The cat has long whiskers. Why do cats and kittens need whiskers: functions of whiskers. Assessing contact with the whole body

Among the happy owners of man's furry friends - cats - there are many inexperienced cat lovers who have yet to learn many important and interesting facts about their pet. For example, many people wonder why a cat needs a mustache.

This article will explain in detail why a cat needs whiskers, how she uses them in different situations, and what consequences the disappearance/removal of whiskers in cats leads to.

general information

You should start getting acquainted with organs such as whiskers with their scientific name - “vibrissae”. In Latin, this word means “to fluctuate, to vibrate.” In addition, whiskers are called “tactile hairs.” Vibrissae are very similar to ordinary hairs, but, unlike the latter, they are dead formations originating from nerve endings. By the way, this is precisely why cats don’t like it when people touch their whiskers - this is a very sensitive area for animals. The length of the vibrissae is on average 5-8 cm.

Main functions of the mustache

Now it’s worth turning in more detail directly to the question of why a cat needs a mustache after all.

Movement

Vibrissae play an important role in several areas of our pets’ lives. One of these areas is the movement of a cat in everyday life. The fact is that it is tactile hairs that allow cats to move so gracefully and smoothly (no matter on the street or at home), accurately calculating the distance and length of jumps.

Whiskers help cats catch air currents and their direction, thanks to which the animals calculate, for example, jumps more accurately. This protects cats from injury.

Orientation in space

Vibrissae play an equally important role in the orientation of cats in any area. Everyone knows that cats feel great in the dark and navigate at night no worse than during the day. But few people know that this is not only due to excellent vision. Whiskers also play a significant role in the movements of animals at night.

Thus, with the help of tactile hairs, cats feel the objects around them, their size and distance to a particular obstacle. Whiskers help cats successfully go around obstacles and calculate, for example, the opportunity to pass through a hole/hole

Hunting

By nature, cats are hunters, and therefore, even at home or, moreover, in rural areas, they try to find prey - birds, mice, insects, etc. Again, such important organs of touch as the mustache help them in this.

Sensitive whiskers detect the movement of a cat's potential prey from a distance, allowing them to monitor the slightest fluctuations in the prey and attack in time. In addition, when the subject of the hunt has already been caught, the mustache primarily determines whether the victim is alive or no longer alive.

There is another interesting fact related to determining the nutritional status of cats. Whiskers help them understand whether the food (be it food or freshly caught prey) lying in front of them is safe.

Communication

Also, through whiskers, cats let people know what their mood is at the moment. Thus, raised and fluffy whiskers indicate the animal’s readiness to play and good mood. On the contrary, whiskers pressed in the muzzle and/or drooping signal that the cat is irritated and not in the mood to communicate with a person.

Thus, cats' whiskers perform a truly large number of irreplaceable functions that help them navigate, hunt, assess their surroundings, and even communicate with people. The cat can control its whiskers, thus making its life much easier.

No mustache

Now that we have figured out the purpose and role of whiskers in the life of cats, it is worth mentioning what happens if cats have no whiskers, whether they should be trimmed, what to do if the whiskers fall out, etc.

What does the absence of a mustache lead to?

The loss of a cat's whiskers directly affects not only its mood, but also its behavior and life in general. As mentioned earlier, the whiskers in cats are directly connected to the nerve endings, and this has a certain impact on the character of the cat that is forced to live without a whisker.

With the absence of whiskers, cats, of course, do not die, but, nevertheless, they are deprived of an important sensory organ. Many actions, such as hunting, navigation, movement, become much more difficult to perform. In this regard, when a cat loses its whiskers, it becomes lost, nervous, and aggressive. Until the whiskers grow back (this is a rather long process), she is in constant stress, and this is very harmful to the health of the animal. So, cats without whiskers have a very difficult life psychologically.

Is it possible to remove cats' whiskers?

It often happens that cat owners, out of ignorance or “for the sake of beauty,” remove their pet’s whiskers. Sometimes a small child performs this action for fun, playing with the “kitty” and deciding to trim its mustache.

Doing this without a veterinarian’s prescription is strictly prohibited (the previous paragraph describes in detail what happens to a cat that has lost tactile hairs). Sometimes, due to any injuries or wounds, a cat’s whiskers are deliberately removed at a veterinary clinic.. But they do this only if the vibrissae are located directly on the affected area. In other situations, veterinarians never trim a cat’s whiskers and do not recommend that its owners do so.

