Characteristics cats

Characteristics
Main article: Cat anatomy
Size

Diagram of the general anatomy of a male domestic cat
The domestic cat has a smaller skull and shorter bones than the European wildcat.[58] It averages about 46 cm (18 in) in head-to-body length

and 23–25 cm (9–10 in) in height, with about 30 cm (12 in) long tails. Males are larger than females.[59] Adult domestic cats typically weigh between 4 and 5 kg (9 and 11 lb).[42]

Skeleton
Cats have seven cervical vertebrae (as do most mammals); 13 thoracic vertebrae (humans have 12); seven lumbar vertebrae (humans have five); three sacral vertebrae (as do most mammals, but humans have five); and a variable number of caudal vertebrae in the tail (hu

mans have only vestigial caudal vertebrae, fused into an internal coccyx).[60]:11 The extra lumbar and thoracic vertebrae account for the cat’s spinal mobility and flexibility. Attached to the spine are 13 ribs, the shoulder, and the pelvis.[60]:16 Unlik

e human arms, cat forelimbs are attached to the shoulder by free-floating clavicle bones which allow them to pass their body through any space into which they can fit their head.[61]