A muscular build is a key to their success. More than 500 muscles give cats the bursts of power they need to pounce upon their prey. Strong muscles in the lower back, hind legs, neck and shoulders help cats leap up to five times their own height. Muscles, along with ligaments, hold the spinal column together, allowing the cat to move with great flexibility. The shoulder joint, too, is flexible, which helps the cat grab divebombing birds that are protecting nests and fledglings.
Muscles help with their keen sense of hearing.
Using the more than 25 muscles in its ears, cats can quickly turn each ear individually 180 degrees in any direction to pinpoint the exact location of prey. Their ears are so sensitive, they can hear a mouse walk across a floor. Other senses, like sight and touch, also aid their hunting ability. Cats can't see in complete darkness, but it may seem that way. Because of the curvature of their cornea, cats need one-sixth as much light to see as people do.