A question about feline anatomy.

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A topic from Pets & Other Animals: Cats

furryfeaturesMon 26/07/10 10:03		If one looks at a front paw, you will find the dew claw an inch or so above the part of the paw on which the cat walks. The other four claws seem to be interleaved with the toes. I also know that carnivores and primates have basically the same "hand" anatomy. This makes understanding how the claw works difficult. Humans have two knuckle joints that run in a straight line. From looking at my cats, it seems that the first of the two joints creates a 90° turn, so that the final joint and claw is outside the fleshy "finger". Yet the cat seems able to move the "finger". How? And is my analysis of the structure right? If not, what is the structure that sheathes the claw?
markonseaTue 27/07/10 00:34		You know, I'd never thought about it, but the question, once asked, had to be answered. http://www.moggies.co.uk/stories/catbody.html is interesting. I googled "dew claw cat" ... Hop ethish elps!
furryfeaturesTue 27/07/10 09:14		quoting > "http://www.moggies.co.uk/stories/catbody.html is interesting." It is quite interesting, though written in language that assumes absolutely no knowledge of biology. However, it doesn't answer my specific question of how the claws seem to fit between the toes. The only bit that I didn't know from the article was that the reason some cats' tails are longer than others' is that the number of bones in the tail varies from cat to cat.
markonseaTue 27/07/10 15:48		Which leads on to another question. Some of us (human beans) have very long necks. Some of us have practically no neck at all. Does biology achieve both with the same number of neck vertebrae? I seem to remember reading somewhere that giraffes do it without any extra vertebrae ...
furryfeaturesTue 27/07/10 17:31		quoting > "Does biology achieve both with the same number of neck vertebrae?" Yes. As far as I remember, all mammals have seven neck vertebrae.

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