What Do Cats’ Whiskers Do? Are They Trimmed?

Cats are curious creatures that make us feel that they are special with all their behaviors. What are cats’ whiskers for? is a reflection of this curiosity. The whiskers are one of the striking and interesting physical characteristics of the little paws. All cats, male or female, have them. Although they give them a cute and cuddly look, whiskers have very important functions in their lives. Navigation, environmental perception and protection are the most well-known of these functions. The size and color of whiskers varies in every cat. Some cats have long and white whiskers, while others have short and yellow whiskers. It is possible to say that it is the expression of a genetic feature. In this article, we will discuss the mustache structure in cats in detail and find answers to curious questions. We wish you a pleasant reading…

Interesting Facts About Cat Whiskers

Almost every movement or physical structure of cats makes them interesting to us. The little paws are loved by people as much for their mystery as for their beauty. Their whiskers are part of this mystery. So much so that we often encounter the question of what cats’ whiskers are for. Some individuals even have the belief that cats cannot walk if their whiskers are cut off. So how true are these? Let’s take a look at interesting information about cat whiskers… First of all, let’s start by stating that cats perceive the environment thanks to their whiskers. Tiny paws are very important in environmental perception. They measure the size of the area they will enter and exit with these parts. The whiskers act as a ruler for cats. In fact, we would not be wrong if we say it is a device that measures perfectly. For cats’ whiskers, we can also describe it as their third eye. They are even known to use their whiskers as their main source of vision, especially at night in the dark. If you see your cat walking at night without bumping into any objects, it’s likely that it’s doing so with the help of its whiskers. We can add many more to these interesting facts. Here are the details…

1. Cats Don’t Have Whiskers Only on the Nose

We often think that our little friends’ whiskers are in the nose area. Actually, we are not wrong. Because the whiskers in that area are quite long. But cats also have whiskers on their eyes, ears and chin. These are short and soft and can be mistaken for body hair. For this reason, cat shaving is not recommended. Because you can unintentionally damage these whiskers.

2. Cat Mustache is Symmetrical

Scientific research has shown that cats have a total of 24 whiskers. Moreover, all these whiskers are symmetrical with each other. In fact, they perform infallible calculations in environmental perception thanks to this symmetrical structure.

3. A Perfect Ruler

Cats do not try to enter a space they cannot fit into. And when they try to enter, they always enter comfortably. This is because of their whiskers. Their whiskers, a ruler that measures perfectly, calculate the width of narrow spaces and decide whether they are suitable for them or not.

4. They Feel Vibrations

Cats have the ability to measure vibration in the environment with their whiskers. They do this with their whiskers. It’s actually a transmission of their wild genes. It was through these vibrations that they could measure the distance between them and their prey. Today, they can still feel the vibrations of threats in the environment.

5. They Show Their Feelings with Their Mustache

Understanding a cat’s emotions is important for every cat owner. There are many ways to do this. One of them is whisker movements. If your little friend tenses his whiskers, it’s a sign of restlessness. Loose whiskers are a sign of happiness and peace. Finally, if he moves his whiskers quickly, he’s probably looking for attention. We have detailed what cats’ whiskers are for in 5 articles. Now let’s take a look at the other details…

Can Cats Have Their Whiskers Trimmed?

Cats have sensitive nerve endings in their whisker roots. They communicate with the brain through these nerves. In other words, they transmit the vibration they receive with their whiskers to their brains through the nerve endings in their roots. It is a matter of curiosity whether they will be cut or not. We must state unequivocally that cat whiskers cannot be trimmed. This would reduce their perception of the environment and make them unhappy. But there may be cases of shedding on your own cat. This is a very natural event. If the cat’s mustache falls out, a new one will grow in its place after a short time. If there is a prolonged absence of mustache growth, the best course of action would be to contact the veterinarian. Because it may indicate a health problem.

 

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