Everything You Wanted to Know About Cat Whiskers
Published October 28, 2011
As I encounter cat lovers, both on the Internet and in real life seeking information about their cats in order to unravel some of their mysteries, one of the most frequently asked questions I am asked is: "Why do cats have whiskers and what is their purpose?"
Why Do Cats Have Whiskers?
Cats use their whiskers for a wide variety of reasons. They provide some of the most important feedback for cats to gather data about their environment. They also use them to communicate their emotions. As an essential addition to their "navigational" equipment, it is crucial to never trim them or cut them off.
What Would Happen If Cat's Didn't Have Whiskers?
Without whiskers, cats become confused and often lost. Similar to radar, Cats use whiskers to "feel" their boundaries and to gauge distances to ascertain the size and shape of objects, and to discover if their bodies will fit into tight spaces. Whiskers help guide them in the dark to avoid running into objects.
Whiskers: Used for Communication and Mood Expression
Cats communicate with their whiskers, and they are an excellent mood indicator. Learning to "read" your cat's whiskers will give you crucial hints about your cat's emotional state and if they are open to contact or wish to remain undisturbed.
Pulled back whiskers translate into anger or defensiveness, whereas whiskers that are relaxed and pushed forward let you know that your cat is curious about something. It also can mean that your cat is happy and content. They indicate openness to connection.
How Many Whiskers Do Cats Have?
Did you know that cats have approximately 24 whiskers on their face, arranged twelve to each side of the nose, in four horizontal rows? There are also special cat "whiskers" on their paws, eyes, chin and legs, but many folks do not consider them to be "true" cat whiskers, but more like "feelers". These additional whiskers are also utilized for sensing objects, textures and boundaries.
Are There Different Types of Cat Whiskers?
Some breeds of cats, such as the Devon Rex, have curly whiskers. They are sufficiently long enough, even with their curly shapes to get around. Amazingly, I have actually met people who wanted to learn how to straighten them, which I cannot understand; doing so would seriously destroy their whisker mechanism.
That is why it is so important to leave your cat's whiskers alone. Cats are at a great disadvantage without them, as they depend on them for so many things. Blind cats can get around very well using not only their keen sense of smell and hearing, since they greatly rely on their whiskers for guidance, almost identically to humans who are blind and use canes to negotiate their environment.
Can Cat Whiskers Shed?
From time to time you may notice a stray cat whisker on the floor. Cats do shed their whiskers as new whiskers are replaced. I have been known to save a whisker or two as a sentimental treasure.
Why do you think some folks cut their cat's whiskers? Leave a comment and share your thoughts.
P.S. We've got answers to the cat whisker health questions you left in the comments!
Shortly after retiring as a social worker and psychotherapist, I discovered my "writer's voice"…
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Comments (28)
When I was younger I wanted to cut off one of our cats whiskers so I could look at it under a microscope, but when I made the cut she moved her head and I accidentally cut off all the whiskers on one side! She was fine and the whiskers grew back after a few weeks. I felt bad about it, but there was no real damage done.
Do cat's whiskers change size as they change size?
Shed cat whiskers are actually quite useful. I have 5 cats and I'm always on the hunt for their whiskers because they make fantastic paint brushes. It takes me a while to collect up enough to make a brush, but it's worth it in my opinion.
I have 2 cats who regularly groom each other. Recently, one of my cats started biting off the others whiskers when he groomed her. How can I get him to stop doing this?
I have never had a cat before, and am therefore know only what I've learned over the past 6 mos hes been mine. Of course I have had many questions as to how to properly care for him, CJ. Questions like can I give him milk, do I need to give him a bath (since I do know how afraid they are of water), etc. My latest that came up was whether I cn cut his whiskers or not. When I researched it, I was shocked. It was amazing to find amswers to many other questions all in one. When I adopted Cj, he was blind in one eye. They weren't sure how well he could see out of the other eye, even though it seemed to me he was just fine. Now, I read info telling me that cats use their whiskers for many things. Similar to radar, Cats use whiskers to "feel" their boundaries and to gauge distances; to gather data about their environment; guide them in the dark to avoid running into objects; and they greatly rely on their whiskers for guidance, almost identical to humans who are "blind" and use canes to negotiate their environment. So I learned some info about their whiskers that ended up answering much more than I expected!
Our cats whiskers are all white except for two black whiskers....so cute! =^_^=
After my red tabby had bilateral enucliation, his whiskers grew back in and are about 3/4-1 inch longer.