Mustache loss

Many cat owners worry if they see their pet's whiskers starting to fall out. But when the mustache “wears out”, it falls out on its own, and this is absolutely normal. If you see one or two “shed” whiskers, there should be no cause for concern.

You should start worrying if your cat's whiskers fall out in large quantities and in a short period of time.

There are three reasons why an animal's whiskers often fall out/break.

Lack of vitamins in the body or lack of any useful product in the diet

This is the least problematic cause of mustache loss. It's worth contacting your veterinarian or first trying to add more nutrients that cats need to your pet's diet.

The appearance of worms in the body

Worms can also cause vibrissae loss. They “kill” nutrients in the cat’s body, which is why the whiskers begin to break. A “cat doctor” will also help determine whether worms are the cause of whisker loss.

Fungal and bacterial infections

The formation of fungus or the occurrence of other bacterial infections is often accompanied by loss of tactile hairs. In such cases, only a veterinarian can prescribe treatment for your pet.

Whiskers, among other things, fall out more often due to the cat's old age (whiskers simply wear out with age). Also, a cat may lose several antennae in a fight or play with other animals. By the way, for the same reasons, tactile hairs can break off (sometimes a short mustache does not grow back to its normal length).

So, the cat's whiskers are a very complex and sensitive organ that helps our pets in many areas of life and performs important functions. That is why it is so important to take care of our pets’ whiskers, make sure that they do not fall out and under no circumstances cut them (and also do not let small children do this). If you follow these simple rules and take care of your furry friends, they will not have any health problems (including whisker loss).

Many people wonder whether cats have black whiskers and why they fall off and break off. It will be equally interesting to find out what they are correctly called and what function they perform in cats, cats and kittens, because few of those who keep such cute pets in an apartment or private house know about this.

The article discusses basic questions about cat whiskers, interesting facts and everything that every cat lover should know about their pet, so that in case of any problem, they can correctly provide help and know what needs to be done.

What are cats' whiskers called?

Whiskers in cats are scientifically called vibrissae. It is believed that a cat's whiskers are thickened and coarse hairs endowed by nature with mechanical sensitivity.

Is it possible to cut or trim a cat's whiskers?

Trimming a cat's whiskers is strictly contraindicated. A cat without a mustache will not be able to navigate in space. Whiskers serve as tactile and olfactory receptors.

Why does a cat need mustaches and eyebrows, what are they needed for, what are they responsible for

Whiskers and eyebrows in cats (more correctly whiskers) are needed so that the animal can navigate in space. These are natural navigator antennas.

Why do cats and kittens' whiskers break, fall out, and become long?

Periodic loss of whiskers in cats, with replacement with new ones, is the norm. If the whiskers fall out or break off intensively, this is a sign of a malfunction in the animal’s body.

It is paradoxical, but true, that long and thick whiskers in cats are not always a sign of excellent health. Scientists have found that their carriers often have impaired vision.

Why do cats have white whiskers and turn white?

A sharp change in the color of the mustache to white may indicate the onset of a disease, for example, giardiasis. It is clear that without a clinical examination it is impossible to establish an accurate diagnosis, and therefore the cause of the whitening of the cat’s whiskers. Sometimes the whiskers of a healthy animal turn white, but it’s better to be safe and resolve your doubts.

Why do cats' whiskers turn black?

Black whiskers in cats are not associated with any disease, so there is no reason to worry. The color change is caused by modifier genes.

Do cats' whiskers grow and grow?

Cats' whiskers are periodically renewed - they fall out and grow back. But deliberately (to make it thicker) or straighten (to make it more beautiful) a cat’s mustache is strictly contraindicated. Whiskers on cats and cats are a matter of touch, not charm.

Do hairless cats have whiskers?

Hairless cat breeds may have subtle, broken and curled whiskers. The complete absence of this source of pride for their short-haired and long-haired counterparts is also considered normal.

My cat's whiskers are breaking, what should I do?

Broken whiskers in a cat indicate a lack of vitamins and calcium in its body, and less often - damage by microbes and fungi. You can correct the situation by giving your pet cottage cheese, vegetables or ready-made vitamin and mineral supplements.

Whiskers on a cat's paws and nose

Cats have whiskers not only on their faces, but also on their paws. The length of the usual cat whiskers on the cheeks of the animal is about 7 cm. The world record holder in this area is the Maine Coon Missy, a resident of Finland, who grew a 19 cm mustache. Our compatriot from Tver, a red cat called Krepysh, has more modest figures - 13.5 cm.

