CONTROL OF CLAW MOVEMENTS IN CATS

In cats with the distal paw shaved and the claws painted with nail var nish, claw movements were recorded during the approach to a morsel of food with a conventional video camera; supplementary results were obta ined with a high frequency video system. The claws can be protruded in two directions, either ventrally or more dorsalwards. Measurements of the outer contour of the paw suggest that these two modes are not due to differences in angular movements in the proximal interphalangeal j oints; it is suggested that they depend on some (so far unknown) funct ion in the distal interphalangeal joints. Differential movements of th e claws of the different digits suggest some degree of individual cont rol of the digits. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights r eserved.