However, if the temperature drops too low, the glands stop producing sweat, and the paw starts warming up again. If the temperature rises too high, the glands start releasing sweat, and cooling occurs. These glands are located in the pads of the foot, and they help to regulate the temperature of the paw. The sweat that is released by these glands is broken down by bacteria – which make the smell associated with sweat.Įccrine glands are another kind of sweat gland that is found in cat paws, and are the kind of sweat glands that work towards homeostasis (or stable body temperature). The smell produced by these glands helps to warn predators away from the area. They are located around the eyes, nose, ears, and tail.Īpocrine glands release a fatty kind of sweat. Sebaceous glands secrete oil into the fur, helping to keep it soft and shiny. There are three types of glands found in the paw: sebaceous glands, apocrine glands and eccrine glands. Sweat Glands And Scent Glands In Cat PawsĪs well as having numerous muscles, the cat paw also has glands that produce sweat and scent in their paws. Thankfully, though, their skeletal and muscular system has developed so that this way of walking is natural, comfortable, and doesn’t put strain on the system – unlike how humans would feel if we spent the whole day walking on the tips of our toes.
However, the way that they walk is pretty different to the way we walk – as you will know, humans walk by putting weight on their heels and the balls of their feet, however, cats walk on the balls of their feet and their toes – much like a ballerina would! This is why cats are able to run at speeds of up to 30 miles per hour! These movements are not simple one-way actions, as the cat can also lift its paw off the ground, allowing it to glide across the floor. This process repeats until the cat reaches a destination. In this way, the paw moves forward, and then pushes off again, before rotating once more. This rotation of the paw is done by using the muscles mentioned above.Īs the paw rotates, the muscles contract and relax, creating an alternating movement. When walking, the cat uses its paw to push off the floor, and then rotates its paw backwards and forwards to propel itself along. Unsurprisingly, cat’s paws have been specifically anatomically evolved to help them to walk (this is their main function, after all!). These include the flexor digitorum superficialis muscle, flexor digitorum profundus muscle, extensor digitorum communis muscle, abductor pollicis brevis muscle, adductor pollicis muscle, lumbrical muscles, palmar digital flexors, dorsal digital flexors, plantar digital flexors, medial and lateral gastrocnemius muscles, tibialis cranialis muscle, tibialis posterior muscle, peroneals muscles, quadriceps femoris muscle, biceps brachii muscle, triceps brachii muscle and supraspinatus muscle. The paw also contains many muscles that allow the cat to move its limbs freely. These include the carpal bone, metacarpal bone, phalanx bone, sesamoid bone, cuboid bone, navicular bone, proximal interphalangeal joint, distal interphalangeal joint and the pisiform bone. The paw consists of several bones that make it strong and sturdy. The wrist joint connects the paw to the forearm, while the ankle joint connects the paw to its leg.Ĭats use these joints to rotate their paws forward and backward, which allows them to step up onto objects. The paw has two joints: the wrist joint and the ankle joint. So, in total, the cat paw has 18 toes – contrary to the expected 20 toes. This dewclaw doesn’t usually touch the ground, but will assist when the whole foot is pressed to a surface.
This extra digit helps cats walk with more agility, climb trees, and jump long distances. The fifth toe is called the dew claw or pad.
#CAT PAW SKIN#
The paw has two layers: the outer skin layer called epidermis and the inner layer called dermis.Ĭats have five toes and claws on each front foot, but they only have four claws on their back paws. The cat paw is a unique structure, with many interesting features that make it an important part of the feline anatomy. 8 Final Thoughts What Does Cat Paw Anatomy Look Like?.3 Sweat Glands And Scent Glands In Cat Paws.
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