This unfortunate kitty cat met his fate in the barn. I have never had one of my cats go missing, so I assume this was before i moved here and I've been here for 10 years. The skeleton was packed under layers and layers of old straw, hay, and manure. I probably would have never even found it if it wasn't for the horses constantly walking and standing in this area of the barn.
The skeleton is very well preserved. In this close up shot, you can see whiskers !! This poor little kitty probably needed warmth on a bitter winter day and buried himself in the loose hay and straw. Temperatures here in the dead of winter can get extreme. We usually have to add a wind chill factor because the wind is wicked. I've seen the temp drop to -35C and then the wind chill would be added on that...yikes!!! I like to think that this kitty got himself all warm and comfy and just never woke up.
This side of the skeleton shows the same basically as the other. It is completely intact....paws, tail, and teeth!
While researching cat's bone structure etc, i found conflicting information about the number of bones in a cat's skeleton :
"The cat’s skeleton is not so different from the
human skeleton. The cat has more bones—230 as
opposed to 206—but many are identical to those
in the human being. Cats have 13 ribs; humans
have 12. Cats do have clavicles (collar bones)
but unlike humans, they are not attached to
other bones"
https://co4h.colostate.edu/projects/manuals/Cats-WashingtonState-U3.pdf
"With 244 individual bones held together by ligaments, the feline skeletal system provides both strength and flexibility. The bones are less tightly held together than in most other mammals, allowing for the renowned flexible spine movements, up to the point where a cat can turn upside down in the air and land on its feet within two seconds after being dropped on its back."
https://thecatsite.com/c/bone-fractures-in-cats/
Now that i found this skeleton, I really don't know what to do with it haha. It certainly will make a great conversation piece 😁