The whiskers on the paws, in this case it would be more appropriate to call them scientifically, vibrissae, are located on the underside of the forelimbs. They can be distinguished from wool by their greater thickness and stiffness.

In ancient times, it was believed that if a kitten had long whiskers, then it would be an excellent mouse hunter. This, of course, is a little wrong, although the mustache helps in catching rodents. And if the cat is domestic, does that mean she doesn’t need a mustache at all? But no!

Let's start with the scientific definition of a cat's whiskers - vibrissae, in Latin "vibra", i.e. vibration, and they really vibrate from the air, the object it touches. By the way, do you know how many of these antennae there are and how they work? I'll explain now.

If you look at a cat’s antennae, it seems like it’s just a thickened hair, like stubble on our men, but everything is much more complicated. Each antennae is an organ of touch that is directly connected to the brain; the subcutaneous part of the whisker is three times deeper than an ordinary hair. So if you pull a cat’s whiskers, or pull out anything else, it will be very painful for him.

Around each antennae there is a network of nerve endings, information from which enters a specific part of the brain. And that's not all, besides the nerves there are muscles that help the whisker stretch or press against the muzzle, and this set is different for everyone.

In terms of quantity, an adult pet has twenty-four “hairs,” and if you look closely, you will see small antennae on the cheeks, chin, eyebrows, and the back of the front paws. And each such antennae corresponds to a separate part of the brain. That's how serious it is.

Whiskers help a cat hunt

At the time of hunting, the cat uses not only the organs of hearing and vision, but also the whiskers. Touching the ground with its antennae, the cat feels the slightest vibration emanating from the mouse’s small paws. So she broke away and ran, the flow of air stirred up the sensitive “hairs” and the cat already knew in which direction the victim rushed. When the rodent is caught and clamped between the teeth, the antennae wrap around and determine whether the sufferer is alive or dead. If you can’t eat it alive, otherwise it will gnaw on your cheek. This method of determining food safety applies not only to mice, but also to food bowls.

Take a closer look when you give your “Vaska” some kind of treat, he stretches his antennae forward to determine if it will attack him.

Whiskers help a cat navigate

Sometimes it happens that the antennae break. The reason for this may be their active use in terrain orientation. In the dark, in addition to the fact that she sees well, by the way, read why a cat’s eyes glow in the dark, she uses her whiskers as an auxiliary tool, pressing them to the ground. Even in pitch darkness, without a single husk, with the help of their miraculous hairs, they can make their way, like a soldier with a night vision device.

Cat whiskers as a way of communication

If you look at a cat's whiskers while communicating with another cat, a person, a stranger, you can understand how she is in tune. The antennae are extended forward - she is not against meeting people, communicating; spread out in different directions - don’t come closer, I’m aggressive; pressed to the muzzle - I’m scared, I have no time for you right now.

It’s interesting and not completely clear why cats’ whiskers fall out? There is an opinion: when two cats live in a house, one pulls out the other’s whiskers, and we think that they fall out on their own. This is like a way of superiority over a fellow tribesman - without vibrations, the cat becomes insecure, timid, and easier to control.

Is it possible to shave a cat's whiskers?

Your cat has had an accident, she got into a fight with someone, she has a wound or an abscess on her face, then, of course, the veterinarian will have to shave off her whiskers to treat the sore spot. Will they be able to grow back after this? Naturally, even much faster than ordinary wool, which speaks of the great importance of having a mustache in the life of a cat.

But such a procedure is a serious torture for the animal, because it becomes disoriented in space and perceives changes in the environment much worse. Knowing all the consequences of whisker removal, let’s answer the question: “Is it possible to shave a cat’s whiskers?” Of course not, if there is no other way out (muzzle injury). And removing vibrissae for the sake of beauty is absolutely savage! It doesn’t matter that she lives in an apartment and doesn’t go outside, while a new mustache grows, she is in constant shock.

How can you tell if a cat's whiskers have fallen out or are broken?

Like the cat's fur, its mustache has its own lifespan. And when we find a fallen whisker at home, we think: “Maybe the cat is sick, why is her whisker falling out?” Usually one or two antennae that fall out are not a cause for concern: they have outlived their usefulness and fallen out, and others will appear in their place. Our hair and cat’s fur also change, this is a normal phenomenon.

It is important to understand when a “hair” simply fell out and when it broke. A used vibros has a bulb at the end, while a broken one has a beveled base. There are many reasons why mustaches often break, for example, mechanical stress.

