Cats’ paws are fascinating pieces of anatomy

Our cats’ paws tap us gently on the face to wake us. They touch the ground silently as cats stalk their prey. They sheathe lethal blades of death — for mice, anyway.

Beautiful, soft and deadly, paws are an integral part of felinity. Here’s how they work:

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A paw is gloved in thin, pigmented skin. This well-designed, soft-yet-tough covering overlays an impressive supply of blood vessels, nerve endings, fatty tissue and connective tissue, which all work together to provide shock absorption, balance, cushioning, insulation and tactile information about surfaces and prey. Their sensitivity also makes them valuable in detecting vibrations of approaching or fleeing animals.

Each paw has at least four small digital pads, often nicknamed “toe beans” for their appearance. The digital pads and the larger metacarpal (foreleg) and metatarsal (hind leg) pads help support the cat’s weight. Cats also have a carpal pad on the backside of each front leg. It doesn’t contribute to weight-bearing, but it does help to provide traction if a cat jumps down, skids to a stop or is moving downhill.

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Because cats have greater circulation in their paws than humans do in their feet, they can withstand lower temperatures — and even snow on the ground — without booting up. They can, however, suffer frostbite from prolonged exposure to the bitter cold.

If you’ve ever looked closely at your cat’s paw pads, you’ve probably noticed that they are a particular color, usually black, pink, lavender or spotted. They can even be different colors. Paw pad color is usually related to the color or pattern of a cat’s coat. For instance, in the Ocicat breed, chocolate-colored cats have chocolate-pink paw pads, fawn cats have pink pads and blue cats have blue (gray) pads.

At least two studies have shown that cats have paw preferences when it comes to stepping over an object, going down steps or which side they prefer to nap on. Interestingly, males tend to prefer using their left paw for these actions; females prefer the right paw.

Cats use their paws for grooming and for drinking water. A classic image is of a cat licking her paw and then using it to wash her head, ears and face. You may also have seen your cat holding her paw beneath a dripping faucet or dipping it into her water bowl and then licking water from it.

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Paws are communication devices as well. They are loaded with scent glands, which release pheromones that deliver chemical messages when the cat scratches objects.

Paws also tell us how a cat is feeling. If you notice that your cat is leaving damp paw prints on surfaces, it might be a signal that she’s feeling nervous.

“I have seen the presence of a wet paw print left by patients who are nervous during a veterinary exam,” said Julie Reck, a Fear Free Certified veterinarian and owner of Veterinary Medical Center of Fort Mill in South Carolina. “Paw pads are one of the only places that have sweat glands in the cat’s body. They are designed to provide a cooling mechanism through evaporation during hot external temperatures, but when cats are scared or nervous, cortisol and adrenaline flood through the bloodstream. Those hormones inadvertently activate the sweating mechanism that was designed to provide thermal regulation to the body.”

Another characteristic of paws is that they have claws. In the case of cats, the claws are protractible, meaning that the cat can extend them at will. (The exception is cheetahs, with semi-retractable claws that act like cleats, providing traction for the speedy cats.) When the cat is at rest, the tiny but sharp sabers are too, cloaked by protective skin folds and fur. Keeping claws sheathed until needed prevents wear from striking the ground and allows cats to move silently on those soft paws.

Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet-care experts headed by veterinarian Marty Becker and journalist Kim Campbell Thornton of Vetstreet.com. Joining them is dog trainer and behavior consultant Mikkel Becker.

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