Penny’s pretty paws.
Depending on who you ask the most adorable part of a cat are its little footsies. Whether they have little socks or fluffy slippers there is something undeniably cute about feline feet. But there are actually a few fun facts that you might not know about your kitties toe bean holders and today we’re going to take a look at those in some more detail.
Let’s start off talking about those toe beans I just mentioned. Those amazing little paw pads can come in all different colours and serve a number of different purrrposes. The softness of the pads allow for better hunting as they are able to stalk prey quietly. In these paw pads are a cluster of nerves that make for very sensitive little beans. This heightened awareness can aid cats in hunting by allowing them to feel pressure and texture and also stay balanced during the chase.
But the wonders don’t stop there! Cats will use their paws to communicate to other cats. Felines mark their territory in a number of different ways. One of these is that they scratch objects. In doing so they leave pheromones on the object in question through scent glands in their paws. They also have sweat glands in their paws that allow them to cool off on hot days or when they are feeling nervous.
We’ve covered the feet in particular, now let’s talk about the walking process. Cats, similar to many other mammals such as dogs and rodents, are digitigrade. This means they walk on their tip toes and their heels don’t typically touch the ground. This, in tandem with the soft toe beans we mentioned earlier, make card incredibly quiet hunters as they make minimal sound with their pawsteps. The benefits of a digititrade stride don’t end there though, it also helps them move incredibly fast over short distances.
It is common knowledge that Cheetahs
You may not think so looking at him here but Anthony can run quite fast.
are the fastest land animals in the world, able to reach speeds of 112km/h in about 3 seconds. But wild cats aren’t the only fast felines out there most domestic cats are also incredibly good sprinters. Karen Shaw Becker created a list of the fastest domestic cats in the world and chief on that list is the Egyptian Mau which has reached speeds of almost 50km/h!
And there you have it, the next time you oogle at the adorableness of your kitties toe beans take a moment and appreciate the magic that goes into its little socks.
