Cat's whiskers: what are they called, what are their functions, can they be trimmed?

The structure of cats often raises many questions among their breeders. In particular, cat owners are interested in cat whiskers. They are interested in what they are for and whether they need cutting. It's time to figure out this issue.

Cat whiskers are scientifically called vibrissae (they received the name from the Latin word "vibrissae", which means "vibrate", "squirm", "wobble"). These are the pet's sense organs, which constantly move and vibrate. In fact, these are tactile cat hairs that differ from the rest of the hair in greater stiffness, thickness, length and rooting.

The structure of the vibrissus has its own characteristics. Each hair is placed in its own capsule, called the follicle. It is connected to the nerve endings, vessels and muscles. It is precisely due to the connection with the brain of the animal that the cat reacts to any changes in the environment, starting from the fluctuations of the air and ending with the movement of any objects.

However, some rows of whiskers on the pet's face (3 whiskers on each side of the nose) can move separately. Vibrissae are placed deeply, their damage is fraught with loss of orientation in the direction for which a particular hair is responsible.. The hair root is under the layer of the epidermis, it is surrounded by skin glands, venous sinuses and nerve endings.

Thick and hard vibrissae have an average length of 6-7 cm. For representatives of large breeds (for example, maine coons), it is longer and can reach 18-19 cm. The length of the vibrissae on the cheeks and other places may differ. At the same time, it does not affect the functions of the tactile organs: both those and other hairs do an excellent job with their task.

For example, short vibrissae on the feet help the animal to feel the vibration of the floor. Those whiskers that seem to the breeder eyebrows are eye protection and contribute to a better sense of space. Remarkable is the fact that The length of the whiskers is directly related not only to the size of the breed, but also to the thickness of the animal. For example, whiskers are often longer with fat cats.

Usually, tactile sensory organs consist of 24 hairs, which are arranged in 4 rows on both sides above the animal's upper lip. That is, there are 12 hairs on each side of the nose (sometimes there are many more). In addition, they can be located in the eye area, on the chin and lower parts of the body - on the pads. The amount of bulk vibrissae can vary.

Each mustache connects to a specific area of ​​the brain. Whatever they touch, it provides certain information from the outside world. Vibrissae with nerve endings associated with receptors in the brain, grow separately from each other. Some of them bend poorly, but they function equally in individuals of different sexes. They are located upwards or to the sides, and therefore do not interfere with animals.

Vibrissae may vary in thickness depending on the breed of cat. The thickness of the organs of touch is 2 or even 3 times thicker than the coat of the animal. It may differ depending on the location.For example, to be different on the lower jaw and on the back of the front paws, they are thicker on the cheeks than above the eyes. Despite this, they are extremely sensitive, and therefore the cat is trying not to expose them to excessive pressure. For example, sometimes eating food from a narrow bowl can provoke vibrissal stress.

Cat whiskers perform a lot of functions. Thanks to them, cats are able to accurately orient themselves in space, even at night. Vibrissae help animals to carry out maneuverable jumps over long distances, to distinguish between quality and bad food, to hunt and evaluate the enemy during a fight or during games.

In order for an animal to freely navigate in space, it does not have to touch any objects with vibrissae. For a full and clear picture, the fluctuation of air is quite enough. It can also be created while the cat is moving, bouncing off walls or objects. Vibrissae are able to capture reflected waves and “draw” a virtual image.

The parameters of the whiskers help the cat to understand whether it can crawl into a narrow space. That is why he climbs into boxes, bags and narrow manholes without fear. The hairs on the backs of the front paws can be called the second eyes of cats: with their help, the animal not only climbs and gets food, but also can strike at the hunt. The hairs on the cheeks, located on both sides of the nose, are connected to the muscles. Moving them and touching different objects, the cat receives valuable information about the surrounding space.

Surely the cat breeder noticed that the cat was leaning to the ground while hunting. However, he hardly thought that this was necessary for tactile contact of the vibrissae with the ground. Even the slightest vibration supplied by mouse paws cannot escape sensitive vibrissae. It is enough to touch them to the floor and the necessary information will be obtained.

It is due to the vibrissa that the cat understands which way the mouse has run. However, these functions of the hairs are not limited. When the cat catches the victim, it is the whiskers that tell him whether she is alive or dead. In this case, the pet will not eat live prey, because a mouse in a fit of mortal fear can bite a cat.

After the prey is strangled, the cat starts the meal. You may notice that he also checks the food from the bowl for "liveliness". Touching him with vibrissae, he assesses whether the food is alive, and only after that does he begin to eat.

It is unlikely that the owner of the cat thought about the fact that his pet communicates with other animals using vibrissae. Through their cat sends signals to other brothers about his mood. For example, a mustache helps him even when fighting for a female or in a duel for territory. The mustache stretched forward suggests that the cat is not against dating a fellow man. When they are apart, this indicates unfriendliness, and if the hairs are tightly pressed to the face, the animal is frightened.

