Answer: T he whiskers of a cat are large, long hairs which grow out at right angle to the skin. They are unlikely other hairs, which grow at on oblique angle, and the follicles from which they developed are rich in sensory never endings. This makes the whiskers very sensitive to reach and their alternative name is tactile hair or vibrissae.
The whiskers are useful to the cat on its journeys through its home range and territory. At night they can be use the detect objects which are in its path. When on familiar routes they permit navigation, i.e. recognition of familiar features which permit the cat to know hat point he has reached on his journey. It is believed that if the whiskers of a cat can pass through a narrow opening when fully spread then the rest of the cats can too, i.e. there is no risk of the cat’s body becoming jumping the cat can make an appropriate correction for wind speed and direction, and the also the cat can more readily located the source of a attractive or repellent wind borne odor.
When its holding a prey animal in its mouth after betting the animal’s neck, the cat protrude its whiskers forward so as to touch the prey. In this way it can detect any movement of the prey, helping to the establish when the animal is dead and therefore safe to put down.
The whiskers are also use to ‘feel’ a strange cat during the mutual inspection and sniffing which occurs when cats encounter each other. Furthermore, whiskers can be used to indicate emotion they can for example be rubbed against objects ore people they like while at the same time marking these objects with scent from the check gland, or the can be fully extended in threat displays to other cats.
