Why Do Cats Have Whiskers On Their Front Paws?
Are you surprised? Cats have whiskers on their front paws, and you may not have noticed until today. If you’ve never seen her before, check out your cat now.
You will find that they look just like the ones above the eyes and on the chin. The whiskers on their paws grow on the back near the fifth toe.
The anatomy of the whiskers
All whiskers are known as vibrissae. The whiskers on the cat’s front paws are called whiskers.
First of all, you have to know that whiskers are not ordinary hair. Under the skin, their hair follicles differ in both structure and function from the cat’s normal fur.
They have a much stiffer texture and are embedded more deeply into the cat’s body than normal fur. A peculiarity of the whiskers on the front paws is their particular sensitivity; they are heavily innervated and supplied with blood.
Because of this, the slightest contact with the whiskers sends information from the environment to the brain.
Do you know why cats have whiskers on their front paws?
First, let’s remember what whiskers are and what they do. Whiskers are thick hairs that grow in a sensory cell and their main function is to detect movement. You are excellent at it!
The whiskers on the face are so sensitive that they can see even small air currents; they work like a radar. Thus, these whiskers help cats hunt, orientate themselves and anticipate movements.
Well, cats don’t have whiskers on their paws to calculate the area they’re walking through, because that’s the function of the whiskers on their faces.
The whiskers on the front paws help them to calculate the position of their prey. Therefore, they are important for cats when it comes to catching and holding onto their “victim”.
Some studies of carpal hair suggest its role in adjusting leg stability, anticipating the step according to the various substrates involved. This is an interesting feature that one tries to implement in robot movement.
The whiskers on the paws are leftovers from a life in the wild. Although today’s domestic cats no longer need to hunt their food, many still do so voluntarily.
Whiskers, key elements for the sixth sense of the cat
It should be remembered that cats cannot see very well at close range. This means that when a cat is incredibly close to something like prey, it cannot see the small movements.
Of course , perception in these circumstances can mean the difference between a successful catch and a hungry return home. The whiskers help balance the cat’s eyesight.
Cats have whiskers because they need them and you should never cut them off
Another common mistake is to assume that cats’ whiskers should be trimmed. Some cats, like the Cornish Rex, even have curly whiskers on their faces. Therefore, some owners might think it would not be harmful to trim them. That is a mistake!
In summary: whiskers enable cats to sense and understand their surroundings. It is important for cats to keep their whiskers intact.
They use their vibrissae in the same way that we use the tactile receptors on our fingertips to feel in the dark and to alert us to potentially painful situations.
