A cat's whiskers are a remarkable detail of her face and give her the characteristic appearance. Straight or slightly curly, relatively short or quite long – nature is very diverse here too. In technical terms, they are called vibrissae and these reasonably stiff, long hairs have a special root, the so-called hair follicle, that fulfills a number of very important tasks so that the cat can interact with her environment.
1. Sense of touch
Perhaps the most important function of a cat's whiskers is their sense of touch. Numerous sensory cells surround the follicles from which these hairs grow. Similar to how fingertips send signals to the brain in humans, these cells also transmit touch-sensitive information to the cat's brain.
Stimulated by the slightest vibrations in their whiskers, these sensory cells ensure that cats can detect not only solid objects but even air currents in their vicinity during their forays. Even changes in pressure caused by objects they pass by without touching them do not go unnoticed.
As cats are usually far-sighted, this ability helps them to better assess their surroundings, especially in the dark. This protects them from injuries to the eyes and face caused by branches or insects. Even when they hunt at night, they can better perceive the movements of their prey via the finest air vortices or can better judge whether they can fit through small spaces.
2. Communication and mood barometer
Anyone who observes their cat carefully will notice that whiskers are involved in communication with humans and other cats. Tiny muscles at the base of the hair, for example, allow a stressed cat to point her whiskers toward potential threats. When she feels uncomfortable, the whiskers are also laid back – and when content, they are set aside. When the cat is alert and tense, her whiskers fan out strongly.
3. Sense of orientation in three-dimensional space
Some cells in the whisker follicle possess something called proprioceptive abilities. This is the ability to detect how gravity pulls on the hair. This helps a cat know how to orient itself relative to the ground. After all, she always wants to land feet first.
But how many of these whiskers do cats actually have?
Although difficult to see in some cats, the whiskers are generally very evenly distributed and grow only in specific areas. The distinctive upper lip hairs are arranged in rows of four to five: the shorter ones always at the front and the longer ones at the back.
Almost all cats have around 12 whiskers above each upper lip, three above each eye, and a few short ones on the chin. If you look closely, you can also see a few whiskers on the back of most cats' wrists. One thing is clear: This addition from nature is an aid for climbing! Counting all the whiskers – from the nose to the chin, eyes, cheeks, and front paws – a cat can have up to approximately 160 whiskers in total.
