Can cats have armpits if they don’t technically have arms?
The answer is yes; cats do have armpits. The cat’s armpits are located where the foreleg meets the body, beneath the junction of the arm and shoulder.
The armpit (also called the axilla) differs from that of humans as it contains no sweat glands and is not hollowed. Although cats do sweat, their only sweat glands are located in the feet. As with humans, the cat armpit does contain lymph nodes known as the axillary lymph nodes as well as the axillary artery and vein.
Related: Do cats have chins?
If cats have armpits, do they have arms?
Cats have four legs, the front legs (forelegs or forelimbs), and the rear legs (hindlimbs). The forelimbs joints are made up of the elbow and wrist, and the hindlimbs have knees and ankles.
Cats are quadruped, which means they walk on all fours and have four feet. Humans are bipedal and have two feet and two hands. The hands of humans and other primates are prehensile, which means they can grasp and hold objects.
Armpit injuries
The most common injury to the armpit is if a leg slips through the collar and becomes stuck, which can lead to inadequate blood supply (ischemia) and pressure necrosis which can allow an infection to take hold. The area can be difficult to treat because it is warm and subject to continual motion.
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