Whiskers serve more than just aesthetic purposes for cats; they act as high-powered antennae to deliver signals directly into its brain and nervous system. These ultra-sensitive sensory organs (called proprioceptors ) help the cat perform amazing feats like squeezing through tight spaces to hunting swift prey.
However, cats often chew their whiskers as a sign of discomfort or stress. Let’s investigate why this happens.
They’re a part of their sensory system
Cats use their whiskers to assess the size of an opening, similar to how humans would use their hands when opening doors or windows. Cat whiskers (known in Latin as vibrissae) serve as high-powered radar that transmits information directly into their brain and nervous system like onboard GPS units.
Whiskers are composed of keratin–a dense protein found in cat fur–that has deeper roots in the skin and more nerves at their base than regular hairs. When touched, brushed or rubbed against something, their tips vibrate (hence the term “vibrissae”) which in turn sends signals back to nerve cells at their bases that relay information regarding shape, size and speed to their brains.
Whiskers help cats navigate more safely in low light (whiskers can feel around furniture for safe routes) and hunt faster-moving prey by picking up on subtle changes in air currents.
Whiskers on cats are actually highly specialized sensory organs with nerve cells and blood vessels attached. Whiskers first appear during gestation of a kitten, and continue to develop throughout its life becoming longer and thicker as time goes by. Rooted on thick pads on its face and extended above eyes along chin near feet as “carpal whiskers”, whiskers can be seen gracing the face of cats of all species.
Whiskers are an integral component of a cat’s facial structure and can be moved independently from other areas using large muscles surrounding them. When your cat yawns, plays or hunts, their whiskers may move independently – fanning out to move towards their focus or flattening against either side of their face to bunch together against an approaching threat.
They’re trying to get rid of the hair
Whiskers add an adorable flair to any cat, but they’re more than just decorative features. These special tactile hairs are two to three times thicker than regular fur and embedded deeper in the skin than other strands; often covered with blood vessels and nerves, whiskers help cats navigate their environment while also serving to establish dominance among rivals.
Cats cannot see well within an inch or two of their faces, so they use their whiskers as sensory organs to guide them in dim lighting or narrow spaces. Their whiskers also help them determine if they can fit through spaces such as tunnels or boxes; and also sense if their food and water bowl are wide enough for eating and drinking from.
When you see kittens or adult cats with chewed whiskers, this could be a telltale sign of distress or aggression. Chewing could have occurred due to overgrooming or accidentally rough play; sometimes mother cats will even use this tactic on misbehaving kittens in order to dissuade them from taking risks or exploring their surroundings too much – sometimes this behavior also signals aggression between siblings.
As whiskers serve an integral purpose for cats, it is wise not to attempt to alter or alter them in any way. Gently touching or brushing them may be OK; pulling or tugging will only cause pain and could potentially alter their anatomy permanently. In some instances, whiskers will fall out on their own or may need trimming by your vet for medical reasons.
Whisker fatigue occurs when cats’ whiskers are constantly brushing against objects and causing irritation, leading to stress, decreased eating or drinking habits, or aggression toward other cats or people. Some symptoms of whisker fatigue include pacing in front of food or water bowls, avoiding them altogether, pawing at their bowl, and aggression toward both other cats and people.
Whiskers are an integral component of cats’ sensory systems and can detect vibrations in the air and movement from prey. They’re also great at detecting light or darkness levels – and can help cats decide when it is time for dinner!
They’re trying to blend in
Whiskers are more than cute facial features; they provide cats with unique sensory tools to sense their surroundings. From measuring tight spaces, feeling vibrations or air currents around them and even detecting predators or prey, cats use whiskers as sensory tools to gauge tight spaces, detect vibrations or air currents around them and even detect predators or prey. As cats can’t afford to lose them when they start falling out, when their whiskers start falling off they quickly take steps to secure them by eating them themselves – although this behavior may seem strange to us humans but is actually quite normal – whiskers contain protein which allows cats obligate carnivores which requires animal proteins as sustenance but without having to hunt and kill for protein sources – hence eating their own whiskers is simply another way for cats getting this essential nutrition without hunting and killing their food sources.
When cats feel threatened, their whiskers become invaluable tools in gauging the size and scope of an environment. If an approaching predator approaches, for instance, their whiskers will spread out to gauge its size before helping decide how best to navigate into that space and avoid being attacked or killed by it.
Their whiskers also help cats balance on four paws; should a cat fall backwards, their whiskers can catch themselves against an edge or surface and catch themselves before rolling over again. Furthermore, whiskers allow cats to “feel the floor,” giving them an idea of how much force needs to be applied with their paws in order to remain upright.
Cats may seem calm and submissive, but when they’re suffering they will show it. Whisker fatigue is a condition in which cats’ sensitive whiskers rub against a surface too frequently – for instance if their food bowl is too deep their whiskers may rub against it too frequently, leading them to become overstimulated and irritable.
Another reason for cats to chew their whiskers could be in an effort to blend in. With their symmetrical distribution and whiskers’ built-in ruler function, cats’ whiskers can act like rulers in measuring how much space is available within rooms or environments; their whiskers may even allow them to sense tight spaces by rubbing up against it with their face using them as rulers.
They’re tired
Cats use their whiskers daily to communicate, touch, and protect themselves. While their whiskers may appear similar to any other form of fur, it actually has thicker and stronger fibers that outshone regular fur in durability and thickness. Furthermore, these hairs had deeper roots than regular body hair as well as muscle and nerve endings for sensory overload; though cats do not experience pain directly due to sensory stimulation by their whiskers.
When cats become bored with their whiskers, they may begin eating them. Although it may seem unusual, this behavior is very common and should not be taken as an indicator of health issues. Whiskers play an integral part in hunting; they help cats determine distance and navigate obstacles more efficiently.
Feeding time can be stressful for cats. While this may be due to poor table manners or simply having overstimulated whiskers from constantly brushing against something such as the sides of their bowl, whisker fatigue could be at play here causing discomfort and stress which leads them to try eating their whiskers in order to relieve some pressure off their sensitive whiskers.
Whisker chewing may also happen when mother cats groom their kittens to establish dominance and teach the kittens they must stay close to her, however excessive grooming can result in whisker chewing, making it important to prevent your cat from approaching anything that might distress them too closely.
Your cat may experience whisker fatigue due to narrow food and water bowls that allow their whiskers to touch the sides, creating an overstimulation and stress response in them. Try giving your pet food from a whisker-friendly bowl.