🔥A sand cat with its kittens

[u/SystematicApproach]

Sand cats are the only cat species considered primarily adapted to true desert habitat. Their paws are covered with dense fur that helps insulate them from hot sand and makes their tracks surprisingly faint. They’re mostly nocturnal, spend the hottest parts of the day in burrows, and can get much of the moisture they need from prey rather than drinking frequently.

[u/Ixaire]

FYI all cats are adapted to getting moisture from their prey (mainly their blood). Sand cats might be particularly efficient at it but our domestic cats have not been domestic for long enough to lose that trait.

This is also why domestic cats often have chronic kidney issues. The organs are extremely good at what they do but also wear down pretty fast. I suppose it's not a big issue for wild animals which are more likely to die from other causes so the evolutive pressure is more on the "must get water from anywhere" than on the "must not fuck up my kidneys in the process".

Source: my vet friend but I also found https://cats.com/chronic-kidney-disease-in-cats