2. Your cat’s foot bones are very much like ours
These very simplified drawings show how your cat’s claw is connected to his toes and the rest of his leg. The phalanges \(singular: phalanx\) are equivalent to your fingers, and the metacarpal bone is the same bone that goes from your knuckle to the heel of your hand.
) /RD [0 0 0 0] /Rect [216 494.520194 585 559.532065] /Subj (Text Box) /Subtype /FreeText /Contents (2. Your cats foot bones are very much like ours\r \rThese very simplified drawings show how your cats claw is connected to his toes and the rest of his leg. The phalanges \(singular: phalanx\) are equivalent to your fingers, and the metacarpal bone is the same bone that goes from your knuckle to the heel of your hand.) /CreationDate (D:20160228152226-05'00') >> endobj 10 0 obj << /C [1 0 0] /F 4 /M (D:20160228161518-05'00') /P 5 0 R /T (AC) /AP << /N 27 0 R >> /NM (f9ddadc8-5365-4006-99950c6ba1cb3b14) /Name /FromClipBoard12808218 /Rect [35.337265 288.48 207.018327 400.644961] /Subj (Stamp) /Type /Annot /Subtype /Stamp /CreationDate (D:20160228152847-05'00') >> endobj 11 0 obj << /C [1 1 1] /F 4 /M (D:20160228161251-05'00') /P 5 0 R /T (AC) /AP << /N 28 0 R >> /BS << /W 0 >> /DA (/Helv 10.000 Tf 0.000 0.000 1.000 rg) /LE /None /NM (393d8b74-2cc2-4aeb-974a8ce35de07ea5) /RC (3. Tendons and ligaments control whether his claws are in or out
Ligaments and tendons are made of the same stuff, but they serve different purposes. Ligaments connect from bone to bone, while tendons connect bone to muscle. The elastic ligament, pictured in red in the images above, pulls the distal phalanx close to the middle phalanx in order to keep the claws from touching the ground.
The digital flexor tendon and the superficial flexor tendon \(sometimes called the extensor tendon\) are also crucial to your cat’s ability to extend and retract his claws. When the digital flexor is relaxed, the claw is tucked in, and when it’s tensed, the claw is extended.
) /RD [0 0 0 0] /Rect [216 369.770598 585 489.619387] /Subj (Text Box) /Subtype /FreeText /Contents (3. Tendons and ligaments control whether his claws are in or out\r \rLigaments and tendons are made of the same stuff, but they serve different purposes. Ligaments connect from bone to bone, while tendons connect bone to muscle. The elastic ligament, pictured in red in the images above, pulls the distal phalanx close to the middle phalanx in order to keep the claws from touching the ground.\r \rThe digital flexor tendon and the superficial flexor tendon \(sometimes called the extensor tendon\) are also crucial to your cats ability to extend and retract his claws. When the digital flexor is relaxed, the claw is tucked in, and when its tensed, the claw is extended.) /CreationDate (D:20160228152226-05'00') >> endobj 12 0 obj << /C [1 0 0] /F 4 /M (D:20160228155804-05'00') /P 5 0 R /T (AC) /AP << /N 29 0 R >> /NM (7bf87021-3950-4058-82687befb60bd45b) /Name /FromClipBoard14490859 /Rect [0 726.746366 612 761.906366] /Subj (Stamp) /Type /Annot /Subtype /Stamp /CreationDate (D:20160228155649-05'00') >> endobj 13 0 obj << /C [1 0 0] /F 4 /M (D:20160228155709-05'00') /P 5 0 R /T (AC) /AP << /N 30 0 R >> /NM (659c3a46-17f0-44ce-8abb59fdf9eb216a) /Name /FromClipBoard14506609 /Rect [0 712.032311 612 732.192311] /Subj (Stamp) /Type /Annot /Subtype /Stamp /CreationDate (D:20160228155705-05'00') >> endobj 14 0 obj << /C [1 0 0] /F 4 /M (D:20160228160359-05'00') /P 5 0 R /T (AC) /AP << /N 31 0 R >> /NM (a8bec1be-533c-4964-b1335fd43df80de4) /Name /FromClipBoard12402421 /Rect [389.861925 613.459385 595.995816 726.565844] /Subj (Stamp) /Type /Annot /Subtype /Stamp /CreationDate (D:20160228152201-05'00') >> endobj 15 0 obj << /C [1 1 1] /F 4 /M (D:20160228160318-05'00') /P 5 0 R /T (AC) /AP << /N 32 0 R >> /BS << /W 0 >> /DA (/Helv 10.000 Tf 0.000 0.000 1.000 rg) /LE /None /NM (393d8b74-2cc2-4aeb-974a8ce35de07ea5) /RC (Have you ever done a web search for information about your cat’s claws? It’s a frustrating endeavor because you get page after page of results like, “Cats have five claws on their front feet and four on the back, and they’re designed for climbing.”
