User:AllenCamp28/Cat anatomy

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031938409003746?casa_token=iGgLvKeJP_sAAAAA:YKpzxx6kSSlbPojEtQDoWU4ruiJcbUUwbQod6TwIzdSLrLIVXlaS5f225U6Fjw7vG8ZnK8vRV1dJ

https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/article-abstract/95/2/151/2658316

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10344-019-1330-2

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306456510000392?casa_token=Uxu53ZdHrWQAAAAA:LvAoVa8x_7TiUwVRl5dyKeG5uQJZzasALUG2HHtJqiTmCqrKXY0xom8lvWTbTNv3eDl0gefwV2Y-

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/article/estimation-of-the-dietary-nutrient-profile-of-freeroaming-feral-cats-possible-implications-for-nutrition-of-domestic-cats/2E0E827469FFC1AF51387E045C06759A

https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/http-www-jivs-net/issue/77102/1278513

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0031938419302057

https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/15/1979

Physiology[edit]
Cats are familiar and easily kept animals, and their physiology has been particularly well studied; it generally resembles those of other carnivorous mammals, but displays several unusual features probably attributable to cats' descent from desert-dwelling species.

Heat tolerance[edit]
Cats are able to tolerate quite high temperatures: Humans generally start to feel uncomfortable when their skin temperature passes about 38 °C (100 °F), but cats show no discomfort until their skin reaches around 52 °C (126 °F), and can tolerate temperatures of up to 56 °C (133 °F) if they have access to water. '''However it must be noted that it has been monitored in the wild that cats are often running at higher daily temperatures in order to properly operate and when night falls we see a larger decrease in their body temperature when compared to other cats that might inhabit indoors. The reading on a group of stray cats that was observed in Australia showed temperatures being 21-59.8% higher than a regular cat'''.

Temperature regulation[edit]
Cats conserve heat by reducing the flow of blood to their skin and lose heat by evaporation through their mouths. Cats have minimal ability to sweat, with glands located primarily in their paw pads, and pant for heat relief only at very high temperatures (but may also pant when stressed). A cat's body temperature does not vary throughout the day; this is part of cats' general lack of circadian rhythms and may reflect their tendency to be active both during the day and at night.

Water conservation[edit]
Cats' feces are comparatively dry and their urine is highly concentrated, both of which are adaptations to allow cats to retain as much water as possible. Their kidneys are so efficient, they can survive on a diet consisting only of meat, with no additional water. They can tolerate high levels of salt only in combination with freshwater to prevent dehydration. Mature adult cats become dehydrated when they don't consume 60ml/kg a day, which could lead to health issues involving the bladder and kidneys. Feral cats get most of their water from consuming prey which contain high amounts of water, so they don't actually have to rely on drinking from a water source themselves. The same method is applied to domestic cats, with hydration coming from canned wet foods.

Ability to swim[edit]
While domestic cats are able to swim, they are generally reluctant to enter water as it quickly leads to exhaustion.

'''(CAT DIGESTION) In this study, we're looking at what feral cats eat by checking out information from various studies. As we expected, feral cats are hardcore carnivores. They get most of their daily energy from protein (52%) and fat (46%), with only a tiny bit from non-fiber carbohydrates (2%). Interestingly, a recent study on what domestic cats choose to eat showed that they like about 52% of their energy from protein, 36% from fat, and 12% from carbs. These results are pretty similar to what we found in feral cats. It seems like cats, both domestic and feral, have developed ways to stick to a diet that's close to what their wild ancestors ate. It's important to note that while house cats prefer a diet that resembles their wild relatives, the eating habits of stray cats might be different because it completely relies on prey available in environments and not just processed food.'''

'''(CAT DIGESTION) Also, the type and feel of the food animals eat play a big role in keeping their stomach's microbial population balanced. Studies have found that having a consistent and varied diet helps with this. When animals eat whole prey, like small animals with bones complete, they are able to extract nutrients from all of the beneficial stuff like cartilage and collagen. These things can boost gut health, help certain good bacteria grow, and support the immune system. This is different from eating foods mainly made from plants and cooked at high temperatures, which might not have the same benefits, this could be observed in the aforementioned difference in nutrient make up between stray/feral cats and domesticated cats.'''