Since 1992
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By Rhonda Baillargeon
Turner Veterinary Service
TURNER — There is nothing quite as endearing as being awoken in the morning by your cat’s whiskers tickling your face.
Ever wonder why those particular hairs grow so much larger than the rest of the hair on your pet? All mammals have whiskers and they serve a couple of different functions.
These specially developed hairs serve as a sort of GPS system for our pets. They also display what an animal’s mood is at any given time and help with hunting.
Whiskers are found on the sides of the face, above the eyes, on the chin, and with cats there are some on the backs of their front legs. Seals and sea lions have whiskers all over their muzzles. Some fish have whiskers and some birds have feathers that look like whiskers beside their beaks.
These overdeveloped hairs are called vibrissae and they are extremely sensitive to vibrations. Cats and dogs use them in low light areas to help them navigate around the furniture and walls in your house. Movement causes vibrations which are detected by the whiskers. The whiskers then send signals to the animal’s brain, telling it there is something in its path. Cats are mostly nocturnal animals so they have very well developed whiskers to allow them to hunt in the dark. The whiskers on the sides of the face are generally as long as the animal is wide. This helps the animal gauge if it can fit in a small opening. Whiskers are especially helpful as our older pets lose their vision by allowing them to sense what is happening around their face. Blind animals rely on their whiskers to help them navigate. Seals and sea lions have the largest whiskers which are sensitive to water velocity changes. This allows them to follow water trails and capture prey.
Whiskers function as a mood detector. When an animal is at rest, the whiskers are mostly immobile. You may have noticed that when a cat is playing with a toy or hunting, its whiskers are pointing forward. If the whiskers are flattened against the side of the face, the cat is scared or angry. An animal’s whisker pattern is unique, similar to people’s fingerprints.
Whiskers are very sensitive because they are rooted more deeply in the skin than regular fur. They have a large blood supply which can cause lots of bleeding if a whisker is pulled out. Because whiskers have a much more developed nerve supply than a normal hair, they can be painful when they are cut, removed, or damaged in any way. Occasionally damage is unavoidable and this can cause the whisker to grow back in a different color than it was originally.
