ABSTRACT
The integument of the cat has unique properties with regards to coat color, skin pigmentation, inflammatory response, and specialized integumentary structures. Microscopic, hairless, knob-like enlargements termed integumentary papillae or tylotrich pads are present in the haired skin of cats. The skin functions as an enclosing barrier, preventing the loss of substances as water, electrolytes, and macromolecules. The skin is the source of both hair and claws, which provide protection against ultraviolet light, thermal extremes and predators. Compared to most other domestic animal species, the cat’s skin surface is almost completely covered in fur. In the cat, haired skin is only sparsely populated with melanocytes and melanin. The thickness of normal feline skin varies and decreases from dorsal to ventral regions on the trunk, and from proximal to distal regions on the limbs. The feline epidermis consists of four distinct layers in the areas of haired skin: the stratum corneum, stratum granulosum, stratum spinosum, and stratum basale.
