A cat’s whiskers (also known as tactile hairs or vibrissae) are long, thick, flexible hairs located on his or her face. These hairs are located in horizontal rows on the whisker pad (the puffy area between the top corners of the cat’s mouth and the outer edges or his or her nose). Whiskers, much like hair and nails, fall out and are replaced. However a cat’s whiskers are a lot different from the other hair on a cat’s body. Not only are they two to three times thicker than the cat’s hair, they are also rooted very deep in his or her face, in an area rich in nerves and blood vessels.
Cat’s also have shorter whiskers above their eyebrows, on their chin, and on the back of their front legs. A cat’s facial whiskers are used for navigation, measuring an opening, and mood indication. Cats use their whiskers to feel their way around. In fact, a cat’s whiskers are so sensitive that they can detect the slightest directional change in a breeze. This makes it easy for cat’s to walk around at night without bumping into anything. The air currents in a room change depending on where things are located.
When a cat is happy or content his or her whiskers will be more relaxed and pushed forward. This goes for when they are feeling curious as well. However, when your feline companion is feeling angry or defensive don’t be too surprised if their whiskers are pulled back.
Last but not least, the primary use of a feline’s whiskers are to help them judge whether or not they can fit through an opening. In fact, a cat’s whiskers are roughly as wide as their body. The tips of the whiskers are sensitive to pressure. This is why you will most likely see your cat stick his head in and out of an opening before attempting to climb into it. By doing this, he is judging the width of the opening and determining whether or not he can fit into it. In addition, unlike humans, cats do not have a true collar bone which allows them to twist and turn, and fit into very narrow openings.
It is very important that you never cut or trim a cat’s whiskers as it can leave them disoriented, and make it difficult for them to accurately judge distances and keep their balance.
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