This cat blog will answer the major question, “How many whiskers does a cat have?” we will also discuss the major functions of the whiskers in the cat’s body, how you can protect the whiskers of your cat, and what you shouldn’t do that can harm the whiskers.
How many whiskers does a cat have?
A cat has 12 whiskers arranged in 4 rows. Cats’ whiskers have many functions in the body of your cat. The whiskers of the cat act as protective gear, helping to sense things that are near to the cat. You need to protect the whiskers of the cat because it has a major role in the life of your cat.
What are the major functions of the whiskers in the body of your cat?
Following are the major functions of the whiskers in the body of your cat:
Whiskers act as protective gear in the cat’s body
The first function of the whiskers is it acts as protective gear in the body of your cat. Whiskers protect the eyes of your cat from the dirt and the debris in the air.
Cats’ eyes are very sensitive parts of the body that can be very vulnerable to the external stimuli of the environment. The cat’s whiskers block the dirt and debris and if they try to reach the eyes the sensory information from the whiskers is sent to the brain which will allow the cat to shake its head and remove the dirt and the dust from the whiskers.
Whiskers act as the vision for cats
Whiskers can also act as cats. Cats are not able to look at the things that are under their noses. They can see things far away but cannot see things that are very near to them.
Whenever anything that is very near to the cat touches the whiskers, the proprioceptors are activated that are present in the whiskers and the signals are sent to the brain which gives the body a signal to act against this stimulus.
Whiskers also act as body balancers
Whiskers also act as body balancers because they give the brain the exact location of each part of the body. Each part of the body has different roles to play in the body. Through whiskers, the cat is able to know the exact function every body part is performing at that particular time.
Whiskers also act as emotion modulators
Cats also feel things that are regulated by the whiskers. Whiskers are the specialized type of hair that has the ability to send sensory input to the brain and the brain act according to the sensory input given by the body.
Whiskers can feel the state of the mind. If the cat is sad, the whiskers will be down and it will give a dull look to the cat’s face. Similarly, when the cat is happy, the whiskers will be up and it will give a cute look to the cat.
It is important to know that whiskers are damaged for many reasons which could be fighting or any other abnormal behavior in your cat. You just need to make sure that whiskers are protected from all the harmful stimuli in the environment.
How can you protect the whiskers of your cat?
Following are the things you should do to protect the whiskers of your cat:
- The first thing is to keep the cat out of any fight in the house and the yard. It is better to introduce the new cat humbly and slowly which will allow both cats to settle in easily. Moreover, you need to keep an eye on your cat when it is playing in the yard because other stray cats can have a fight with them.
- The next thing is to look for any abnormalities around the nose and the oral cavity or the eyes of your cat because they can affect the whiskers of the body of your cat.
- The last thing is to watch out for any abnormal behavior in your cat which can lead to damaging the whiskers of the body.
What you shouldn’t do that can damage the whiskers of the cat’s body?
Following are the things you shouldn’t do which will damage the whiskers of the body:
- You shouldn’t cut the whiskers of the cat due to cosmetic purposes that can harm the whiskers.
- You shouldn’t give any kind of face wash that can damage the eyes and whiskers of the body.
Conclusion
In this cat blog, we entertained our important question, “How many whiskers does a cat have?” we also discussed the major functions of the whiskers in the cat’s body, how you can protect the whiskers of your cat, and what you shouldn’t do that can harm the whiskers.