Despite the fact that the mustache grow faster than the main wool, they can not be cut. This breeder causes serious damage to the health of your pet. The loss of whiskers deprives the animal of additional information that it needs for proper growth and development. This will affect appetite, activity and health. Of course, over time, the vibrissae grow back, but during this time the pets will be deprived of much. In fact, this can be compared with a person who has deteriorated hearing, vision and touch.

The change of vibrissus in cats occurs by itself during the whole life. No need for any auxiliary manipulations, because nature has not invented anything superfluous for a cat. Partial trimming of the vibrissae on the face is allowed only in case of radical treatment of fungal lesions. However, this measure is extreme. It is possible only when the cat's health benefits from manipulation outweigh the possible risks.

The attentive owner who cares for his pet knows: vibrissae are sensors that signal feline health problems. The worse their condition, the worse the quality of life of the pet.

For example, problems with a mustache in cats can occur due to hormonal disruption. It can lead to stress, transitional age or the state of pregnancy in females. In such cases, you must show your pet to a professional veterinarian. Vibrissae can thin, become brittle and inelastic.

There are cases when the cats themselves scorch vibrissae, being near the fireplace or gas stove. Not each of them has the instinct of fear of fire, but because the owner has to make sure that the animal does not approach the dangerous place too close.

Increased fragility of the mustache speaks about 2 factors: lack of moisture and improper washing of the cat. For example, an animal’s mustache may suffer if the air in the room is dry. In addition, a cat, regardless of feeding time, should have a bowl of fresh water. If it is restricted in fluid use, the vibrissae become brittle.

As for the washing procedure, there are 2 reasons for this:. This may be due to the choice of poor-quality tools for swimming. In addition, few people pay attention to the fact that washing the cat with detergent is not always necessary. Sometimes enough warm water.

Mustache shedding is a more serious problem. Unlike breaking, it does not depend on environmental conditions. It indicates health problems and is often accompanied by an allergic reaction. As a rule, hair loss, lacrimation, and impaired stool can be associated symptoms.

Faced with this problem, it is necessary to review the nutritional value of the diet of the animal. It is likely that the cause of loss is avitaminosis, as a result of which the loss of whiskers acquires a larger scale. This may be due to the monotony of nutrition, causing a deficiency of vitamins and minerals necessary for the body.

Loss can be caused by parasites infecting the cat. Their waste products are extremely toxic, can lead to intoxication of the body. Because of a poor supply, hair follicles do not receive enough nutrients, as a result of which the vibrissus weakens and falls out. In addition, a mustache may fall out due to an allergy of an animal to flea saliva or a fungal infection of the skin.

If the cat's vibrissae grow slowly, not differing in strength and sufficient thickness, it is necessary to reconsider not only the food, but also the conditions of detention. The reasons for poor growth can be low quality food, lack of vitamins and trace elements, poor metabolism or problems with the endocrine system. In order to improve the growth of vibrissae, it is necessary to improve the quality of the animal.

It happens that poor growth is a consequence of the disease. For example, this may be the result after a prolapse caused by a benign tumor in the ear. Unfortunately, our medicine does not always reveal such cases on time.

A cat without a mustache is like a patient who has impaired vision, hearing and taste. Depending on the nature of the cat, its behavior when breaking a mustache or falling out can vary. For example, if the vibrissae fall out almost everything, it not only weakens, but becomes unable to move in the dark.The animal may stumble upon various objects due to poor orientation in the dark, it will not be able to estimate the size of the holes, and therefore it gets stuck inside them.

The accuracy of cat jumps also decreases. The cat can not estimate the distance and often can not jump to the desired object. If the loss of a pet is not so dangerous for a pet, then a street cat will not be easy.

In order for an animal to grow elastic and thick whiskers, it is necessary to include natural food in the diet. It must be balanced, selected in accordance with the age of the pet. As for cheap feeds, they are produced from legumes, they are useless for animals and contain a lot of chemicals. The quality of growing mustache from them will not increase.

However, cats have a change of whiskers, which is a natural process. As a rule, at the same time one hair falls out, and in its place a new one grows immediately. If the loss is abundant, the consequences in the behavior can be dire. For example, the loss of the navigation system can lead to the fact that the animal can scratch itself or stop hunting.

Domestic cat at this time to let out is undesirable. Remarkable is the fact that some cat moms bite the mustache themselves to little kittens. They do this in order to keep babies nearby, as long as possible. However, in this case you should not be afraid: the vibrissae of kittens grow naturally. However, if the number of whiskers is reduced, this is a reason to consult a doctor.

See below for the reasons for cat whiskers.