Both our canine and feline species are supreme running athletes, but differ vastly in their natural discipline. Our dogs are the marathon runners and our cats are the sprinters; and both have the physical characteristics and adaptations that allow them to be Olympic gold medallists in their field. This crucial part of their body that allows for the difference in running style between species is primarily in the structure of their spine, and of course a ligament that is similar to the nuchal ligament.
Cat’s have a flexible spine which allows them to enjoy all sorts of positions and indulge in agile play, and they lack the proverbial nuchal ligament. The role of this ligament is to stabilise the head and spine, which is needed when exerting your body over marathon distances, something which cats don’t do. Wild dogs, for example, hunt via a method called coursing which basically means they chase their prey until the point of exhaustion, and then disembowel them. Cats have a more refined style of hunting – they observe their target, stalk, sprint for a short distance and then pounce.
Our marathon runners prefer to run in a group. Basically dogs are pack animals and generally quite gregarious. Wild dogs in particular thrive in a pack and are actually cooperative breeders, which means the entire pack helps to raise the young pups; while the alpha pair are in charge. The alphas are also the only ones that breed.
Cats vary between pride life and solitary life, with lions being pride orientated cats. But even in lion prides, the sub-adult males are ousted from their family pride. This is so that they can learn the techniques and skills required to be a potential king. Lion brothers and other sub-adults that have been ousted will often form coalitions.
The marathon runners and sprinters, different in their physical structure are also different in their lifestyle and execution of kills.
