Anatomy of the Cat

by Jacob Reighard; H. S. Jennings

The Bladder. Vesica urinaria.

—The bladder ([Fig. 111], a) is pear-shaped. It lies in the abdominal cavity between its ventral wall and the rectum and a short distance craniad of the pubic symphysis. Caudad it is continued into a rather long, narrow neck (f) which passes dorsad of the symphysis to the pelvic cavity.

The bladder is covered by peritoneum and is held in place by its neck and by three folds of the peritoneum. One of these passes from its ventral wall to the linea alba and is the suspensory ligament. Two others pass one from each side of the bladder to the dorsal body wall at the sides of the rectum. They are the lateral ligaments of the bladder. They form the walls of a partly isolated peritoneal pocket into which the rectum passes; this pocket opens craniad into the peritoneal cavity. The wall of the bladder is composed of an internal epithelium, a layer of plain muscle-fibre bundles which cross one another in various directions, and the external peritoneal layer.

Suprarenal Bodies. Glandulæ suprarenales.

—The suprarenal bodies are two ovoid bodies about a centimeter in the longest diameter, lying craniomediad of the kidneys, but usually not touching them. In a fresh condition they are of a pinkish or yellow color. They are usually imbedded in fat and are covered by peritoneum on their ventral surface. They have no duct and are of uncertain function.

2. The Genital Organs.

A. The Male Genital Organs.

External Genital Organs.—The external genital organs are the scrotum and penis.

The scrotal sac or scrotum is a pouch of integument which lies ventrad of the anus in the median line against the ischiatic symphysis. It is marked by a median groove which indicates the position of an internal septum dividing its cavity into lateral halves, within each of which is one of the testes.

The penis ([Fig. 111], l; [Fig. 113], 6; see also [page 262]) lies ventrad of the scrotal sac. It projects caudad. It is covered by the integument, which projects at its end as a free fold, the prepuce. Within the prepuce is the projecting glans penis ([Fig. 113], 7). It is conical and bears on the ventral side of its free end the opening of the urethra, the common urinogenital opening. On the side on which the urethra opens the glans is connected to the prepuce by a fold of integument, the frenulum. The surface of the glans is covered with sharp, recurved, horny papillæ.