Why do cats have whiskers?
 

My Gf reckons its for balance, my bro says its for "seeing if they can fit through things & generally being sensetive" I gotta go with my bro on this one coz balance? whiskers? I just dont buy it.
Anyone know for sure?

Thanks.

Googling would have got you the answer immediately: Navigation, Mood indication, Measuring an opening.

Why do cats have whiskers? Because they dont like to shave!!!!
(sorry but it was wide open for that one)

As far as I know they are sensors, but I wouldnt know for sure cos I'm a dog person.

they are in fact, spatial sensors, used to see if the cat can fit its head (or indeed entire body) through a confined space.

My sister accidentaly burned off my cat's whisker's once (different cat, different time), and it got its head stuck between two railings because it didnt have any whiskers (when they get pushed they feel that and can calculate the amount of space depending on angle and length of whiskers, like a rudimentary Pythagoras.)

and btw, the tail is for balance, which is why my sisters cat hops like a bunny when it runs (manxs have no tails)

I just wanted someone to TALK TO!!!



*breaks down in tears*

Oh dear ...
*looks around uncomfortably, puts arms around Magpie*

There, there, everything is going to be alright
*rocks Magpie gently*

Yup like mentioned above it's for balance and measuring the sizes of openings. They aren't completely vital but they do serve a purpose. I think they're also decorative. I know lions manes are indicitive of the more viril creatures. Watched a discovery channel recently about it. The lions with larger more magestic manes attracted more females. Its' possible (I'm just theorizing here) that whiskers may be related to the larger felines use of manes as well.

About a month ago our cat who was only 4 months at the time jumped on our counter. We do not allow her there for multiple reasons but she sneaked up anyway. She got too close to the pot of corn that I had boiling up there and singed her whiskers on half her face. Eyebrow whiskers got it too. They curled up and smelled horrid. I trimmed the melted knobs off of that side of the face. She seemed to adapt quite quickly to no whiskers on one side. The very next day my 3 yr old decided that she wanted to do like mommy and she trimmed off the other half of whiskers. It may have been the fact that she only got half trimmed at a time but she didn't seem to have too much trouble jumping or running ok. I did notice that stopping she'd end up tumbling head over heals a couple times. It was funny and she was uninjured thankfully.

Where there wiskers won't fit..Thier heads won't.