Observed from behind, however, you completely lose sight of the whiskers, and so fail to realize how immensely important they are. ~ Norman Lindsay
As with many topics I research, I don’t know what prompted my interest cats’ facial hair. The only thing I knew about cats’ whiskers–or thought I knew–was that cats use their them to determine whether they can maneuver through an opening. Width-wise, anyway. That much is true, but it turns out there’s more to it.
Facial and more
Apart from spatial issues, a cat’s whiskers reflect also assist felines in determining whether prey is near, in part by changes in air currents, according to Desk Cat Nest, which is one of the resources I tapped to learn more. And then there’s this. Their whiskers also:
- Reflect their mood. If pulled back, such as a human might do when grimacing, they are likely agitated or anxious. If pushed forward, they are relaxed or curious.
- Signal a cat’s health status. If whiskers are brittle, falling out, or lackluster, the owner should explore whether there’s a nutritional or other health issue. Note that whiskers do shed, just like fur. Finding one occasionally is normal; finding multiples in a short period of time is not. They should not be trimmed.
- Relay the size, shape, and speed of objects around them.
- Assist cats with balance. Their whiskers help them to land feed down.
But that’s just the face. They have whiskers you may not have noticed–on the backs of their forelegs. Those are used to assess the exact position of caught prey, as well as whether it’s still moving, per Tree Hugger.
How do they work?
I went to Zoetis Pet Care for a science lesson. Cats whiskers, also known as vibrassae,* are made of keratin, just like human hair, but that’s where the similarity ends. Their whiskers are much thicker; the roots are much deeper, and the follicles are full of nerve receptors that are very sensitive. *Hairs that “specialized for sensory function. Cats are not the only mammals with this feature, per ScienceDirect. Check out that site if you’re curious.
Due to the sensitivity, some activities are contraindicated:
- Remaining in the same position for a prolonged period, which could be the result of age, poor health, or an owner who confines a cat to a too-small crate/carrier.
- Over-aggressive petting of the face.
- Use of narrow feeding or water bowls, which does not allow ample space for the whiskers to move freely.
We’re not going to get into the weeds on the science side, primarily because I don’t have the gray cells for it. But. The nerve receptors communicate data in a way that seems similar to the way our fingertips convey temperature and texture to our brains. However, we have no features comparable in ability to our feline friends’ amazing whiskers.
- Most cats have 24 mystacial (think mustache) whiskers, 12 on each side. Some may have more, but always an even number.
- They also have whiskers above their eyes, and sometimes close to their ears. This varies by breed.
- The width of a cat’s whiskers always corresponds to the width of the cat’s body, and accommodates the fluffiness. That is, a Maine coon with the same weight as an American shorthair would have longer whiskers–maybe as long as 6″.
- The muscles attached to whiskers allow cats to move just one at a time, or all of them at once.
- The word whisker dates back to the Middle Ages and the word wisk. Yes, like a broom.
Kneading a conclusion
As someone who loves cats, I thought I was pretty familiar with them, and I learned more researching this topic than I expected. I knew cats’ near vision wasn’t the best (they can’t focus well on objects within 12″), but I didn’t know their whiskers picked up the slack on that deficit. And the ones on the legs? Very surprising.
That makes me wonder how much I don’t know about humans. Not personality-wise–I know more than I need to on that score. But physiologically, what little thing is working for us to further our goals and keep us safe? And if we’re supposedly at the top of the food chain, brain-wise, why don’t we know more about how we function?
And about this time, you may be asking, “When is she going to fill us in on the bees’ knees?” Obviously, there’s no such thing. I will share, though, that both bees’ knees and cats’ whiskers constituted nonsensical slang over 100 years ago. Both imply a degree of excellence. I have no idea how the bees’ knees excel, but cats’ whiskers? They may need better PR, but they have nothing to prove. And, cats being cats, they would consider any necessary proof to be a you problem.
Excellent! I am not surprised tho that before a cat pounces they seem to stiffen up and hold steady before they act.