But if you notice that they are constantly breaking, splitting, often falling out, or bending to the sides, consult a veterinarian; there may be a lack of some vitamin or a fungal infection has developed. This applies to ordinary breeds, but there are also “original” ones, for example, curly-haired cats - Cornish Rex. Like the fur, the mustache is also unusual - it can be thin or, on the contrary, thick, stick out in different directions, cut.

What about the hairless breeds of the Don Sphynx, Canadian Sphynx? It all depends on the degree of “hairiness”; they can be short, like stubble, or thin, or maybe not at all.

One of the frequently asked questions on cat forums is the question of cat whiskers and what most often happens to them, and what consequences all this can have. Thus, almost every second child in whose house a cat lives, at least once in their life, played hairdresser with their pet and tried to trim its whiskers.

Do our cats really need mustaches and eyebrows, and what are the dangers of such children's games?(and now a question for you, our readers - if you have a child?) - if we understand this ourselves, then we will definitely find words of explanation for our children.

The main functions of cat whiskers

Cat whiskers and eyebrows or vibrissae (the scientific name for cat whiskers) presumably (since science itself does not yet know exactly why a cat needs them) perform as many as 3 functions:

• The first function of vibrises protective– you can check this yourself, a light touch on the cat’s eyebrows causes a blinking reflex in the cat, and on the whiskers – licking or pulling away.
• The second function of vibrissae is tactile, a cat has such eyebrows and mustaches. In other words, your cat can, without using the organs of vision, but with the help of whiskers, receive information about objects that are even at dusk or in complete darkness. The cat analyzes not only the distance to such an object, but also receives the necessary information about the size and shape of the object itself.
• Well, and the third function - with the help of whiskers, the animal evaluates the movements of air masses, after all, any movement, including human movements, is accompanied by the movement of air layers, and thanks to convection processes, odors, which are very important for our cats, move along with these air masses and layers.

Now, knowing about the functions of vibrissae, their scientific definition becomes clear to us. So, translated from Latin, this term means writhing or oscillating, but zoology defines vibrissae as special tactile, mechanosensitive, coarse long hairs that protrude above the surface of the coat in many mammals.

How many whiskers does a cat have?

So, for example,

representatives of the cat family have as many as 24 movable whiskers (12 whiskers on each side of the muzzle). Such whiskers are 2 times thicker than ordinary wool hairs, and their roots are located much deeper than simple wool follicles.

Where are cat whiskers found?

Vibrissae are usually localized in groups - near the nose (we call them mustaches), near the eyes (eyebrows), in the jaw area ("beard"). And they can safely be classified as specialized sensory organs of cats that respond to the slightest changes in the environment.

Vibrissae and cat facial expressions

But that's not all! Vibrissae are also a cat’s facial instrument, and depending on their position, we can even know exactly what our cat is feeling at the moment.

So, if a cat's whiskers are turned forward, the cat is in a state of interest, or wants to scare its rival and opponent with its belligerent appearance. If the cat’s whiskers are directed back, this means that the cat is internally compressed and is in a state of anxiety...

From all that has been said above, it becomes clear that The animal needs cat whiskers and eyebrows not for decoration, but for specific functions. Accordingly, when the whiskers suffer (the cat singed them, or your baby decided to give her a new hairstyle), the cat not only changes in appearance, it is deprived of the opportunity to use one of its senses and facial expressions. You won't believe it, but

veterinarians note in cats that, due to various life circumstances, have lost their whiskers, signs of a real neuropsychic disorder, since the animal loses not only its whiskers and eyebrows, it loses the ability to receive and process a huge flow of information that is important to it. Finding herself so defenseless, your pet begins to behave inappropriately, and you notice your cat.

Fluffy pets differ in color, presence or absence of fur, height and character. However, any cat can boast of long whiskers. They are not only a decoration for the animal, but also perform an important role. Children often wonder why a cat needs a mustache? But sometimes adults cannot correctly explain this fact.

Sense organ

We have learned since childhood that a person has developed 5 sense organs, which correspond to a certain part of the body. The animals are luckier. To the standard sense organs, an additional one is added, which is very important - the mustache. Not many people know what a cat's whiskers are called. Experts gave them a definition - vibrissae. The word comes from the Latin name vibrissae, which means “vibration”.

Whiskers are long hairs located near the animal's nose. They are quite rigid, but can break off. If the animal's fur provides thermal insulation, then the additional sensory organ is directly connected to the nervous system and performs a tactile function.

Functions of the mustache

Not many pet owners have a clear idea why a cat needs a mustache. The functions of the organ are quite extensive. They help the pet to understand the surrounding space and its size, even in complete darkness. Thus, at night the cat does not bump into objects, but calmly walks around them.

