Do you know what the differences are between the paws of a cat and those of a dog? It is true, at first glance they seem very similar, but the truth is that those of the feline are specially designed to hunt, that is, that when walking they learn to position each of their fingers well so that, when they step, they do not emit any sound. Dogs, on the other hand, eat what they find, so they do not need to have legs specially designed for hunting; In addition, they can travel long distances without getting tired.
But this is not the only difference. In fact, there are many more, and I'll tell you all about them below.
What are the legs of cats like?
We are going to start by explaining what the legs of our beloved felines look like, specifically, on those small areas that do not have any hair: the pads. They they have seven in total: five digitals, one on the heel called the foot pad, and a small one on the wrist. These have an elongated shape, except the one on the heel, which, if you look closely, you will see that it has three lobes on the back edge and another two on the front edge.
Cats possess retractable claws, that is, they can take them out whenever they consider it necessary, such as to hunt that toy that they like so much. Thanks to them, they can also climb the trees, the sofa, ... in short, wherever they like the most.
What are the legs of dogs like?
The legs of the dogs have six pads: four digitalis, one in the heel and one in the carpus. In addition, many of them, especially those of large breed, have a spur, which is a claw or thumb that does not touch the ground and that to date it is not known what use it has (and, in fact, if it is allowed to grow it can cause damage). These have a rounded shape, except the plantar one, which has two lobes, one on each side, and the other towards the inside of the leg.
The claws of the dogs are not retractable, but they grow little by little. The dog itself, when walking, keeps them well cut. In addition, you should know that with them they can make holes or hold things, such as a bone or a toy.
Did you know about these differences in the paws of cats and dogs?