Cat Owner's Manual › Introduction › 

The Cat's Head

Eyes: Each model contains two. Feline irises form a distinctive vertical slit, rather than the circle common in most mammals. The visual system is protected by a "third eyelid" that deploys from the interior corner of each eye socket.

Ears: Each model contains two. A cat's outer ear can rotate 180 degrees, allowing it to scan its environment for particular sounds and pinpoint them with great precision.

Nose: The cat's sense of smell is superior to that of humans, but markedly inferior to that of dogs. A newborn kitten's nose is already so finely tuned that it can differentiate one of its mother's nipples from the others via smell.

Tongue: The hundreds of tiny barbs covering its surface are used for several tasks—including scraping meat from the bones of prey; washing and grooming the coat; drying wet fur; and acting as a temperature control system (by relieving overheating through panting and the evaporation of saliva). Cats drink by forming a depression in the front of their tongues and using it to convey liquid to their mouths.

Teeth: Felines do not chew their food; they chop it. Adult domestic cats come equipped with 30 teeth, all of which are designed for shredding meat. They use their large fangs, or "canines," to break the necks of their prey. In the case of domestic felines, these teeth are optimally spaced for dispatching mice.

Whiskers: Positioned in sets of 12 on each side of the muzzle, these thick, deeply set hairs are highly developed sensory organs. Among other things, they can gauge changes in wind direction and detect nearby movement in extreme low-light environments. They also help the cat determine if it can squeeze through a tight space (the whiskers are usually the same span as the feline's body at its widest point, unless the cat is obese or extremely pregnant). During hunting, the cat can push the whiskers forward, to provide information about the prey it is grappling with.

cautionCAUTION: Never cut a cat's whiskers. Doing so will prevent the cat from doing the things described above (as well as several other subroutines that are necessary for the day-to-day comfort and survival of the feline). Furthermore, the whiskers are extremely sensitive; cutting them is certain to make the cat experience pain.

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Quirk BooksThe Cat Owner’s Manual is a basic guide to cat care.
The book was written by a celebrated veterinarian and an acclaimed author. It provides cat owners with well-researched and helpful information presented in a lighthearted manner. The creators chose to write the book in a style similar to what you'd find in "operating instructions" for a car or computer, so it would be in a familiar language for someone learning how to do something for the first time. Of course they—and we—respect the fact that our beloved pets are not products or machines, and we hope you will read this guide and discover that it is as valuable as it is fun to read.

Introduction

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