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This is why cats smell so good
by Darina Schweizer
Why whiskers are vital for your cat
1/2/2024
Translation: Elicia Payne
Have you ever seen a cat without whiskers? Probably not, and there’s a reason for that. For us humans, the moustache is a personal preference, but for cats it’s vital.
«Daddy, what’s this?» my daughter asked the other day, as she held out a white hair she’d found on the floor. It couldn’t be one of my grey beard hairs, it was far too long, thick and bristly for that. It was probably a whisker one of our four cats lost.
I once read somewhere that it’s said to bring good luck and wealth if you find a cat’s whisker and carry it with you. That’s superstition, of course. What you can believe, are the following five facts.
1. The navigation device
2. The night vision device
Whiskers are particularly helpful late at night. They play a crucial role in nocturnal navigation, even though cats can see in low light. Using the whiskers as a kind of third eye, the cat can get an idea of its surroundings spatially, even when it’s dark. When it moves around a room, its whiskers graze walls, furniture and other objects. And this gives the cat an accurate picture of its surroundings.
3. The protective shield
The whiskers on the nose and snout aren’t the only ones on the cat’s head. They also have some on their cheeks, chin, upper lip and above their eyes. The ones above their eyes act as protection for their sensitive eyes as much as possible. They tell the cat whether something is in front of or close to its face. If the whiskers touch something, this triggers a reflex and the cat closes its eyes.
4. The mood barometer
5. The superpower
When I think of the cat’s whiskers, I can’t help but think of the story of Samson, one of the biblical superheroes. As God’s chosen one, Samson had superhuman strength and was considered invincible. That was until his lover Delila cut off his long hair (which gave him his strength) while he was sleeping.
Its a similar situation with cats because without their whiskers, they wouldn’t be anything like what they are and that makes them special. Therefore:
Never cut off your cat’s moustache!
Until the whiskers have grown back, your cat will be unnecessarily confused, frightened and disoriented. In other words it would be animal cruelty.
All the best to the cat
Header image: Shutterstock / fantom_rd
I'm a full-blooded dad and husband, part-time nerd and chicken farmer, cat tamer and animal lover. I would like to know everything and yet I know nothing. I know even less, but I learn something new every day. What I am good at is dealing with words, spoken and written. And I get to prove that here.
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