Why cats have mustaches
Every detail of the cat's face is simply adorable. His intense-eyed eyes, his small pink nose and, of course, his friendly whiskers that bring so much personality to them. But although for us they may seem like simple hairs that are part of the feline anatomy, you should know that they are not there by chance and that they fulfill important functions for the animal. Do you know why cats have a mustache ? If you have no idea, keep reading, because in .com we explain it to you in detail.
The whiskers of the cat are common hairs?
The anatomy of the cat is a perfect machine: it can always fall on its feet thanks to its flexible body and its sharp senses, they are fast and stealthy to hunt better and of course they have a unique sense of orientation. And of course, all this is due to a body designed for it, so it is clear that the whiskers of the cat are not mere hairs.
These hairs, also known as vibrissae, are actually a basic element in the orientation of the feline. Their whiskers are rigid and at the tip they have a sensory organ known as proprioceptor, while in the follicle they have a large number of nerve endings that connect with the animal's muscles, brain and nervous system, everything the cat perceived through his whiskers travels to the brain and allows him to act and move in certain ways.
Through the whiskers the cat can perceive all the changes of its environment and move around it freeing itself from the dangers, getting into narrow places without getting stuck and always without losing orientation. Although the most obvious vibrissae are what we know as whiskers, the cat also has these tactile hairs in areas such as the eyebrows, ears, jaws and front legs, which allows you to maintain a keen sense of direction.
The perfect tool to get your bearings
If there is something that characterizes felines, it is their powerful sense of direction, which allows them to move around the room even in complete darkness, all this is thanks, among other things, to the vibrissae. One of the reasons why cats have whiskers is because they serve to detect all changes in their environment by details as simple as the wind, which allows them to know if there is an object that must dodge or how to get to the point that They want to reach.
They can perceive the air currents of a room or its surroundings and, thanks to the sensors located at the tip of the mustache, capture where the furniture is located, obstacles or possible dangers, and move according to what they perceive. This undoubtedly makes them the undisputed kings of the night.
His whiskers help him to know where he can sneak
If you live with a cat you already know: felines love getting into all kinds of narrow places, in the most far-fetched hiding places possible, something for which the vibrissae are very useful.
One of the most important functions of the whiskers of the cat is to allow the animal to determine if that hole, hiding place or space for which it wishes to pass is suitable for him. The hairs of this area have almost the same width of their body, so the animal usually introduces the head through the space it intends to enter several times and, through the whiskers, feel if it is suitable for its volume and size .
The whiskers of the cat can indicate how it feels
Because the whiskers are so useful to the animal in terms of movement and location, it is not surprising that he also uses them to express his mood or disposition. For example, when the cat hunts or plays to hunt it is normal to perceive that its whiskers point forward, towards the prey that it pretends to catch. In the same way if the cat is happy or calm his whiskers will be away from his face and immobile, while if he feels threatened or upset they can lean back, very close to his face.
To perceive those changes will be important to know the mood of your pet, but it is not the only thing that is interesting to know about them. If you want to know more about felines then do not miss our articles:
- Why cats move their tails
- 10 signs that your cat loves you
Never cut your whiskers!
After discovering everything that whiskers represent for the cat, it is clear that the very idea of cutting them is crazy. By doing this you will be removing the animal an important tool to move and locate in their environment, thus decreasing their senses. This is a very important area for the animal so it is best not to manipulate it to ensure that the cat has no problems.
