What are cat whiskers for?

Cats are one of the most popular pets in Spain, along with dogs. They are a species with incredible agility, flexibility, and mobility, able to jump from heights of over 3 meters without harming themselves. They also have the ability to rotate their ears 180 degrees and have an impressive sensory element: their whiskers. If you'd like to read a little more about feline whiskers, stay with us as we explain them in this post.

Cat whiskers: what are they for?

We could say that a cat's whiskers are a powerful sensory and multifunctional tool, highlighting the hair follicle part of the whisker, which is full of nerves.

A cat's whiskers are directly connected to its nervous and muscular system, sending signals to its brain, giving it an additional sense of understanding its surroundings. This characteristic enhances its ability to be one of the most intelligent animals with the most developed sense of exploration.

Their main function is to act as vibration sensors. This allows them to better gauge distances to pursue their prey. However, while wild cats may have a greater need to hunt, domestic cats are more accustomed to eating cat food or wet food.

Furthermore, their whiskers also help them see up close and maintain their stability. This allows them to move in a straight line while also aiding their night vision. Along with their near-perfect eyesight, their whiskers allow them to detect air currents, for example, and thus move swiftly at night.

Why are my cat's whiskers falling out?

It may be that at some point our cat loses part of its whiskers and this causes us concern. Nothing could be further from the truth, cats' whiskers grow back.

As a reference, they normally have between 16 and 24 whiskers, so if we see that there are less than this amount, we can easily detect if our cat has gone through a shedding process.

Likewise, if the hair bulb has not been damaged, in a matter of 1-2 months our cat will have its whiskers again.

Can you cut cats' whiskers?

It's not advisable to cut or pluck a cat's whiskers , as this would leave them unprotected. If they only have one or two whiskers, nothing would be a problem, but if there were many, it would be a problem, as their ability to see up close and navigate would be greatly impaired. Consequently, the feline could become fearful, insecure, or clumsy, at least until they grow back.

7 interesting facts about a cat's mustache

As we've seen in this article, a cat's whiskers are a very important part of their daily lives. That's why we're sharing seven interesting facts to give you a better idea:

• Your cat's whiskers usually measure the same as their body width, this way they can calculate if they will fit in certain places.
• The position or placement of a cat's whiskers helps us determine its emotional state or mood. For example, if a cat's whiskers are pointing forward, it means it's alert; if they're pointing backward, it means it's scared; and if we don't see any movement, it means it's calm.
• The whiskers help them move forward and maintain stability.
• It helps their night vision. With this they can avoid obstacles during the night or moments with lack of light and move with total agility.
• They can detect meteorological elements, such as air humidity or atmospheric pressure.
• One of the functions of mustaches is to act as glasses to see up close.
• Cat whiskers grow back if they fall out or are cut, it's just a matter of time.