Susan young, age 11, San Diego California, or her question:

What makes the fur of a frightened cat stand up?

A cats fur grows from her skin, which is controlled by muscles beneath the skin. When puss is scared, she becomes tense and alert ready for action. All of her muscles are tense, including the muscles under the skin. The skin is pulled tight. This is what causes the fur to stand up straight.

Actually, this trick of fuzzing up her fur is a great help when Miss Puss gets into trouble. It makes her look bigger and more frightening. A small enemy will decide to turn tail and flee.

If the enemy does decide to stand and fight, Puss’s fuzzed up fur may deceive him. Suppose the enemy is a snake. He will strike, expecting to bit into skin and flesh. Instead, all he gets is a mouthful of fur. The mongoose and many other animals also use this trick of fuzzing up their fur when trouble threatens.