.jpg)
Cat Mustache
Kyn Aguirre
2 February 2021
A cat’s mustache (also known as whiskers and scientifically named as tactile hairs (vibrissae)) [1], is the long and thick hairs found on their face near the nose and mouth which is placed horizontally on their soft whisker pad. Like the hair and nails, a cat’s whisker falls out and is replaced over time. Their whiskers are rooted very deep in their face, an area where there are lots of nerves and blood vessels. Their whiskers are three times thicker than their fur; it is flexible and it is growing the same way as their body is growing. Whiskers are also located in the eyebrow area, along the chin, and near the feet!
As we all know, a cat’s whiskers are compared to a human mustache because of their location in their bodies, but did you know that human mustaches have a really big difference from the mustaches of our fur babies? Unlike humans, who may grow mustaches as they wish, a cat’s whiskers play a very big role in their daily life. Whether it be for navigation, mood indication, or even measurement, these tactile hairs are useful in ways that you might not know.
Whiskers are good for navigation because they help the cat feel its way around, especially at night. Each whisker is filled with super sensitive nerves that even a blind cat could help their way inside without trying so hard. It is so sensitive that it could detect the slightest change of the breeze. How does this work? The air currents in a room changes depending on the location of the furniture, a piece of furniture blocks the airways, and with that, the air is blocked. A cat could sense this change through its whiskers, which is also how felines walk around without bumping anything at all! Additionally, this can help cats out in the open in terms of survival. The tip of their whiskers has a sensory organ that picks up vibrations which helps them sense if a predator is near.
Secondly, a cat’s whiskers indicate its mood. When they are angry, defensive, or alert, their whiskers are pulled back. And if they are curious, they’ll press them slightly forward. Apart from that, you could see that their whiskers are relaxed if they are happy or if they are in a calm state.
On top of it all, the main purpose of a cat’s whiskers is that it helps them know whether they could fit or not in spaces. Whiskers are the “GPS and radar systems” of felines! Their whiskers are roughly as wide as their body so it acts as a natural ruler for them to measure if they could possibly fit and go their way inside a narrow space.
Because of all of these purposes, it is not advised to trim a cat’s whiskers short. A cat with trimmed whiskers will mostly become disoriented and scared. According to Jane Brunt, a veterinarian from Web MD, if you cut a cat’s whiskers, it is like blindfolding them [2]. You are taking away one of their ways of identifying what’s in their environment. So, these organs that might seem ‘unimportant’ to humans are actually important to our feline friends, and we must respect this to help them lead happy and safe lives!
Bibliography
1. Why do cats have whiskers? How Stuff Works. [accessed 2021 Feb 1]. https://animals.howstuffworks.com/pets/question592.htm
2. Redfarm, Suz. Why Do Cats Have Whiskers? Web M.D. [accessed 2021 Feb 1]. https://pets.webmd.com/cats/features/why-cats-whiskers
Comments