His Majesty the cat might be offended if you call them moustache: those are not moustaches, but the whiskers of cats. Also present in other animals, the whiskers protrude from the sides of the snout, but are present above the eyes. These are structures that have very specific functions, but which are also victims of an urban legend.
What are cat whiskers?
The whiskers are modified long hairsthicker than normal and which perform precise functions relating to the perception of space. The whiskers protrude laterally from the cat’s muzzle, but are also present above the eyebrow arch (albeit shorter) and, sometimes, but not always, are also found behind the front legs.
As we were saying, they are hairs modified by tactile functionthick, hard and flexible compared to normal hair. And they have deeper roots too. Precisely these roots are in contact with the nerve endings.
The mustache shaft is made up of keratin and contains neither blood nor nerves. If you notice, then, the vibrissae tend to be as long as the body is wide.
Vibrissae: meaning of the name
The name vibrissae comes from Latin “vibrate” what does it mean vibrate. The name probably refers to the movement of these modified hairs.
What are cat whiskers for?
Now let’s get to the function of these vibrissae. This is a sensory organ as it allows the cat to be able to move in dark and narrow spaces, ensuring that it can perceive dimensions and spaces. The concept is this: since the cat’s whiskers are as long as the width of its body, if the whiskers fit through it, then the cat fits through it too. (READ also: The adorable cat with the Freddie Mercury mustache that is driving Queen fans crazy)
If the whiskers, however, bend due to walls that are too narrow, the cat knows that it cannot fit through there.
Furthermore, the whiskers allow the cat to perceive the presence of nearby objects even in the dark. Another function that should not be underestimated concerns the fact that they can perceive minimal variations in air currentswhich allows the cat to hear nearby prey or predators.
Thanks to the whiskers, the cat is able to take measurements for jumps and leaps. They also improve the visual perception of cats. Let’s face it: i Cats have excellent hearing and sense of smellthey can see us very well from afar, but not so close up. However, to make up for this deficit, they use their whiskers: if they touch a nearby object or surface, they know that they have to change direction or move differently.
Finally, the whiskers can also indicate lo cat’s state of mind:
What does a cat’s whiskers look like when he is sick?
When the cat is sick and is very subdued, you may notice the whiskers slightly saggedflow rates lower than usual. Normally a healthy, active and curious cat has beautiful protruding whiskers, which move depending on how it moves its nose and mouth.
But if the cat is unwell, it has little interest in examining the environment and even the whiskers will appear a little flabbier than usual.
Illnesses details of the cat’s whiskers, however, there are none. It may happen that:
The urban legend of cats’ whiskers and balance
Instead, it is one urban legend the one who wants the cat loses balance when it has no whiskers or when they are shorter.
What happens is that, as we said before, the cat uses its whiskers both to determine the spaces around itself (and to understand if it fits through certain openings), and to capture any movements of air by prey or predators ( this is also why it is difficult to take him by surprise).
If the whiskers are short, it will simply be a little more difficult to understand whether it fits through that gap or not, but this does not affect the balance in the slightest.
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