Kingdom: Phylum: Class: Order: Family: Genus: Species: Scientific name: Description:

Animalia Chordata Mammalia Carnivora Felidae Felis F. Catus Felis catus

The cat (Felis catus) is also known as the domestic cat or house cat. To distinguish it from other felines and felids, it is a small furry domesticated carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests. Cats have been associated with humans for at least 9,500 years, and are currently the most popular pet in the world. Owing to their close association with humans, cats are now found almost everywhere on Earth. Cats are posses with flexible bodies, quick reflexes, sharp retractable claws, and teeth adapted to killing small prey. As nocturnal predators, cats use their acute hearing and ability to see in near darkness to locate prey. Not only can cats hear sounds too faint for human ears, they can also hear sounds higher in frequency than humans can perceive. The current population of cats nowadays is more than 560million worldwide. Integumentary system

A cat's integumentary system serves many crucial functions. It insulates and cools the body to maintain a constant body temperature. This system creates a barrier to protect internal structures from damage. .Cats fur efficiently regulates body temperature and helps the cat to blend into its surroundings. Cats actually have two coats of fur: a short, inner coat that insulates and a longer, outer coat that keeps the cat dry. A cat's claws are its tools during the hunt. Most of the time, the claws remain retracted, meaning they are not visible since the cat can envelop them with skin and fur. Cats keep their claws sharp by retracting them when not in use and by occasionally filing them on coarse objects such as the bark of a tree. A cat's whiskers serve a surprising variety of functions. Whiskers help the cat gauge the distance between two objects before deciding to squeeze between them. These facial hairs also can detect small disturbances in the air. Cats navigate more freely in the dark with the aid of their whiskers. Cats do not sweat through their skin. They only sweat from their footpads and nose. They lose water by panting rather than sweating. Mascular system The muscular system of cat is composed of tissues that have the power to move and contract. Muscle accounts for about half of cats' weight, attached to bones, other muscles and skin. Cat also have 3 types of muscles like other mammals; striated, cardiac, smooth. Voluntary muscles of cat are usually attached to the bones that form a joint. Thats why cats have a faster heart beat rate because cats have more than 500 voluntary muscles to be oxygenated. Cat has very agile and swift movements due to his specific sense of balance. This also enables him to land precisely where he aims to land without any problem. He also has a way to stretch his body down as far as possible before pushing off, when he is jumping down in order to reduce the distance and the shock of his landing. Powerful hind legs allow your cat to leap up to five times her own height. He uses his tail for balance while the dominant muscles combined with small muscles and tendons along the tail's length enable your cat to move it. Voluntary muscles, such as those found in the arms and legs, can only contract and pull, needing to work together to flex and extend. In controlling the limbs, muscles attach to the bones so they can work as levers. The flexor muscles protect the joints, helping them to pick up the limb or bend. A high intake of oxygen in the muscular system is necessary in order to endure running and other performance. Digestive system

Chewing and salivating begins the process of breaking down food. As the cat swallows, the food enters the esophagus, a small tube that connects the mouth to the stomach. Muscles line the esophagus. These muscles contract and force the food into the stomach. The cats stomach is a holding tank for recently ingested food. Hydrochloric acid and enzymes break down the food while its sits in the stomach. The stomach lining releases mucous that serves to protect the wall of the stomach from the acid. The cats liver also prevents poisoning by removing toxins or reducing them into benign or less toxic substances. The liver converts dietary fat and old red blood cells into bile and cholesterol. The gall bladder's bile ducts and the pancreatic ducts distribute bile and enzymes to the cat's small intestine. Together, they digest protein, carbohydrates and fat. A cat's small intestine is approximately 4 feet long and is shorter than most mammals. However, it contains long villi to enhance absorption of nutrients. Villi are small projections in the intestinal tract that interact with and absorb food. There is no peristaltic activity in a cat's intestinal tract. The digested food enters the large intestine once the nutrients are absorbed. The large intestine holds fecal matter and transports it to the anus for elimination. Additionally, the feline large intestine serves the purpose of extracting water from the feces and maintaining the hydration levels of the entire body. Skeletal system The skeletal system of a cat consists of bones and joints that are very similar to humans, with a few differences. In cats, just like humans, bones act as a storage site for fat and minerals like calcium and phosphorus, and as a production site for red blood cells. A kitten is born with all the bones and joints, ligaments and tendons (tissues that connect bone to bone or muscle) that it will ever have in its life. The cat's skeleton has an average of 250 bones total. There are two main differences between the skeleton of a cat and a human. The cat has more vertebrae that make up the spine or backbone, mainly because of the presence of a tail. Also, the vertebrae are not as closely connected to each other, allowing the cat greater flexibility to arch its back and squeeze into tight places. In addition, the cat's skeleton does not include a clavicle, or collarbone, which would broaden the cat's chest. Cats are digitigrade animal, meaning they do not walk on a foot like humans. Cats walk on paws consisting of four digits similar to human fingers, and consist of a row of two or three bones called phalanges to form toes. The cat's dewclaw, the non-weight bearing claw higher up on the foot, is similar to our thumb.

Respiratory system The cat's respiratory system serves two purposes. First, it is the exchange mechanism by which the body's carbon dioxide is replaced with oxygen. It is also a unique cooling system. Since cats do not have sweat glands (except on their feet), they cannot perspire to lower their body's temperature like humans do. To cool their body they must breathe harder (pant). By breathing faster, warm air is exchanged from the body for the cooler outside air. Additionally, moisture within the respiratory system evaporates, further cooling these surfaces. Therefore, the lungs function both to exchange carbon dioxide for oxygen and to cool the body. Urogenital system The urogenital system of cat includes the kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder, urethra and genital organs of both sexes. The urinary system is responsible for removing waste products from blood and eliminating them as urine. The genital organs are involved in reproduction. Cats and other mammals have the same functions of urogenital system but in reproduction, cat is different. It is because of zonary placenta; a placenta in which the chorionic villi are restricted to an equatorial girdle, as in the bitch and queen. Cats and dogs have this placenta. By: Herminio C. Faustino Jr.