What are Whiskers for?

Have you ever wondered why cats have whiskers? No? Well, we’re going to tell you anyway!

This is Quincey! He’s outgoing, chatty, and enjoys people watching. The 10-year-old is one of our longest residents and he’s ready to get out of the shelter and into his forever home. Quincey is available for adoption from our McKinney location. #catsofinstagram #whiskerswednesday #spcatexas #adoptdontshop

A post shared by SPCA of Texas (@spcatexas) on May 30, 2018 at 12:53pm PDT

A cat’s whiskers are completely unlike the rest of its fur. Whiskers are long, stiff hairs that serve as touch receptors. They allow cats to determine whether they can squeeze into a small space and whiskers help them navigate in the dark. It also alerts them to changes in the environment and assists them with depth perception so they can judge whether or not they can actually jump up on that high shelf you told them not to jump on.

If you’ve ever been tempted to cut your cat’s whiskers because they look a bit long, don’t! Cutting a cat’s whiskers drastically limits their ability to get around comfortably. Again, whiskers are not like regular cat hairs; they are deeply embedded below the skin and are full of nerves and blood vessels. They should never be pulled, cut or otherwise interfered with.

There isn’t too much you need to do as a proud new cat owner to maintain your cat’s whiskers other than to watch out for a condition called “whisker fatigue.” This is when your cat’s whiskers become overwhelmed with information from frequent contact with the sides of their food or water bowls. This can cause your cat to feel uncomfortable or even stressed while eating. An easy fix or prevention tool is to buy shallow food and water bowls that don’t require your cat to make contact with the bowl in order to eat.

If you’d like to learn more about the wonderful world of cats or simply want to meet one of the cats we have available for adoption, stop by one of our adoption centers today!