Domestic cats (and all wild cats bar the cheetah) are known for their retractable claws. All the experts say it online but I disagree with them. To describe the claws as retractile or retractable misleads the way the tendons and … Continue reading →
Domestic cats can climb with great efficiency and expertise. They have stamina and persistence combined with excellent balance, sharp claws and a flexible body. This kitten used all these attributes to climb unaided to the summit of one of the … Continue reading →
A lot of people think that cheetahs do not have retractable claws. They think that the claws are permanently out in order to assist the cat when running fast by gripping the ground more effectively. This is not true. It’s … Continue reading →
Do cheetahs’ claws retract? The answer is YES, the cheetah has retractile claws but (a) the cheetah has no claw sheath and the claws protrude beyond the fur and (b) it is incorrect to describe feline claws are ‘retractile’ as they are ‘protractile’.
Continue reading →The dewclaw is attached to the fifth digit of the forepaws of cats. Normally this digit is high up and away from the other four. For some domestic cats this rudimentary digit is actually a solid looking thumb. The dewclaw … Continue reading →
Cats, like humans, don’t naturally go into reverse. They don’t like walking backwards. They may do so for a short distance to avoid something, a hostile object or creature, but beyond that they aren’t very good at it. We know … Continue reading →
The cheetah is alone in the genus Acinonyx. A ‘genus’ is a rank in the classification of the species (taxonomy). It is a sort of group of cats with the same fundamental features and in this case it is a … Continue reading →
A black kitten with very nicely developed claws. Why kittens are born with claws and why cats need them #IfCatsRanTwitter the claws would really come out when dealing with trolls and people who hate cats. pic.twitter.com/bcIX5OzChD — “Mad Cat” Cattis … Continue reading →
This is a nice photograph of the claws of a black panther (probably a melanistic leopard) and a human hand for comparison. To add some spice to the picture, the hand is in the leopard’s mouth! It tells us clearly … Continue reading →
People ask whether they should trim their cat’s claws. The first point to make in answering the question is that, in my view, a very small percentage of cat owners trim their cat’s claws for the simple reason that it … Continue reading →
