Why Cats Retract and Extend Their Claws: How and Why

Many four-legged mammals sport claws, but few species can both extend and retract them as cats do. Unlike dogs whose claws are always visible and blunt from constant contact with the ground, cats keep their claws sheathed much of the time. This unique ability helps cats maintain sharp, functional claws essential for their survival and daily activities.

Understanding How Cat Claws Retract and Extend

Despite being commonly called "retractable," a cat's claws are technically sheathed. This means the claws are pulled back into a protective skin fold or sheath when not needed, rather than fully retracted like a telescoping mechanism.

Each cat toe contains three bones: the proximal, middle, and distal phalanx. The claw is attached to the distal phalanx at the toe's tip, connected by strong ligaments and tendons to muscles further up the leg.

When a cat wants to extend its claws—for climbing, catching prey, or self-defence—it flexes certain leg muscles. This contracts the tendons pulling the distal phalanx forward and rotates the claw outward, exposing its sharp tip.

Conversely, the claws retract passively through elastic ligaments that pull the distal phalanx back to a vertical position inside the sheath when the muscles relax. This mechanism uses minimal effort, allowing the cat to walk silently with claws hidden.

Why Cats Benefit from Retractable Claws

This special adaptation serves several vital functions for cats, from preserving claw sharpness to improving hunting and climbing abilities.

Preserving Sharpness

By keeping their claws off the ground while walking, cats prevent their claws from becoming worn or blunt. This is crucial for animals that rely on sharp claws to catch and hold onto wriggling prey or climb trees in the wild.

Enhancing Hunting and Movement

The ability to extend claws quickly gives cats better grip and traction when stalking or chasing prey. Their claws help grip surfaces to climb or make swift turns at speed without slipping. Retracting claws ensures silent and stealthy movement, a valuable advantage when hunting.

Defence and Communication

Claws are vital weapons for self-defence. Cats display claws when threatened to warn or fight off predators or competitors. Interestingly, cats often keep claws sheathed during non-serious warnings or swipes to avoid causing injury, extending them only if the situation escalates.

How Cats Maintain Healthy, Sharp Claws

Cats instinctively sharpen their claws by scratching various textured surfaces such as scratching posts or tree bark. This habitual behaviour removes the ageing outer layers of the claws, keeping them hard and just the right length to prevent painful curling into paw pads.

Offering suitable scratching items at home not only supports claw health but also allows your cat to express their natural behaviours safely and comfortably.

Summary

Cats' retractable claws result from a sophisticated interplay of bones, ligaments, tendons, and muscles allowing selective extension and retraction. This adaptation promotes sharp, effective claws vital for climbing, hunting, traction, and defence, while enabling stealthy movement. Proper care at home includes providing scratching surfaces to help maintain claw health.

Understanding this mechanism helps us appreciate the elegance of feline anatomy and their unique needs as companions.