THE ANIMAL FILES

Domestic cat

Felis catus

Quiet feet, ready claws and light-catching eyes.

The domestic cat's familiar movements depend on details easy to overlook: walking on its toes, protecting its claws between uses and recycling light inside the eye. These structures help explain stalking and low-light activity without treating a cat as an animal that sees in complete darkness.[1]

Follow the evidence ↓
Domestic cat
Image: Alvesgaspar · Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
Claws between tasks
Relaxed claws are sheathed.[1]
Walking on toes
Cats are digitigrade.[1]
Using dim light
A reflective layer returns light through the eye.[1]

Claws between tasks

Retracted claws are protected from ordinary ground contact, limiting wear. The cat can extend them for climbing, hunting or added grip. Scratching also sheds the outer claw sheath. Sharpness is maintained through structure and use, rather than a claw remaining exposed at every step.[1]

Walking on toes

The feet contribute to the lower visible leg, while the toes bear the walking contact. Hind paws are often placed near the corresponding forepaw tracks. Walking and trotting use different limb coordination.[1]

Using dim light

The tapetum lucidum reflects light that has passed through the retina, increasing the opportunity to detect it. Pupils also expand in dim conditions. Both mechanisms use light already present; neither creates light or makes an entirely unlit scene visible.[1]

A COMMON MIX-UP

Can cats see with no light at all?

No. Their eyes use dim light effectively, but the reflective layer still needs incoming light.[1]

TRY A LITTLE REASONING

Why does keeping claws off the ground help preserve their tips?

Reveal the explanation

It reduces routine abrasion between uses, while claws can still be extended when grip is needed.[1]

Sources & editorial notes

Adapted and translated from the cited Wikipedia revisions, with source-linked reasoning. Image credit and licence are listed separately above.

Adapted and translated from Wikipedia contributors; exact revisions are linked below. CC BY-SA 4.0

  1. Wikipedia contributors — Domestic cat (cited revision)
  2. NCBI Taxonomy — Felis catus

Last fact check:

One discovery leads to another

CougarA plain-coated adult begins life as a spotted kitten.Puma concolor ↗Eurasian lynxA quiet cat leaves tracks before it offers a sighting.Lynx lynx ↗CheetahA chase involves turns, not just a speed record.Acinonyx jubatus ↗