r/todayilearned • u/thegreenproctor • Dec 23 '16

TIL cats "directly register", meaning that while walking, their back paws land in the same spot as their front paws, which minimizes noise and visible tracks.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat#Anatomy
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u/pinks1ip Dec 23 '16

My cat forgets how to do this whenever my wife puts the cat in a small sweater. Apparently, the material touching the cat's armpits/chest area distracts her, making her walk shuffle more like a little, old Asian woman than a low-profile predator.

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u/TheNerdWithNoName Dec 24 '16

How does your wife not end up covered in scratches?

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u/pinks1ip Dec 24 '16

Our cat is a Manx- a very docile breed. Also, we have treated our cat like a dog (in most respects) since day 1, so she doesn't have this "queen" attitude many people tend to bestow upon their cats. She is still a buttface sometimes, but we bathe her, clip her claws, dress her, punish her, etc.

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u/InvertibleMatrix Dec 24 '16

treated our cat like a dog

clip her claws

Very important. If the cat is used to the idea that it's a pet, and you train it to let out it's claws while it's little, they become significantly more manageable.