Many people are not aware of the fact about the part that whisker’s play in a cat’s life. Surprisingly enough, it makes a cat, a cat! Whiskers have a very important role and thus is should never be trimmed or damaged. A cat has many quirky qualities, but the most quirkiest of them all is her ability to sense even the slightest difference in her surroundings. Nothing can ever be hidden from a cat and a major reason is her whiskers. As we have no idea about the role of whiskers, lets study them in a little detail and what would happen if they are clipped or damaged.
Whiskers are very important for your cat as it plays the role of a sensor. Whiskers contains receptors that do not require a touch to detect an object, these whiskers can detect any change in the environment, no matter how slight. It also helps them to see in the dark and see things that are close to them, as cats are far sighted.
What do whiskers do?
As cats like to spend most of their time in the dark, it is important for them to have a feature which can helps them to see and detect objects in the dark. Well, whiskers do just that. Whiskers are deeply rooted in the skin and have numerous amounts of nerve and sensory cells. These sensory cells help in detecting the slightest change in the surrounding and send the signal to the cat’s brain. These sensors are highly sensitive and do not require to touch the object in order to sense its presence. Due to this reason, whiskers act as the perfect navigator for kittens when they are hiding in the dark.
It is also believed that whiskers help in detecting odors as well and help see things that are close, as cats are far sighted.
What happens after it is clipped?
Clipping your cat’s whiskers will not hurt them, but if they are plucked, it will hurt. Thus, it is advised not to remove your cat’s whiskers. Pain is not the only reason it is not advised, there are several reasons why you shouldn’t trim or clip your cat’s whiskers.
As we have listed above the various jobs that whiskers do, you might see how awful it would be to trim or clip them. If whiskers are clipped, cats become disorientated and cannot be able to manage and see their surroundings. They are also not able to see things clearly, especially those that are close and might misjudge the distance about certain objects.
There is no cause for worry though, if by any accident, your cat’s whiskers get damaged, they will re-grow in their proper time, as the follicles are not damaged entirely.
Reasons you shouldn’t clip your cat’s whiskers
Sensory organ
As we have stated above, whiskers act as a sensory organ and are important for a cat to get the feel of a place. As these whiskers are highly sensitive, they can detect even the smallest change and thus your cat can be able to decide her next movement. A lot of decisions that your cat makes, comes after the nerves sends the signals to the brain which sends the command to the target organs. Thus, without a cat’s whisker, she won’t be able to make many correct decisions and might end up injuring herself.
Help in the dark
Cats like to sleep throughout the day and be active in the night, one of the reasons for this behavior is that they are following their natural instinct and saving up energy to hunt in the night, like their wild relatives. Thus, cats have very keen eyesight that helps them see in the dark, but whiskers also plat a major role in the hunting part. Whiskers helps detect changes in the environment, which means It can detect if something is near or if the air changes. All of these factors are very important for a hunt.
Wait! I can’t see
When we talk about cats, an unknown fact that arises is that cats are far sighted and have trouble looking at things that are close by them. Whiskers help cats to see things clearly, making them better at close sightedness and thus it is important to keep a cat orientated and free from stress.
The reason for not clipping and trimming your cat’s whiskers is because without them they won’t be able to navigate in the dark and also, they won’t be able to see things clearly. Cats will find it difficult to measure an opening or distances between objects and thus this will affect poorly on their physical and mental health.
Do cats normally shed whiskers?
It is very normal for a cat to shed whiskers. Sometimes, you might notice your cat whiskers are curled or odd shaped, this is the time when cats shed whiskers to grow new ones. But not all whiskers are shed at once. Thus, if you notice you cat shedding whiskers more than normally, it could relate to a number od health issues that your cat might be facing. It is important that you take your cat to a vet.
Conclusion
Its not everyday you get to learn new things about your cat. Who would have known that whiskers played such a big part in your cats life. Whiskers are sensory organs for your cats and help them in navigation, seeing in the dark and detecting changes in their surroundings. Thus, knowing all this, it is important that we don’t clip or trim our cat’s whiskers. It might not be painful for them, but it will make their life a lot harder. Take every precaution that whisker damage doesn’t happen and if it does, take care of your feline friend.