Yoga-like posting cat

If you think about a cat, you will remember how the different seemingly impossible yoga-like poses your cat can distort into. Due to the relative flexibility of a cat's skeletal system but in particular the backbone, most of these incredible positions can be possible.


A domestic cat has five more number of backbones than a human and they are joined by extremely flexible soft bone (cartilage-like material) that allows for freedom of movement. This is necessary for a predator in the wild. The more flexible spine allows for free range of movement and quick motion.

Wild cats rely on their spines for a fast springing action that allows them to pounce into action and leap onto unwary prey like when you see cheetahs and lions hunt for their prey in documentaries. Domestic cats do the same thing when they jump onto an unsuspecting mouse, birds or toy. Cats hunker down, flick their tails, and suddenly spring up silently and grab their target with powerful front paws and clamp their jaws to immobilize their quarry.

The spine's flexibility also comes into play during high speed chases when sudden turns and bursts of speed are essential. The spine can bend and flex in tune with a felines hips and legs to turn in seemingly impossible directions to quickly outflank prey. A cat's spine is built for one quick and frenetic pace for hunting and then rest for after the meal.



Credit: William Browning, Yahoo! Contributor Network