The whiskers of cats are very special hairs that are not there by chance. Far from being an aesthetic feature, mustaches do have essential roles for cats. They are therefore not simple long hairs. True sensory organ, without his whiskers your cat would be disoriented.

Whiskers, also called vibrissae, are long, stiff hairs attached to either side of the nose at the level of the upper lip. Some are also located above the eyes, like the eyebrows, but also at the back of the front legs and at the level of the cheeks. Whiskers are not only present in cats, they are also found in other animals such as dogs and horses.

Composed of keratin, their structure is the same as that of the hairs that make up a cat’s coat. However, vibrissae are much harder and longer hairs. In addition, they are attached much more deeply than other hairs. In addition, in certain breeds of cats, such as the Devon Rex for example, the whiskers are not stiff but slightly curled.

In general, cats have 24 whiskers in total, evenly distributed, i.e. 12 on each side and spread over several rows. But the number of vibrissae can vary from cat to cat. These hairs have a sensory role by acting as tactile receptors. Thus, we could compare the vibrissae to the pads of our fingers thanks to which we have the sense of touch. The cat’s whiskers give them real meaning. Therefore, they are very important.

A cat’s whiskers are connected to nerve cells. They can thus transmit information to the brain, in particular about their environment. In addition, they are also connected to muscle cells allowing them to be able to move easily.

The vibrissae of the cat allow him several essential various functions. Among them we can cite the following.

Move

These whiskers have a proprioception organ at their end allowing them to assess distances. Indeed, the vibrissae allow the brain to know the size of the cat and thus calculate whether it can pass to a place or not. This is why cats can walk through narrow passages knowing they are not going to get stuck there. Thanks to this, they are also able to jump knowing how far their good will have to go. Finally, it is thanks to its whiskers that a cat knows how to fall back on its feet at the right time.

Know your surroundings

Like a radar, the vibrissae also allow it to apprehend its environment both day and night. A single change in its surroundings is quickly detected. For example, vibrissae allow the cat to know the direction of the wind thanks to the vibrations of the air. Thus, it is very useful for them to hunt and know where to position themselves according to the wind so as not to be spotted by their prey. At night, thanks to its whiskers, the cat can move around without hindrance by spotting the objects around it. Thanks to them, the cat can also spot prey in the dark without having to observe it with its eyes. In addition, the cat seeing badly up close, its whiskers allow it to detect everything that is close to it. In this way, for example, they allow him to protect his eyes when something approaches them, like eyelashes.

Contact

The orientation of the whiskers is also a great way to know your cat’s mood. Thus, we can observe the following different situations:

• straight and motionless whiskers: the cat is relaxed;
• whiskers spread forward: the cat is curious, plays or hunts;
• Whiskers back and pressed against the cheeks: the cat is afraid, is anxious.

However, it is important to keep in mind that the position of the whiskers alone does not allow you to know exactly the state of mind of your cat. It is indeed always necessary to observe it as a whole and to look at the other signals of its body (position of the ears, the tail, etc.).

Be careful, it is very important to never cut your cat’s whiskers. Indeed, this would greatly harm his well-being because without their whiskers cats are totally disoriented. It could also frighten them. By seeing all the fundamental roles of mustaches, we understand how essential they are.

However, if one or more mustaches are inadvertently cut, don’t panic. Like other hairs, they will grow back later. But you will have to be careful with your cat and watch him because he can be disoriented for a few days.

There is therefore no maintenance to be done on the mustaches. Like the hairs of the coat, they fall out and grow back naturally. You must not touch it.