| Chi-Town |
01-23-2015 09:39 AM |
A cat is a hunting machine. (from the internet)
"Start with the eyes. Cats see as well as humans in daylight and six times better than people in poor light. This is because they can open up their pupils much larger than humans can, enhancing their eyes’ ability to collect light. Cats have the highest developed binocular vision of all carnivores, meaning they have great depth perception. And they can see in color -- in contrast to dogs, which have limited color vision.
The cat’s jaw and teeth are also specially adapted for killing. Their shorter muzzles mean they can deliver a stronger and wider bite, and their canine teeth are exceptionally strong. One of their premolars also has an interesting add-on -- a special spur called an anterior cusp, which allows it to crush bones.
The sharp ridges on a cat’s tongue that make it feel rough and sandpaper-like are called papillae. These little spines are made of keratin, the same stuff that’s in hair and fingernails, and come in handy whether a cat is grooming itself or stripping flesh off of the bones of a bird or mouse.
A cat’s ears are particularly good at catching the high-pitched frequencies made by rodents. The rounded shape of the ear funnels even the softest or highest of sounds inward, allowing them to pick up minute traces of prey.
Their whiskers can also pick up tiny vibrations that help them zero in on an unsuspecting meal. When a cat has captured a small animal, it will usually extend its whiskers in front of its mouth to sense where best to deliver a lethal bite.
The cat’s hunting prowess also owes much to its nature as both a sprinter and acrobat. Cat spines are very flexible, allowing them to put more muscles in gear when running and attain faster speeds. They can rotate half of their spine about 180 degrees and jump many times their own height. Because cats’ collar bones are not attached to the shoulder joint and their shoulderblades swing along with their legs, they have a broader range of movement and can also slip through small spaces.
Because a cat’s claws are retractable and kept sheathed while walking, they maintain their sharpness. The pads and fur on a cat’s feet also muffle its steps, helping it stalk prey silently. Cats can also rotate their wrists, unlike dogs, giving their paws a greater dexterity and allowing for a broad range of movements like grasping, climbing and swiping."
A truly feral cat is a wild animal. They have adapted as hunters and do quite well at it. Catch and neuter sounds like a good idea, but feeding them may not be as important as some think.
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