Cat Claws Anatomy

The claws of cats can be extended and retracted with the aid of specialized muscles ligaments and tendons within the body of cats. Claw tissue grows in layers thanks to the quick the living tissue at the core of the claw.

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This keeps the claws sharp by preventing wear from contact with the ground and allows the silent stalking of prey.

Cat claws anatomy. The front feet have five toes and five claws per foot and the back feet have four toes and four claws per foot. Claws is a remarkable mechanism for retracting the cats claws when they are not in use. The claw is retracted or extended by pivoting the end bone of the toe which bears the claw over the tip of the next bone.

Some cats known as polydactyls have more than the normal number of toes and claws. In fact you cant simply remove just the claw of the cat because it is embedded into the bone that supports it. Like nearly all members of the family felidae cats have retractable claws.

Anatomy of a cats claw simplified somewhat. The anatomy of a cat claw a cats claws are not like human nails even though they are both made of keratin. The claw is a scythe shaped appendage that is attached to the end bone of the toe.

In their normal relaxed position the claws are sheathed with the skin and fur around the toe pads. The action that unsheathes the claws also spreads the toes. The cats claw grows from the last bone of the cats toe.

5 on each forefoot the 5th digit being the dewclaw. Like all fingernails and hooves cats claws are made of a protein called keratin. The tendons anchor this bone.

The dewclaw is located high on the foreleg is not in contact with the ground and is non weight bearing. And 4 on each hind foot. Most cats have a total of 18 digits and claws.

This explains why a cats claws are barely visible most of the time.

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