Happy Fluffy Kitten Stretching

About this drawing

A stretching kitten is showing off one of the bendiest bodies in the animal world. Cats can twist in midair, squeeze behind the couch and curl into a tight ball, all because of the way their skeleton is put together.

Start with the backbone. A cat's spine has extra give between the bones, so it can arch high and then lengthen out like a rubber band. When a cat runs fast, that spine bends and straightens with every step, which helps stretch out each stride.

The shoulders are another trick. People have collarbones that lock the arms to the skeleton, but a cat's are tiny and float in muscle. That lets its front legs move freely and helps it slip through narrow gaps. If the head fits, the rest of the body can usually follow.

So why stretch? After a long nap, a good stretch wakes up the muscles and gets the blood moving, just like when you reach for the ceiling after getting out of bed. Cats usually do the front half first, with their rear end up, and then push out each back leg. Kittens work on these moves all day during play. Every pounce, flip and sideways hop helps build the strength and balance they will need as adults.

• kitten
• stretching
• cute animals
• pets