Are indoor cats' padding on the bottom of their feet pretty tough or are they sensitive?

Question

Are indoor cats' padding on the bottom of their feet pretty tough or are they sensitive?

Answer 1

When my oven is on my stove top gets pretty warm and my kitten will walk right across it without even flinching.  I think their pads are pretty tough.  

Answer 2

A cat's paw pads are composed of thick skin, connective tissue and fat. Countless nerves within the pads detect variations in the texture and temperature of surfaces and objects. When encountering a strange object, a cat usually touches it with a paw before deciding on a course of action. I know you've seen yours do this many times. The skin is rough and thick, generally about 1/20 inch, and provides a tough surface for protection when walking  and a firm grip on slippery surfaces. It creates a noiseless tread when a cat is stalking prey.

The paw pads also have sweat glands that produce watery sweat when a cat is hot or frightened, causing damp paw prints.

However, their paw pads are not temperature sensitive and a cat threading on a hot stove will not feel the heat until it hurts because it has just been burnt. That is one reason why we should be very careful and never allow cats to jump up the stove or other areas that might injured them.

Answer 3

Cat's pads respond to stress the same way our feet do. If you are constantly exposing your feet to tough terrain, they will adapt accordingly by forming callouses and reducing sensitivity. Indoor cats (although ALWAYS bare-foot) have softer, more sensitive pad skins.

Answer 4

i would guess about the same as our feet. pretty tough, but easily injured too.