What are the cat’s whiskers for?
“> Whiskers (also tactile or sinus hairs) are scientifically called vibrissaet and are found in many species of mammals. These strong and long hairs usually grow on the face around the nose and snout, for example on the cheeks, under the chin and on the upper lip. In cats there are further vibrissae above the eyes and on the so-called carpal organ on the Inside of the front legs.Like all hair, vibrissae contain neither nerves nor blood vessels, but are significantly thicker and longer than the rest of the body hair.They grow in special Hair follicles, in whose walls numerous nerve endings are embedded noticed immediately and passed on as a stimulus via the nervous system to the brain.The mustache is particularly important for the cat, as it fulfills several functions: The whiskers help her to find her way in the dark, to track down her prey or to recognize her possible dangers. Even a fine whirl of air that touches the sensitive hair is immediately noticed by the velvet paw.
In addition, your cat’s vibrissae are also a kind of mood barometer , by which you can recognize their state of mind. Because with the help of the finest muscle fibers, the animal is able to move its whiskers and, for example, fan them out wide when something catches its attention. Or lay it back snugly when worried or aggressive.
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Why is the cat losing whiskers?
“>Like all hair, the cat’s long whiskers grow back throughout life. Losing one of these whiskers is a completely normal process that you don’t have to worry about, within a few weeks the lost whisker has grown back in the same place .But also very intensive grooming of the cat or an argument with another house cat This can lead to loss of whiskers. During periods of shedding, especially in autumn and spring, hair loss in cats is particularly severe and also affects the whiskers. However, the function of this important sense of touch is still maintained because all whiskers are never changed at the same time.
However, other causes can also cause a cat to lose its whiskers or even Has none from birth Some breeds of cats have lost all hair on their bodies due to breeding measures – to these Naked cats include the extremely temperature-sensitive Canadian Sphinx cats, which also lack their important sense of touch.
A congenital hairlessness, also alopecia is a genetic defect that is more common in other cat breeds such as the Devon Rex or Birman. The kittens are born without fur or lose the little hair they have within the first few weeks of life. Affected cats and their parents should be excluded from further breeding. When does the cat need to go to the vet for loss of whiskers?
“>If a cat that has had normal hair all of a sudden loses a lot of whiskers, different triggers behind it: “>Certain allergens, but also fungi, parasites, bacteria or viruses can be the cause of serious skin problems such as itching, hair follicle inflammation and hair loss. “>Most of the time, such a health problem is not only limited to the whiskers, but is also shown by damage to the rest of the coat The coat of affected cats is often ragged and lackluster, the constant itching and scratching leads to sore, inflamed skin and hairless patches.If you notice such signs of skin disease in your cat, you should take the animal to the vet as soon as possible. Itching and pain cause the animals great stress, which can further worsen the health situation.
When hunting, the cat’s whiskers serve as fine “antennas” with which it detects every movement to register What to look for in the cat’s whiskers
“>Whiskers are important organs of orientation for cats and should never be trimmed by the cat owner with scissors. They help when hunting prey and are part of the cat’s nature.
The whiskers also fulfill a function in expressive behavior, so that their loss can affect understanding between velvet paws.As a cat owner, you should ensure that your cat’s whiskers are not unnecessarily damaged, for example by food that is too tight – and water bowls.Just rubbing the wall of the food bowl can make a sensitive cat refuse to eat! My cat is losing whiskers – is that bad? “>The loss of individual whiskers is quite normal, the mustache grows back within a short time. If many whiskers fall out at the same time, this can be a sign of a health problem. Image sources: 8391491 Featured image (top): Nailia Schwarz / Shutterstock.com 2nd from top: Nils Jacobi / Shutterstock.com