This part of cat anatomy is way more interesting. There’s a lot going on under the skin that makes your cat’s claws the amazing tools they are. Here are five cool facts about them!
) /RD [0 0 0 0] /Rect [34.459368 626.306947 400.104603 706.146372] /Subj (Text Box) /Subtype /FreeText /Contents (Have you ever done a web search for information about your cats claws? Its a frustrating endeavor because you get page after page of results like, Cats have five claws on their front feet and four on the back, and theyre designed for climbing. \r \rThis part of cat anatomy is way more interesting. Theres a lot going on under the skin that makes your cats claws the amazing tools they are. Here are five cool facts about them!) /CreationDate (D:20160228152226-05'00') >> endobj 16 0 obj << /C [1 0 0] /F 4 /M (D:20160228161510-05'00') /P 5 0 R /T (AC) /AP << /N 33 0 R >> /NM (395be3fc-768a-4c58-b7fc462bccf7579c) /Name /FromClipBoard12744078 /Rect [36.236538 404.64 206.538327 515.903836] /Subj (Stamp) /Type /Annot /Subtype /Stamp /CreationDate (D:20160228152742-05'00') >> endobj 17 0 obj << /C [1 1 1] /F 4 /M (D:20160228161541-05'00') /P 5 0 R /T (AC) /AP << /N 34 0 R >> /BS << /W 0 >> /DA (/Helv 10.000 Tf 0.000 0.000 1.000 rg) /LE /None /NM (393d8b74-2cc2-4aeb-974a8ce35de07ea5) /RC (4. Your cat’s claws are made of the same stuff as hair and fingernails
Like all fingernails and hooves, cats’ claws are made of a protein called keratin. Claw tissue grows in layers, thanks to the quick, the living tissue at the core of the claw. The quick contains blood vessels and nerves, which you probably know all too well if you’ve clipped your cat’s nails too short.
) /RD [0 0 0 0] /Rect [216 283.68 585 357.989643] /Subj (Text Box) /Subtype /FreeText /Contents (4. Your cats claws are made of the same stuff as hair and fingernails\r \rLike all fingernails and hooves, cats claws are made of a protein called keratin. Claw tissue grows in layers, thanks to the quick, the living tissue at the core of the claw. The quick contains blood vessels and nerves, which you probably know all too well if youve clipped your cats nails too short.) /CreationDate (D:20160228152226-05'00') >> endobj 18 0 obj << /C [1 0 0] /F 4 /M (D:20160228161742-05'00') /P 5 0 R /T (AC) /AP << /N 35 0 R >> /NM (a9732539-4093-460f-abee33af9c2849e3) /Name /FromClipBoard14993343 /Rect [350.030893 64.32 585 217.833151] /Subj (Stamp) /Type /Annot /Subtype /Stamp /CreationDate (D:20160228160512-05'00') >> endobj 19 0 obj << /C [1 1 1] /F 4 /M (D:20160228161538-05'00') /P 5 0 R /T (AC) /AP << /N 36 0 R >> /BS << /W 0 >> /DA (/Helv 10.000 Tf 0.000 0.000 1.000 rg) /LE /None /NM (393d8b74-2cc2-4aeb-974a8ce35de07ea5) /RC (5. Don’t panic if you see claw sheaths on the ground
When you see pieces of your cat’s claws on the floor or embedded in his scratching post, it just means that the outside layer of his claw has grown beyond the blood supply and therefore falls off when he scratches — revealing a nice, sharp new talon underneath! Cats generally shed each claw once every few months.
) /RD [0 0 0 0] /Rect [36.48 202.639871 585 277.902939] /Subj (Text Box) /Subtype /FreeText /Contents (5. Dont panic if you see claw sheaths on the ground\r \rWhen you see pieces of your cats claws on the floor or embedded in his scratching post, it just means that the outside layer of his claw has grown beyond the blood supply and therefore falls off when he scratches revealing a nice, sharp new talon underneath! Cats generally shed each claw once every few months.) /CreationDate (D:20160228152226-05'00') >> endobj 20 0 obj << /C [1 1 1] /F 4 /M (D:20160228162239-05'00') /P 5 0 R /T (AC) /AP << /N 37 0 R >> /BS << /W 0 >> /DA (/Helv 10.000 Tf 0.000 0.000 1.000 rg) /LE /None /NM (393d8b74-2cc2-4aeb-974a8ce35de07ea5) /RC (6. Your cat’s claws grow right out of his phalanges
You might have noticed in the illustrations above that it looks like a cat’s claw grows right out of his distal phalanx. That’s because it does.
Unlike our fingernails, which are only connected to flesh, a cat’s claws are connected directly to the bone.
What that means is that when a cat is declawed, it’s not just a super-mega nail trim. The entire distal phalanx needs to be amputated in order to keep the claws from growing back again. As you can imagine, this makes declawing very painful, particularly since your cat has to walk on what’s left of his fingers afterwards.
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