The skin is the largest organ of your cat’s body. It provides a protective barrier against the environment, regulates temperature, and gives your cat its sense of touch. Depending on the species and age, the skin may be 12% to 24% of an animal’s body weight. The skin has 3 main layers: the epidermis or outer layer, the dermis or middle layer, and the subcutis or innermost layer. Other important parts of the skin include skin appendages (such as hair and claws) and subcutaneous muscles and fat.
Anatomy of a cat's skin
Epidermis
The epidermis is the top skin layer. It provides protection from foreign substances. The epidermis is constantly regenerating. New skin cells are created near the base of the epidermis and migrate upwards in a process called keratinization. This produces a compact layer of dead cells on the skin surface. This layer keeps in fluids, salts, nutrients, and water, while keeping out infectious or noxious agents. The top layer of dead skin cells are continuously shed and replaced by lower cells. The rate of cell replacement is affected by nutrition, hormones, tissue factors, immune cells in the skin, and genetics. Disease, some drugs, and inflammation also alter normal cell growth and keratinization.
Cells in the epidermis can be damaged by excessive ultraviolet light exposure. Healthy skin cells contain a skin and hair pigment called melanin. The presence of melanin helps protect the cells from the damaging rays of the sun.
The epidermis also contains specialized immune cells to protect the body from invading organisms and injuries. Cats also have specialized sensory cells associated with the whiskers and certain hair follicles that provide an improved sense of touch.
Basement Membrane Zone
This area of the skin is located at the base of the epidermis and connects the epidermis to the dermis layer below. It also serves as a protective barrier between the epidermis and the dermis. Several skin diseases, including a number of autoimmune conditions, can damage the basement membrane zone.
Dermis
The dermis supports and nourishes the epidermis and skin appendages. The network of blood vessels that supply the epidermis with nutrients is in the dermis. Blood vessels are also responsible for regulating skin and body temperature. Sensory and motor nerves are located in the dermis and hair follicles. The skin responds to the sensations of touch, pain, itch, heat, and cold. The dermis produces collagen proteins that support the skin. There are also immune cells in the dermis that defend against infectious agents that pass through the epidermis.
Skin Appendages
Hair follicles, oil and sweat glands, and claws are skin appendages that grow out of the epidermis and dermis. The hair follicles of cats are compound, which means they he have a central hair surrounded by 3 to 15 smaller hairs all exiting from a common pore. Cats are born with simple hair follicles that develop into compound hair follicles.
The growth of hair is affected by nutrition, hormones, and change of season. Cats normally shed hair in the early spring and early fall. They may also shed in response to changes in temperature or the amount of sunlight. The size, shape, and length of hair are controlled by genetics. Hormones have a significant effect on the growth of hair. Disease, drugs, nutrition, and environment also affect the health of hair.
The hair coat protects the skin from physical and ultraviolet light damage, and it also helps regulate body temperature. Trapping air between secondary hairs conserves heat. This requires that the hairs be dry and waterproof. Like many animals, the cold-weather coat of cats is often longer and finer to facilitate heat conservation. The hair coat can also help cool the skin. The warm-weather coat has shorter, thicker hairs and fewer secondary hairs. This anatomic change allows air to move easily through the coat, which facilitates cooling. Hair coats can also act as camouflage.
Oil glands (also called sebaceous glands) secrete an oily substance called sebum into the hair follicles and onto the skin. They are present in large numbers on the face, paws, back of the neck, rump, chin, and tail area. They are part of the cat’s scent-marking system. Cats mark territories by rubbing their face on objects and depositing a layer of sebum laced with feline facial pheromones. Sebum is a mixture of fatty acids. It is important for keeping the skin soft and pliable and for maintaining proper hydration. Sebum gives the hair coat sheen and has antimicrobial properties.
Cats have sweat glands on the feet that may have a minor role in cooling the body. Cats also will sweat through their paws when excited; this is most commonly seen as wet paw prints on surfaces, such as shiny countertops or floors. However, cats primarily regulate their temperature by grooming (spreading their saliva on their skin) and sometimes by panting or drooling.
Subcutis
The subcutis is the innermost layer of the skin. It contains the subcutaneous fat and muscles. (The word subcutaneous means “beneath the skin.”) The twitch muscle is the major muscle immediately beneath the skin. The subcutaneous fat provides insulation; a reservoir for fluids, electrolytes, and energy; and a shock absorber.
For More Information
Also see professional content regarding structure of the skin in animals.
