Cats have a lithe, muscular, compact, and deep-chested body. The limbs range from short to long and sinewy. The forefoot has five digits and the hind foot has four. Except for the naked pads, the feet are well haired to assist in the silent stalking of prey. The baculum is vestigial or absent.
Females have two to four pairs of mammae.
The head is rounded and shortened, the ears range from rounded to pointed, and the eyes have pupils that contract vertically. The tongue is suited for laceration and retaining food within the mouth, its surface being covered with sharp-pointed, recurved, horny papillae. The incisors are small, unspecialized, and placed in a horizontal line. The canines are elongate, sharp, and slightly recurved. The carnassials, which cut the food, are large and well developed.