If we adjust to the definition of the Royal Academy of the Language, we can say that vibrissae are rigid hairs that are more or less long that act as tactile receptors, natural to many mammals and that arise, individually or in groups, in different areas of the head. and the extremities. They are especially located on the lips, between the nose, for example, of our friend the cat.
Indeed, kittens’ whiskers are vibrissae, hairs with “superpowers” that are related to an oil gland and have their own muscle for their voluntary control. Vibrissae hair follicles have sinuous blood vessels and multiple types of nerve receptors.
Most cats have 12 whiskers on each side of their noses (24 in all), in four horizontal rows and are set three times as deep as the rest of the hairs that cover the cat’s body.
These do not have a protection or shield function from the rest of the body like other hairs, whiskers have sensitive cells at their base and are used as antennae with which our kitten can realize what is happening around them. The functions that are granted to vibrissae are:
· Measure the temperature.
· Know if someone is approaching.
· They are your radars. Like a GPS that marks the position of everything that surrounds the feline with practically negligible errors.
· To calculate the proportions of nearby objects. The body of the feline is prepared for hunting, as we have already commented in Very Pets, so it has a perfect view from a distance to recognize its prey but at very short distances it is difficult to focus, so it helps by placing the vibrissae forward to “look” at nearby objects.
· Help you maintain your position when falling. Thanks to this they can decide their movements.
· During the night the whiskers help you to “feel” where you are traveling, it prevents you from tripping over the walls.
There is a legend that vibrissae help our furry friend to balance and that he would be unable to walk properly without them, but the truth is that what they do is help him calculate distance and space, not find balance.
The vibrisas are also a part of the feline’s effective means of communication, showing us his state of mind: if he is nervous, he places them in a fan shape; if he is angry he directs them forward; if he is scared, he sticks them inwards …
The cat’s whiskers are not a “decorative element”, we are facing a basic component for their relationship with other beings.
The vibrissae should not be cut
As we can suppose after knowing a little more about vibrissae, it is important not to cut them. Animals that have these tactile hairs cut will have more trouble coping, will be more clueless, and will need more visual support until they grow back.
The whiskers are not the only ones, the other vibrissae are found on both sides of the face and under the ears, on the eyebrows and on the back of the front legs.
