The Musculoskeletal System: The Muscles of the Cat

From the first day a kitten is born and begins to slither towards its mother, it is attempting to control its voluntary muscles. These muscles will eventually allow the kitten to crawl, wobble, stand, walk, and even play with its littermates. The voluntary musclesare sometimes called striped or striated muscles because they exhibit longitudinal stripes. More commonly, they are called skeletal muscles because their chief function is to move the cat's skeleton from place to place. Skeletal muscles, which are secured by tendons and bones, are always arranged in pairs.

To understand how the skeletal muscles work, and why pairs are important, imagine a cat jumping. The cat must crouch down on its heels by contracting two flexor muscles, the hamstring and the tibialis. The hamstring is the muscle located behind the thigh bone while the tibialis is a muscle in front of the tibia and fibula bone. At the same time, the corresponding extensor muscles that were stretched while the hamstring and tibialis were contracting, contract themselves. This powerful contraction of all four muscles propels the cat forward, creating those gravity-defying leaps cats are so famous for.

The involuntary muscles, which are not under conscious control of the cat, are functioning even before the kitten is born. These muscles are known as smooth muscles and are found in the alimentary canal, the urinary tract, and the respiratory system, among other places.

An Overview of the Design and Function of the Cat

The systems that make up the feline are all rather remarkable. The most important physical systems of the cat include: nervous, endocrine, respiratory, lymphatic, digestive, reproductive, urinary, circulatory, and musculoskeletal.

The nervous system is made up of the cerebrum, cerebellum, midbrain, spinal cord, twelve pair of cranial nerves, and paired sets of peripheral nerves that extend from the spinal cord to all parts of the body. There are many functions governed by the nervous system, including learning, reasoning, memory, and judgment. Involuntary action, which is controlled by the cerebrum, is also considered a part of the nervous system. Blood pressure, respiratory rate, and heart rate are monitored by the midbrain and so also contained within the nervous system.

The endrocine system comprises the glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream. The most important gland, sometimes referred to as the master gland, is the pituitary, located at the very base of the brain. The pituitary gland, in addition to producing growth-stimulating hormone, controls the activities of the other glands, including the thyroid, adrenal gland, and the testicles or ovaries of the cat. In turn, these glands control the activities of the body.

The respiratory system includes the nose, throat, larynx (voice box), trachea (windpipe), bronchial tubes, and lungs. This system is vitally important to the cat as a cat at rest completes 25 to 30 breaths a minute. This is approximately twice as many as a human completes. In the cat, inhaling takes about half as long as exhaling.

The lymphatic system is one of the main defenses of the cat's body. It is a network of vessels that transport lymph, which is made up up excess tissue fluids, protein, and other substances. This system functions without the benefit of a pump and carries out its mission through the venous side of the circulatory system. Lymph nodes, another important component of the lymphatic system, filter out foreign particles found throughout the body.  Lymph nodes contain lymphocytes, a types of white blood cell, which produce antibodies that neutralize bacterial poisons.

The digestive system comprises the mouth, teeth, esophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, liver, pancreas, and rectum. Of all the carnivores, cats have the fewest number of teeth, barely 30. These teeth were not made for chewing, but rather for killing prey ad tearing their flesh. Therefore, cats tear off chunks of food and swallow them whole.

The kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra make up with urinary or excretory system in both sexes. Closely related to the urinary system is the reproductive system. The testicles and sperm ducts comprise the male reproductive system with the fallopian tubes, uterus, womb, and vagina are part of the female reproductive system.

The other systems mentioned here, such as the circulatory and musculoskeletal, are complex systems deserving of elaboration. The musculoskeletal systems is the bedrock of conformation and body type at its most elementary. The circulatory system is the medium through which many of the body's other systems function. However, the details of these two systems are deserving of their own articles and will be covered in detail in coming weeks.

All About Cat Breeds and Personalties

There are dozen of recognized cat breeds around the world. With so many to choose from, a prospective cat owner can find a kitten that suits any taste, living arrangement, or budget. However, it is simply not true that each and every breed has a personality that is unique and distinct from every other breed of cat. Considering the sheer number of cat breeds, there are simply not enough personality types to go around.

