We love our furry feline pets. While cats are meticulous groomers, there are times when we take up the job of maintaining their hygiene. Giving them nail trimming job, showering them from time to time and brushing their fur happens to be among the regular activities.
But, are you aware of the importance of their whiskers?
Cat's Whiskers by pets4homes
Well, it is not something that is too well known even among cat owners. So, here I bring to you some lesser known amazing and interesting facts about cat's whiskers that you must know if you have cats at home or just love to know more about cats.
A cat's whiskers serve some really important purposes. Here's what you probably never knew about this seemingly redundant feature of a cat.
Cat's whiskers function
- Determine direction, distance and texture - Believe it or not, the whiskers of a cat are almost like compass and gyroscope as it allows the cat to determine the distance, direction and even texture. These are important functions, especially with the lifestyle of a cat that mostly involves running around and jumping up various places. The whiskers allow them to perform these actions with ease and without causing them any harm in the process.
- Determine sizes - Have you noticed the numerous whiskers all around their chin and on the muzzle? These whiskers play an important role allowing the cats to know the size of a space. Well, no wonder, they can easily make themselves comfortable in the most bizarre spaces and easily get through the smallest openings. When they have such great sense of size and a body that flexible, this should not even come as anything impossible.
- Protect the eyes - Yes, you guessed it right. There are whiskers above the eyes that seem like the feline version of the human eyebrows. However, those whiskers serve much greater purpose than the eyebrows in human beings. It detects foreign objects and protects the eyes from any such particle and object. Thus, those whiskers right above your cat's eyes are not redundant growths, but highly important part that will protect your cat's vision.
- Helping them hunt - Have you ever seen a cat hunt and capture the prey? It can move really fast and capture a moving prey with high agility. Have you ever wondered how the cat is so good at catching even active preys? Well, they do get a little help from the whiskers located at the hind side of their front legs. These whiskers help the cats detect the movement of the prey. Thus, cats are able to catch even the fast moving preys. Try using a rope or artificial snake like toy playing with the cat. You will notice how they use their front legs to catch the prey.
Cool Facts About Your Cat's Whiskers
Your cat's whiskers are really important. The whiskers are three times thicker as compared to the fur and cat hairs. However, that is not all. The whiskers are connected to the nervous system of the cat. This makes the whiskers extremely sensitive. So, it is important that you remain extremely caution about the whiskers while grooming.
Know more such amazing facts and find out how to best take care of your cats and take up some DIY projects to make some toys for your cats. Bookmark so that you do not miss out on any updates.
Source: Cat Lesson
