FELINE VIBRISSAE

Did you know that the technical name for cat whiskers is VIBRISSAE? This latin word means “vibrate”.

Cats have approximately  24 mobile vibrissae, 12 in each side of the snout and these are different from the rest of the fur because they are very long and thick. They are strategically located over the eyes, under the chin, in the front paws, near the ears and over the superior lip. Depending on their location they have different names, for example, those located in the superior lip are mystacial vibrissae.

Vibrissae are connected with the muscle, are voluntarily controlled and have nervous connections, which allows your cat to feel the smallest changes in the environment. They are very sensitive to everything that happens in their surroundings!

Which is their function?

Vibrissae are sensory hardware specifically tuned that guide the cat through their daily functions.

They help cats detect near objects or animals, to avoid or to hunt them, it makes it easier for them to calculate the spaces when they move in the dark giving additional sensory information. They also help to protect the eyes; as you touch the vibrissae, they blink their eyes.

Do vibrissae help emotional communication?

The answer is YES. When a cat is relaxed and happy, vibrissae take a break. But when a cat is active, they are also! A happy, curious cat will lift his vibrissae above the eyes. If a cat is about to begin a fight, will fold them to the side of his face.

Remember that vibrissae are necessary so that your cat can feel his surroundings and keep safe, so NEVER TRY to cut it or pull it out.