Objects emit vibrations at the vibration level. Such information is perceived by the cat through its whiskers and enters the brain, where it is analyzed. Therefore, the pet always clearly knows the location of objects. A cat also recognizes an unfamiliar environment with the help of its whiskers.

Of course, vibrissae decorate not only these representatives. Many animals have them, including dogs, small rodents and forest animals. But the functions they perform differ somewhat. This is how beavers and seals use their whiskers to search for food underwater. Rats without whiskers lose most of their sense of smell. With their help, they “sniff” objects.

Unforeseen situation

Having figured out why a cat needs a mustache, the owners worry when they start to break off. This can happen for mechanical reasons when the cat leads an overly active lifestyle or gets into a fight. But other factors can also serve as reasons.

Vibrissae can break off due to poor quality nutrition. Calcium and other minerals especially affect their growth. If the whiskers are constantly breaking, you should reconsider the food and possibly change it.

If there are children in the house, then you need to explain to them why cats need whiskers and ask them not to deliberately break them off. Sometimes another animal, in order to show its superiority, can bully a cat and encroach on its useful decoration.

Important! Sphynx cats often lose their whiskers. If they are constantly updated and the cat looks healthy, then this is the norm, because such a situation is genetic.

And if you cut them off

Not all breeders understand why a cat needs a mustache and try to cut it off. Some people think that this makes the cat more beautiful, others think that they disturb the pet. However, it should be understood that the whiskers are more important than the eyes. Veterinarians know of cases where blind pets were able to navigate perfectly even in an unfamiliar space, using their whiskers for this.

Therefore, if an animal's whiskers are clipped, it will suddenly become lost and may bump into objects, even during daylight hours. The fact is that a pet can only correctly estimate the distance between obstacles with the help of its whiskers. The cat looks as if it has been deprived of its sight. She may walk unsteadily, step very carefully and at the same time bump into objects.

Therefore, it is important to understand why a cat needs a mustache, and in no case to encroach on his dignity. In addition, pet communication will also be disrupted. After all, animals communicate with each other through charm, and whiskers are their main source.

Therefore, cutting a mustache for aesthetic purposes is unacceptable. Nature has intentionally endowed many animals with such decoration, and it is impossible to deprive them of such a gift for your own purposes.

Expressing feelings

Another answer to why a cat needs a mustache is to determine the animal’s mood. By their direction, you can understand what the pet is in the mood for and about its well-being.

When the whiskers are pressed tightly to the muzzle, it means that the cat is clearly embittered and may show aggression. If the whiskers are directed forward, then the cat is curious and interested in something. When a pet is dozing or in an affectionate mood, they are relaxed and fluffy.

Why does a cat need a mustache? Research and experiments by veterinarians show that if an animal is deprived of them for any reason, it can get sick and even suffer from mental disorders. Indeed, in this case, the pet loses the ability to receive and process a lot of information coming from the outside.

Many owners note that if a cat loses its long whiskers, it becomes lost and its behavior changes. The animal becomes irritable or aggressive.

Solution

If a cat loses its whiskers, it is necessary to find out the reasons for this phenomenon. In case of mechanical damage, you should try to avoid such situations again. If the issue is poor nutrition, the veterinarian will recommend the optimal food. The problem may also be related to illness. It is necessary to show the cat to a specialist.

Due to the fact that the vibrissae help the pet navigate in space, when deprived of them, it can bump into objects and walk unsteadily in the dark. Therefore, until the whiskers grow back, it is recommended not to let the animal go outside and be extremely attentive to it. Fortunately, if everything is in order with your pet’s health, then the hairs will appear very quickly. The cat will feel confident.

Conclusion

An additional and important organ of touch for a cat is its whiskers. In addition to sniffing objects, the animal feels them with the help of thin hairs. Interestingly, the lower part of the muzzle does not fall into the area of ​​visual contact. It is the mustache that helps to carefully examine objects that are underfoot.

Of course, if you cut your pet’s whiskers once, he will not lose his sense of smell and will soon grow them back. But it will be much more difficult for pets who walk outside. The animal navigates especially poorly at night without whiskers. Therefore, it is important not to encroach on the decoration of the cat and maintain the health of the pet.

Knowing why a cat needs a mustache, you can explain to children that they should not be broken. In addition, a proper diet will strengthen the hairs, and careful care of your pet will make the coat and whiskers smooth and healthy.