I have chosen the infographic as an excellent way to provide information about the feline autonomic nervous system. Indirectly we see the working of the autonomic nervous system every day particularly with indoor/outdoor cats; less so with full-time indoor cats. For the later the parasympathetic nervous system is often in charge while for the latter, when outside, the sympathetic takes over to stimulate the cat into activity and ready to escape danger and hunt.
Domestic cat’s autonomic nervous system by Michael BroadNeurological problems in domestic cats
Dr. Bruce Fogle DVM tells us that “neurological disorders are remarkably rare in cats, a tribute to their evolutionary credentials.” I think what he means is that the cat relies very heavily on their nervous system such as being able to respond incredibly rapidly in combination with e.g. fast-twitch muscles. Their fast-twitch muscles allow domestic cats to react faster than a striking snake. And these muscles warn their human caregiver that they’ve got to handle their cat companion properly (as their cat likes it 😉) because it’s impossible to get out of the way of a cat that wants to scratch you!
Some diseases can damage nerves such as rabies, the panleukopenia virus and feline infectious peritonitis (FIP).
It might not surprise cat care givers particularly those who allow their cat to go outside unsupervised, that road traffic accidents are the most common causes of nerve damage. Almost half of all cats hit by cars have head injuries and severed spinal cords and broken backs are not uncommon in a road traffic accident. Nerve cells cannot regenerate unlike other bodily cells and no repair is possible.
Forty percent of domestic cats hit by a car suffer a head injury. Other causes are falls from a height or blows to the skull. It takes a major blow to fracture the skull and injure the brain. Normally, the greater the skull fracture the greater the severity of brain injury. There are four types of brain injury: bruising (contusion), concussion, cerebral oedema and blood clot.
Composition of the central nervous system
The cat’s central nervous system is composed of the cerebrum, cerebellum, midbrain which includes the brainstem and the spinal cord. A set of 12 nerve pairs called the cranial nerves past directly out from the midbrain into the head and neck through special holes in the skull. The spinal cord passes down a bony canal formed by the arches of the vertebrae.
Chemical messengers
You might know that the nervous system consists of nerve cells (neurons) and support cells which provide structure and produce myelin. A neuron is covered with branch-like structures called dendrites which receive messages from other cells. Each cell has a long tail-like structure called an axon which sends messages to other nerve cells or directly to organs. These messages are carried by neurotransmitters which are chemicals produced in axons and which navigate the tiny gap between nerve cells known as the synaptic cleft. Neurons never touch each other. Even when a cat is in deep sleep the nervous system is sending and receiving a huge number of messages. Any single cell commonly sends messages to thousands of other cells. Source: Dr Bruce Fogle DVM.
More: Gut-brain axis and how a cat can help improve gut health and boost your immune system
