Whiskers – What Does Your Cat Use Them For?

Whiskers are a very important part of your cat’s body. Whiskers, like hair and nails, fall out and are replaced.

Whiskers are different from your cat’s body hair. They are two to three times thicker than your cat’s hair and are rooted very keep in your cat’s face into an area which is rich in nerves and blood vessels.

Cats have whiskers on their checks as well as shorter ones above their eyebrows, on their chin and on the back of their front legs. A cat’s facial whiskers are good for navigation, mood indication, and measuring an opening.

Whiskers help a cat feel his way around and are so sensitive they can detect the slightest directional change in a breeze. This helps a cat at night slink away through a room and not bump into anything.

Whiskers serve another purpose besides acting as guidance, tracking, and radar systems – they also serve as a kind of barometer for the cat’s moods. But if you see the whiskers suddenly bunch up and lay flat against the cat’s face — that may be a sign that the cat is scared.

The whiskers also make it pretty easy to tell when a cat is startled or excited, because every hair on its body will be standing on end, including the whiskers, which will point almost completely forward.

If the cat is happy, curios or content, his whiskers are more relaxed and can even be pushed forward. Perhaps when playing “chase the toy” with a cat, you’ll notice its whiskers are pointing forward. This is probably its “game face,” a sign that your cat is in hunting mode.

Whiskers on a cat are primarily used to help a cat judge whether or not he’ll fit through an opening. A cat’s whiskers are roughly as wide as his body – being used as sort of a natural ruler.

Whisker tips are sensitive to pressure. You’ll most likely see a cat stick his head in and out of an opening before he puts his body in it. By doing this, he judges the width of the opening to see if he can fit.

Whiskers are a vital part of a cat’s mobility and sense of security. Without whiskers, cats would not be able to achieve the great acrobatic feats that are so awe-inspiring, or protect themselves from dangerous situations.

What other facts do you know about a cat’s whiskers? Please comment on our blog to share with us!

Cat Owner Tips

Tips for cat owners.

If you have a cat as a pet, check out these helpful tips provided by Clear the Air to ensure your cat is properly taken care of.

Collars:  All collars on cats are dangerous unless the collar has an elastic insert or is the “breakaway” style.  Cats can strangle if the collar gets caught on something, or injure themselves trying to get the collar off.  If you put a collar on a kitten, please be sure to check that it does not become too tight as the kitten grows! If your cat goes outside, prevent the cat from killing birds by adding a small bell to the collar.

Feeding: Do not feed your cat food made for dogs or use any dog care products on cats.  Dog food and “human” table food lack essential vitamins and minerals cats need such as taurine – an essential amino acid for cats.  Lack of taurine in the diet causes blindness, serious heart problems (dilated cardiomyopathy), and may promote urinary tract problems as well.  Feed only well-balanced cat food, appropriate to the age and activity level of your cat.  Avoid dairy products!  Dog flea preparations often kill cats.  Likewise, medications, shampoos and other products made for dogs (or humans) can be toxic to cats. Never give aspirin to a cat!

Surgical Claw Removal or Declawing: This is an extreme measure in which the entire last part of the ten front toes are amputated.  A graphic comparison in human terms would be cutting off a person’s finger at the last joint.  General anesthesia is used for this surgery, which always has a risk of disability or death associated with it.  Because declawing provides no medical benefit to cats, even slight risk can be considered unacceptable.  In addition, the recovery from declawing can be painful and lengthy and may involve postoperative complications such as infections, hemorrhage, and nail regrowth.  The latter may subject the cat to additional surgery.  Declawing not only robs a cat of an integral means of movement and defense, but it can also cause cats to undergo a profound personality change, in which they may become extremely timid or unusually aggressive.  Other options include the use of scratching posts, adhesive plastic nail caps, regularly trimming the cat’s nails, and discouragement of unwanted behavior. Methods of discouragement include placing a sheet over the target furniture or using aluminum foil or double-sided tape on the object.  It is also possible to discourage scratching by using a scent which cats generally do not like, such as the fresh smell of citrus.

Indoor cat: It is important to consider making your cat a strictly indoor pet.  The list of risks to outdoor cats include poison (like antifreeze), injury (falls, cars, attacks by other animals or humans, or broken glass), parasites (fleas, ticks, or worms), disease (feline leukemia virus, feline immunodeficiency virus, feline infectious peritonitis, upper respiratory viruses, etc.), and theft. Believe it or not, pets are regularly stolen by unscrupulous individuals for sale to the animal research industry, for cult use, or as food for snakes. Keep your cat indoors, and you will have a healthier, more socialized, and content family companion.

Keep your pet entertained: Provide your indoor cat with toys and a tall, sturdy scratching post made of a rough material such as sisal (hemp-like rope) or a strong woven material (carpeting is rarely a good material for a post), regular claw-clipping (we do not recommend de-clawing!!!), nutritious food, fresh water, and lots of love and companionship.  You will both enjoy it!