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Lecture Notes

Now we'll consider the cat's skull. The cat has a short face compared with other domestic animals. The jaw is short, providing power, and can open very wide. The associated musculature facilitates grabbing and holding prey.

Now different breeds have more or less round or angular faces, with the most dramatic alterations being in the length of the head or muzzle. For example, at the top here you see a Persian, which has an extremely short muzzle as part of the breed's standard. At the bottom is a domestic shorthair, showing a more common and moderate muzzle length.