WHISKERS-WHAT ARE THEY?

These antenna-like growths, mostly on your cat’s face, do indeed serve as a sort of antenna, detecting things in the world around your cat. Here are eight fun facts about this intriguing feline body part.

Two dozen: Cats have about 12 whiskers on each side of their face.

Location, location, location: Most of a cat’s whiskers sprout from the facial pads on each side of the nose. But cats also have a few on their foreheads, and at the bottom of their legs near the paws.

Keratin: The protein called keratin–the same substance that makes up a cat’s claw sheaths– makes up whiskers, which scientifically are called vibrissae.

Super sensitive: Whiskers are so sensitive that they can detect tiny environmental changes, along with tiny specks of dust and dander. This lets cats shake their heads to ward off debris before it reaches their eyes.

Mum cats trim their kittens: Mother cats, fiercely protective of their babies, often chew on a kitten’s whiskers to shorten them. This protects the kittens from exploring too much before they are ready.

Multi-sensory: A cat’s whiskers are sensitive to four things: vibrations, sound, air pressure, and touch. This is why you should feed cats from wide and not too deep bowls; otherwise, their whiskers rub against the sides of the bowls, which can be irritating.

Proportional size: Bigger cats tend to have bigger whiskers. And the whiskers grow with them, whether from growth as kittens mature or growth as a cat gains weight.

Delicate: Whiskers are embedded in the skin three times deeper than the hair, and pulling on them would cause discomfort for your cat. And never cut whiskers for any reason: That would cause the cat pain!