Do Cats Have Knees Or Elbows? Or Do They Have Four Legs


Do Cats Have Knees Or Elbows

I am a proud owner of two Persian kittens. Today I will answer a question that many pet owners, especially cat owners, are mistaken of. This question has been a myth for many of the cat owners that do cats have knees?

In short, YES! Cats do have knees. But this does not mean that cats have four knees just because they have four legs.

A senior biologist Bridget Parker and an intern at Wildlife Safari, having good knowledge of big cats, says that cats have elbows.

He states that;

Cats have two sets of joints in their forelimbs: an ankle and an elbow. Their ankle is just above their toes and is fairly similar to human wrists. The second joint is their elbow and is located about midway up their forelimb,

What Is Stifle Joint In Cats?

Cats are quadruped animals which means they walk on all four limbs. Cats have knees and ankles on their hind legs.

The back legs in cats are known as rear or hind legs, and the front legs are known as forelegs

The back legs in cats are known as rear or hind legs, and the front legs are known as forelegs. The knee in quadruped animals is known as the stifle joint.

These stifle joints in the cats join the three bones named the femur, tibia and patella. The patella protects the stifle joint; it is also known as the kneecap.

A small bone is present at the front of the knee for its protection. It plays the role of connecting the muscles in the front of the thigh to the tibia.

Disorders of Stifle Joint in Cats:

Comparing to dogs, stifle joint injuries are significantly less in cats. There can be many causes of stifle joint injuries, but the most common one is falling from a height or due to vehicular trauma. The most common stifle joint injuries include:

  • Dislocation of joint
  • The fracture of a patella
  • Arthritis
  • Patellar luxation
  • Cruciate ligament rupture

Here Comes A Question, Do Cats Have Arms?

As cats are quadruped’s animals, all of the four limbs in them are considered legs. The elbows, wrists, bicep and triceps muscles are part of forelegs in cats, while the front legs have elbows.

The front limbs bend in the same direction as the back lings. It has led to a misconception that both the joints are the same. These people have less knowledge then.

What looks like the knee on the lower hind limbs are the tops of their elongated feet.

The knees of the cats are near to their hips

The knees (the actual ones) of the cats are near to their hips. Hence, the hind leg’s knee bends differently compared to the front limb elbow joint. 

If an animal has four legs, this doesn’t mean that they have four knees. It is scientifically not correct to say that every limb has the same kind of joint in cats. The hind legs of cats have patella or kneecaps, while they don’t have kneecaps on their front legs.

The point mentioned above may clear everything for the mistaken people that cats have two elbows and two knees.

There may be questions in your mind regarding cats like do cats whiskers grow back. Cats have belly button? Are cats ticklish? or why my cats smell is like cat food? Check our articles on them we have discussed in detail everything.

Do Cats Have Knees? – Conclusion:

After a detailed discussion on “Do cats have knees,” I hope the answer to this question has cleared the mind of many mistaken people. We have discussed in detail the joints of the forelegs and front legs in cats.

If you have anything to share then please do comment. It will be a great favour for me; it will help to increase my knowledge.

Daney Hak

I’m a passionate cat mom and pet lover. Apart from being a cat owner, I’ve spent many years of my childhood around them. In my experience, I’ve learned the importance of understanding your cat to be able to cater to them adequately. Thank you so much for your time.

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