Examining a Cat's Spine: How Does it Work?

The skeleton of a cat has evolved for an animal that survives by speed and agility. The spine is highly supple and it is connected to robust legs, and a narrow ribcage. The cat's spine is so flexible that it can actually arch it's back in a "U" shape.

A cat's spine is composed of three segments called a cervical, thoracic, and lumber section. The cervical has several vertebral segments and almost all the rotation of the neck is at the top. The thoracic helps support the ribcage and is basically in between the cervical and the lumber section. The lumber section is the lower back.

This mass of nerve tissue is known as the spinal cord and acts as an information highway for the rest of the body. These nerve roots branch from either side of the spine between the vertebrae up and down the cat's back.

The shoulder blades are attached to the the main skeleton which gives the cat an excellent design for flexibility and change at any given speed. The spine is the center of this framework and because of it's supple design it allows the cat to turn, move, and spring in ways that the average animal cannot.

In fact, the joints in the spine are made of a thick cartilage disks that are more supple in the cat than any other animal, and the vertebrae in the spine protect the nerves that form the spinal cord. The center of each vertebra is hollow and when they are stacked all together they form a protective case for the spinal cord and the main nerve canal through the cat's body.

When a cat's spine is compared to a humans we find out that they have close to 60 vertebrae, which fit loosely together, while a human only has about 34 vertebrae. This complex skeletal system is very unique in the animal kingdom and is part of an overall body language system that is unique to cats.

A cat is one of the only three animals to actually walk with one leg moving at the same time on the same side as the other leg. Most animals move, including humans, by alternating their legs. The only three animals that do not walk like this are the camel, the giraffe, and the cat.

A cat's spine will lengthen when it is in movement, walking or running and the spine will gather up when the cat is resting. This is also present in humans and you can actually feel this movement if you concentrate when you get up or sit down.

An aggressive cat will actually stretch its spine so that it's rear will be higher than it's shoulders and the hair will stand up along it's back. This could be interpreted in a couple of ways, one is that the cat is preparing its skeleton for a coiled jump and the other is that the cat could be trying to appear bigger than it actually is.

Sources:
Feline Anatomy & Physiology, Meow Mister
Anatomy of a Cat, Purina.Com
The Cat's Body, Fortunecity.Com