Cat whiskers are also knows as tactile hair or vibrissae. Vibrissae are presents in almost all mammals and play a similar role. Cats have whiskers in multiple locations and they are used for various purposes as well. The whiskers are thicker than the normal cat hair and are rooted more deeply into the skin and thus do not fall easily. Cats normally have whiskers around their noses, above their eyes as well as behind their front legs. Based on the location of the whiskers they serve different purposes.
On average a cat would have 24 whiskers around its nose equally distributed on each side. And they embedded in an area with a concentration of nerves and blood vessels. In cats whiskers serve various purposes.
Whiskers Help in Navigation
Whiskers help cats in navigation and especially in dark the whiskers detect even the slight air currents and hint the cat about any possible obstruction nearby. Whiskers also help the cat in determining whether she can fit into or pass through a small opening. The upper two rows of the whiskers can move independently of the other rows and help in the precise measurement.
Whiskers Guide in Hunting
Whiskers also help the cat in hunting as some researchers suspect that in close proximity the cat’s vision is compromised and whiskers and a strong sense of smell help the cat when the prey is in close proximity. The whiskers on the front legs of the cats let them know how large the prey is and also give information about its location. Moreover the whiskers also provide cat with the information about biting in the right spot of the prey to finish it off and a cat with impaired whiskers would not be able to do a clean hunt!
Whiskers as Mood indicators
Whiskers also play a vital role in indicating the mood of a cat. If you want to know your cat’s mood you can just look at her whiskers and find out. If the whiskers are pulled tightly back towards the face it indicated that the cat is angry or tense. If the whiskers are thrust forward the cat is in the mood for exploration and it would also mean that the cat is happy.
Since cats use their whiskers for navigation purposes and to determine if they can get into certain places, you should never trim the whiskers. Manipulating with the whiskers can be very painful for the cat and would affect its ability to hunt as well. Although it is natural for the cat to shed a few whiskers every now and then and they usually grow back but if you see that the whiskers are shedding very rapidly this may indicate that the cat is not feeling well and you should take it to the vet to determine the cause.
Moreover cats sometimes end up breaking the kitten’s whiskers when they are enthusiastically grooming them and same can happen when the kittens are playing with one another but the whiskers should never be trimmed intentionally as it would compromise many of your cat’s abilities and may put her life in danger.
Picture of Cat Whiskers
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