Learn all the Secrets about Your Cat's Whiskers

Did you know that if you cut your cat’s whiskers, it could affect his strength and personality? We’ll tell you a little bit more about why they’re so important in this article.

How many whiskers do cats have?

Cats have between eight to twelve whiskers on each side, but they’re very different from the rest of the hair on their body. Why is that? Well, they’re strong and resistant to the wind and any of the cat’s movements.

Also, whiskers play a big role in their lives, according to Ángela Prieto, from the Complutense University of Madrid and author of a study about the purpose of feline whiskers.

She says they’re very important receptors that make them more aware of their surroundings. Cutting off your cat’s whiskers will leave them lost, with no way to navigate the world around them.

A cat’s whiskers are not only on its snout

If you look at a cat closely, you’ll see that it also has whiskers above its eyes, on its chin, and on its legs.

According to Ángela Prieto, these thicker hairs are more rooted than the rest, making it impossible for them to fall off. They’re necessary for the animal to be able to perceive everything around it.

A cat’s whiskers help it see closely

A cat’s vision isn’t the greatest. In fact, they have trouble focusing on objects or people that are more than 30 centimeters from them.

Whiskers play a very important role in this limitation. When they can’t see any further, the whiskers stretch forward, turning them into stimulus receptors. Then, this creates a 3D image in their brain that forms a specific image of what’s in front of them.

Cats like getting into small spaces

How many funny pictures and videos have you seen on the internet about cats getting into small spaces? Did you know their whiskers are what tells them if they can fit in the hole or not?

Their whiskers are long for many reasons, and one of them is to help them decide if they can fit in a hole or not.

Make sure you don’t let your cat get overweight. If they do, their whiskers won’t function as they should.

A cat’s whiskers tell you how it’s feeling

Cat’s whiskers play a large role in their body language. They can express many things using them.

Depending on the cat’s position and movements, you can tell if it’s sad, angry, or happy. Be sure to look at your cat’s whiskers. If they’re relaxed, you have nothing to worry about. Your cat is happy and he’ll probably start to purr soon. 

If he stretches his whiskers forwards, he probably heard or seen something he didn’t like. On the other hand, if its whiskers are facing backwards, it may be a sign that he’s angry or scared.

As you can see, a cat’s whiskers are very important in its life. Like any other part of its body, it has its specific function and shouldn’t be interfered with.