Yes, your cats whiskers look adorable, but are they just there for show?
Not at all!
Cat’s whiskers, the ones on their cheeks, around their eyes and chin, and even the ones on their forelegs, play an important role in how your cat operates every single day.
First things first, a cats whiskers are different than their regular fur.
Not only are whiskers a different texture and much thicker than cat fur, but whiskers are also much more sensitive.
Whiskers, also called vibrissae, are present on the body of many mammals and they act as sensors that communication information to the brain. (1.)
They are generally longer and embedded in a follicle with an abundance of nerve endings.
So, why exactly do cats have whiskers? Let’s get to the root of it.
Table of Contents
Why do cats have whiskers?
Cats have whiskers for a few different reasons, but really it all comes down to survival.
Cats need to have a keen sense of their surroundings to avoid predators, catch prey and generally navigate their environment.
Cats whiskers evolved as a mechanism to protect them, by acting as primary sensory receptors to help with hunting prey, navigating their surroundings, and being able to see better at night.
Where do cats have whiskers?
Cats don’t only have whiskers on their cheeks or around their nose, they also have the sensitive hairs on other areas of their body.
That includes around their eyes, jaw or chin area, and their front legs.
Having whiskers in various areas around their body means that their sensory reception is greatly improved and cats are better able to protect themselves and adapt to their surroundings.
What is the purpose of whiskers on cats?
A cats whiskers serve a few different purposes, but the primary purpose of a cats whiskers is to act as a sensory receptor.
Depending on where whiskers are located on a cats body, they can play different roles in how cats function.
In general, whiskers help cats have advanced sensory reception, better navigation, and a keen environmental awareness. (2.)
Whiskers also help cats communicate their emotions.
Advanced Sensory Reception
The sensory abilities of whiskers help cats gauge their surroundings by picking up vibrations and signalling the brain.
Each whisker is rooted in a nerve-packed follicle, making whiskers highly-sensitive and able to pick up those vibrations from a cats surroundings.
This sensory ability not only helps cats protect themselves from predators, but also helps them locate and catch their prey.
The sensitivity of whiskers and the vibrations they pick up aid cats in navigating a dark room or during the night by communicating information about their surroundings.
Improved Navigation
In addition to using whiskers to operate better in the dark, cats can also use their whiskers as measuring tools.
Basically, cats are able to use their whiskers to measure openings and spaces to determine whether they can fit through an opening or into a certain space.
Environmental Awareness
Whiskers provide cats with improved awareness of their environment and surroundings.
The vibrations that are picked up by a cats whiskers can alert them to predators in the area, and can help them detect environmental changes that may put them in danger.
That might include changes in wind direction or the weather for example.
Communicate Emotions
Whiskers help cats communicate their emotions by changing how they appear on a cats face.
Whiskers can help a cat communicate when they are feeling threatened or when they are calm, when they are stressed or when they are happy.
For example, when a cat feels threatened or stressed the whiskers will pull back towards the face.
Why are whiskers located in different places?
Whiskers provide cats with different sensory information depending on where they exist on the body.
The whiskers on a cats forelegs help it to hunt prey by helping the cat follow the movements and actions of prey, that includes speed and direction.
Meanwhile, whiskers on a cats face help it navigate surroundings by acting as a measuring tool.
Cats can position their head in an opening to get an understanding of how large a space is and whether the cats entire body can maneuver and get into different areas.
The whiskers around a cats eyes can protect their them from particles and dust in the air which would otherwise cause injury to their vision.
All whiskers on cats, whether on front legs, cheeks, chin, or eyes, can pick up vibrations in the air, this can help provide cats with information about changing environmental conditions and potential dangers and general navigation of their environment.
Do all cats have whiskers?
Yes. All cats have whiskers that they use to gather additional sensory information about their environment.
However, different breeds of cats may have whiskers located on different areas of the body or arranged in different ways.
For example, while most cats have 12 whiskers on their cheeks structured in 4 rows on either side of the nose, some breeds may have a different makeup.
How do whiskers work?
Whiskers are more deeply rooted in your cats skin than their regular fur.
They are connected to the cats’ muscular and nervous system through follicles that are filled with nerves.
The whisker hairs feed vibrations to the nerves located in the follicles from the world around them, the nerves then communicate that information to the cats brain.
This helps cats understand changes in their environment and detect threats.
As you might imagine, this is particularly valuable at night when it is harder for cats to see and sense their environment with their eyes.
To support navigation at night, a cats whiskers will provide additional information about the surroundings.
Are whiskers sensitive?
Yes, cat whiskers are highly sensitive. Each whisker is rooted in a follicle that is packed with highly sensitive nerve endings.
The sensitivity of whiskers is what allows cats to sense vibrations and use that sensory data to understand what’s going on around them, detecting risks or potential dangers and following the movements of their prey.
What happens if a cat loses its whiskers?
A cat’s whiskers play a vital role in their functioning and perception. From time to time your cat may lose a few of its whiskers, this is a natural part of a cat’s biology.
Just like a cat sheds its regular fur, cats may also shed whiskers, so you may find loose whiskers around your house. If your cat loses a few whiskers, they will grow back over time.
It’s worth noting, if you find your cat is losing almost all of its whiskers and they are not growing back, you may want to check in with your vet.
An extreme loss of whiskers on your cat could be an indication of an underlying medical condition.
What can cause my cat to lose whiskers?
As mentioned, losing whiskers is a natural part of a cats biology.
Shedding whiskers is something that happens with all cats.
With that being said, if your cat is loosing a severe number of whiskers, there may be an underlying medical condition that needs to be addressed.
Now, the following conditions may be attributing to a severe lose of whiskers:
- Allergies or skin conditions: These conditions may cause your cat to loose whiskers and regular fur as well. An example of a possible skin condition is dermatitis.
- Infections: Whether bacterial or fungal, infections may cause your cat to lose a sever number of whiskers.
- Acne: Yes, you read that right. Acne. Feline acne is another condition that may be causing your cat to lose a large number of whiskers.
- Alopecia: This is a condition that can cause hair loss, that means your cat may be losing whisker hairs along with regular fur.
If you think your cat is experiencing above average whisker loss, it may be a good idea to have a visit to your vet to make sure there isn’t an underying medical condition.
Also read: Why do cats hate water so much?
Should I trim my cats whiskers?
Since a cat’s whiskers play such an important role in providing sensory information to the brain and providing them with information about their surroundings, it’s important to never trim or cut your cat’s whiskers.
If your cat loses too many whiskers or if they are cut or removed, your cat may become disoriented and less able to sense dangers in its environment.
When you remove or trim a cats whiskers you are taking away their most valuable sensor.
It’s similar to a human trying to function with a blindfold on or with earplugs in.
Your senses are limited and you’re not as well equipped to understand your surroundings or environment.
Final Thoughts
Cat’s whiskers aren’t just for looks.
Without those thick and sensitive hairs, your cat would be less effective maneuvering in low light or at night, and would struggle with detecting space, size and speed of objects around them.
Without whiskers cats would have a harder time communicating when they feel threatened, and wouldn’t be able to detect environmental dangers as easily or effectively.
So, yes. Those whiskers are cute, but they are also a key piece of your cats make up and how they operate every day!
