Cat whiskers are a trademark of cats. They go together like dogs and tails, or beer and pizza.
Whiskers are one with the Zen one and they are unique like a paw print.
Cat whiskers, are also called “vibrissae” or tactile hair. Don’t ask me to pronounce it. The Cats whiskers can grow in different areas on the face. Kind of like when Grandma’s hair grows out of her nose, ears and chin but thins on her head.
Whiskers grow around the eyes and at the cute fluffy area near the nose, mouth and chin. They have around 10-12 whiskers on each side growing outwards in a horizontal fashion. Just like grandma again, they do fall out at times and tend to get scraggly and thin over time. There’re even whiskers on the back of your cat’s front legs.
Whiskers are highly sensitive to movement.
There are no blood or nerve ending in the actual whisker except where it attaches to on the cat. It is Cat- UPS devise to sense small places, keeping in “whisker–touch” with their surroundings. It keeps them oriented as well. Their whiskers can sense changing in wind, air pressure and feel air current as they sense the subtle vibration, or the feel of an object as the whisker brushes by. Blind cats navigate with their whiskers.
Whiskers grow the width of the cat
The tips of the whisker sense the diameter of an area. That means that Bubble-Butt the Cat would have very long whiskers and Tiny the cat, very short. Your cat will use its head and whiskers to size up a small space or partially open doorway before attempting to go in and get stuck.
This whisker measurement tool is why they should NEVER be cut or removed. (Unless it is a life threatening reason) This could cause disorientation and possible harm as they wouldn’t be able to detect the objects around them or tell the width of an opening. Plus it may cause their movement to be impaired. If a cat loses all its whiskers it can become disoriented and confused.
Whiskers can also tell mood
Kind of like a bad hair day. Poor Grandma.
Pay close attention to the direction of the cat whiskers. When the whiskers of a cat relax, the cat is relaxed. Whiskers that are pulled back are usually the sign of being defensive or angry. If they are facing forward, it’s a curious-cat sign used for hunting or play.
Protective devise; Ninja-Cat style.
They are used for protection and hunting. Since cats don’t see well close up, whiskers can tell where the prey is located once caught. The ones on the back of the front leg help with the sensing the prey. As for protection, if there is a threat to the sensitive areas of the nose, mouth and eyes, the whiskers will sense it first, and know to move away or close the eyes quickly.
Whiskers for humans
- As for us, the teaching of Whiskers can remind us that we all have the ability to use our body to sense our surrounding. We can feel the changes in temperature and the wind gently on our skin. We sometime feel changes in pressure when our bad hip or knee acts up. Sometimes we can get a “hair-raising” feeling when something is not right. Or, just the opposite as the hair on our arms will Goose-bump when something touches our heart.
- Whiskers for the aspect of Cat Essence are related to our Intuition. Check out this post 13 ways to develop your intuition; a nose for knowing.
- It is also one of the Inquisitive Cat Essences as we learn to become more aware of our surroundings. Did you ever notice that you can see something every day and not even realize it is there? I don’t often see the whiskers on my cats unless I think about it. I do now of course because I am talking about whiskers. We need to open our eyes to what is right in front of us. We can then use our subtle awareness to heighten our perception and become more in tune with the here and now.
“The whiskers are reflective of what is within”
- Connect to your “cat whiskers.” Sit outside and feel the air movement around your body. Sense the gentle touch of the wind on your face and arms. The heaviness or lightness of the breeze. Stay present and put your cat nose to the wind and smell the sweetness of summer.
- Become an Inquisitive Cat. Take a few moments to ponder this question…seriously.
If I had the power of awesome whiskers, what would I now sense or realize?
P.S don’t forget to share this post and tweet your cat’s whisker picture on #whiskerswednesday
Hugs, Peace & Paws…KT Cat Paws!