ANATOMY 31 



the claws can scarcely be felt; however, the 

 instant the cat has been wakened and starts 

 to play, or resists the handling it has been sub- 

 jected to, the claws protrude as the paw and 

 the foot are flexed. 



It is not in place here to go into detailed 

 anatomy of the cat. Reference has already 

 been made to the slight development of the 

 respiratory system. The digestive system of 

 the cat is comparatively simple. The stomach 

 is ample, and the intestines which follow it, 

 while convoluted in order to be contained in a 

 limited space, are not subject to the constric- 

 tions which are found in the horse and some 

 of the larger domestic animals, and it is rare 

 that we have in the cat troubles coming from 

 obstruction of the digestive tract, unless the 

 animal has by accident swallowed some enor- 

 mous foreign body. 



