The muscles of the pelvic girdle and lateral thigh run from the pelvic girdle to either the thigh or the shank.  The most anterior muscle of the cat thigh is the sartorius.  This muscle appears as a wide, thin band extending from its origin on the ilium to its insertion on the patella and tibia.  The majority of the muscle rests on the medial side of the thigh, covering nearly half of its anterior surface.  The action of this muscle is to adduct and rotate the thigh and extend the shank.  The remaining muscles of the thigh are located on the medial surface.  This group of muscles originates on the pelvic girdle and inserts on the femur.  These muscles act across the hip joint, and their major action is adduction of the thigh.  The medial surface of the thigh, posterior to the sartorius and quadriceps group is covered by the gracilis.  The gracilis adducts and retracts the leg.  Lying between the sartorius and gracilis are the adductor femoris and the adductor longus.   The adductor femoris originates on the ischium and pubis and inserts on the femur.  The adductor longus originates on the pubis and inserts on the femur.  Both muscles adduct the thigh.