It would be more accurate to say that feline personalities are related to body type. If you look closely at the individual breeds and their personalities, you'll notice some similarities. For example, Siamese cats tend to be active, vocal, curious, and intelligent. But they share these traits with other breeds such as the Oriental Shorthair, Balinese, Abyssinian, and Cornish Rex. In other words, all the slim, elegant, and tubular breeds share these qualities and have similar personalities.

On the other hand, the Persian is laid back and easygoing. But so are the other stocky breeds such as the Burmese, British Shorthair, and Exotic Shorthair. And then there are the breeds that fall firmly in the middle. The pedigreed American Shorthair comes immediately to mind. This cat is a perfect middle-of-the-road personality, as are other breeds that share the same  body type.

But there are also traits that all cats share. No matter what the breed, the process of domesticating the cat retards the development of certain adult behaviors. This means that domesticated cats never really grow up, and we don't really want them to. Their kittenish behavior is a part of their charm. The adult behaviors of self-sufficiency, aggression, and marking are not at all desirable in the animals we share our homes with.

Personality is also determined by socialization. Kittens which are handled daily from three weeks old are more attached to people than those which are handled later or not at all. They are also more likely to tolerate being turned on their backs and approach humans faster and with more curiosity than nonhandled kittens. You can almost always tell which kittens have been handled daily simply from their reactions to people in general.

So the fact of the matter is that breed is only a small part of the personality of a cat. If you're looking for a certain personality in your kitten, you will have to consider more than the breed of the cat. Consider the parents, as personality often passes from generation to generation. And certainly pay attention to the way a kitten has been raised. This will help you determine whether that particular kitten has the right personality for you and your family.

The Eye of a Cat: Blindness in Cats

Cats, just like people, can go blind. Blindness is defined as the loss of vision in both eyes and may arise from illness, disease, or even an accident. In cats, it is often difficult to detect the onset of blindness because they have such extraordinary and sense of smell. They often compensate so well that the cat owner does not notice at all.

However, when vision is completely lost in both eyes, there are usually signs the cat owner can watch for. If a change in environment confuses your cat, the feline may be dealing with blindness. For example, if you move your living room couch, your cat may walk into it unexpectedly. Often this leads owners to conclude that their cat has suddenly gone blind, but the reality is that the cat has probably been having vision problems for some time, but had memorized his surroundings to compensate. When the surroundings change, memory no longer serves its purpose and little things happen, such as walking into a couch, table, or open cupboard door.

The Causes of Blindness in Cats

There are several things that might cause blindness in cats. Corneal disease is one of the most common, but it's not the only cause of blindness. Cataracts, which can be diagnosed by the white opacity of the lens of the eye, can occur in older cats, though younger cats seldom suffer from this ailment. Other illness and diseases that can result in blindness include:

• Severe anterior and/or posterior uveitis
• Retinal inflammation or infection
• Retinal detachment
• Glaucoma
• Diseases of the optic nerve, visual pathways, or the occipital cortex

If you cat has had any damage to the eyes, there is an increased chance of blindness. Scratches due to cat fights might seem like they're no big deal, but have them checked by a veterinarian anyway, just in case. The longer you wait, the greater the chance of blindness.

Symptoms of Blindness in Cats

You'll have to watch your cat carefully to detect vision loss, as cats are quite good at hiding this particular disability. However, if you notice any of the following symptoms, take your cat to the veterinarian immediately.

• Clumsiness, even if it's only occasional
• Inability to locate food, water, or the litter box if any of these things are moved even a few feet
• Excessive sleeping or chronic inattentive behavior
• Suddenly fearful and easily startled
• No longer plays or exhibits normal hunting behavior
• Bumps into objects that are plainly visible but not always present

If you even suspect that your cat may be going blind, you should take your cat to the veterinarian immediately. Blindness, especially sudden-onset (acute) blindness, is not something you can treat at home, regardless of the cause.