Cats can jump down from quite high places without damage. Their flexible skeleton and cushioned paw pads absorb the shock of landing. The position of tail, head and legs is very important for balance.
Sense of touch
The cat's paw pads are very sensitive to touch and pressure. Cats use their paws to investigate strange objects and to touch prey to see if it is dead.
Sharpening claws
Cats have sharp claws for killing prey and for climbing. The claws stay sharp because the outer layer comes off with wear. Cats often scratch against trees or other hard surfaces to help remove this outer shell. Scratching trees is also a way in which cats mark out their territory.
Jumping up
For their size, cats can jump higher and spring across much wider gaps than people can. With their strong hind legs, and hind-paws that give them a firm push off, they can spring up from a sitting position.
Climbing
Cats are excellent climbers. Their claws and the rough surface of their paw pads give them a good grip.
Eating grass
Cats often eat grass, which helps their digestion. Also, cats swallow fur when they wash, which can collect in balls in their stomach. Eating grass helps make them vomit to get rid of these fur balls.
CAT BEHAVIOR
SLEEPING AND STRETCHING
Sleeping
Cats spend a lot of time Sleeping, often in unlikely places, perched on ledges or parked cars. This is very lightsleep, called "catnapping," from which the cat can wake instantly. Cats only sleep deeply when they feel secure.
Stretching front legs
Next, the cat streíches out its front legs as far as they will go, forcing its hottom up in theair kas it does so.
Arching back
On waking after a deep sleep, cats go through an amazing routine of stretching movements of loosen their joints and prepare them for action. First, the back is arched right up like this.
Stretching back legs
Finally, each back leg is raised in turn and stretched out behind as far as it will go.
WASHING
Washing face and ears
Cats wash their face and ears with their front paws. The paw is licked to make it damp, then wiped around the ear, over the head, and down the face over the eye. This is repeated several times, with each paw washing one side of the head.
Washing side of body
To wash and groom the side of its body, a cat stretches itself out like this. uses its teeth to tease out any burrs or knots in the fur.
Washing hindquarters
A cat can bend almost double to wash its hindquartes and the base of its tail, it twist its body to balance with one leg in the air. Its rough tongue is used to comb as well as wash its fur. This washing position is sometimes called the "Yoga position".
HUNTING
Freezing
When a cat gets close to its prey, it freezes low and prepares itself for the final dash and spring. Its bottom is raised up and begins to swing from side to side with the tip of its tail twitching with excitement.
Stalking
Cats can keep still for hours watching quietly for prey. When a cat spots a possible victim, it begins to stalk. Crouching low, with its head, body and tail held more or less level and its ears pricked, it glides silently forward.
Pouncing
Finally, the cat plunges forward, pinning the prey down with its forepaws. Often the "prey" is just a leaf or some other small moving object, but if it is an animal, the cat kills it by biting it at the back of the neck.
SMELLING
Fleshmen reaction
Sense of smell is very important to cats. As well as smelling through the nose, they open their mouths and draw air nto channels in the roof of the mouth which connect with a special scent organ. This is known as the Flehmen reaction.
Showing friendship
Cats use scent to show friendship and ownership. They mark people and objects with scent from glands on their head and tail, by rubbing up against them. People cannot smell this scent.
Marking territory
Male cats are very possesive about their home area or terrítory. They mark it out by backing up to objects and spraying them with drops of strong-smelling urine. The scent tells other cats "This is my territory."
AGGRESSION AND FRIENDSHIP
Aggression
A cat may take up this aggressive position if it feels threatened by another cat or a dog. The back is arched, the tail is held up stiffly and the fur stands on end. This makes the cat look much larger and helps to warn off enemies.
Fear
A frightened cat will back off as far as possible if it is cornered by an enemy. Its eyes may dart about in search of an escape route and it may raise a warning paw, ready to strike out if the enemy moves forward.
Friendship
Friendly cats greet each other by touching noses and whiskers, sniffing the forehead, lips and chin where there are scent glands.
