Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Plant Sciences, Zoology & Evolution => Topic started by: neilep on 01/07/2008 22:25:13

Title: How do cats' whiskers work and what do they do?
Post by: neilep on 01/07/2008 22:25:13

Dearest All,


See Tarquin here ?

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Nice eh ?

He's about to pounce on another whisker owning thing called a mouse !  [ Invalid Attachment ]

squeek squeek !!

So, whilst all the girlies are wee-weeing themselves whilst stood upon a chair...perhaps the blokes could answer a question or two about whiskers !!

They're great aren't they ?.....are they just super strong hairs ?...do they continue to grow ?..if you cut them do they grow back ?....would that hurt mousey/Tarquin if they were cut ? [ Invalid Attachment ]
squeek squeek !!

Whiskers I understand play an important role in letting the whisker owner know if it can fit through a gap or not right ?...so how how come is a mousey's whiskers so proportionally wider than it's body than a cats !! ?..some mouseys whiskers are well wide !!!

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squeek squeek !!

Thanks


Neil
Cat Whiskerer


xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Title: Re: How do cats' whiskers work and what do they do?
Post by: blakestyger on 02/07/2008 13:52:49

I got a severe bollocking as a child for cutting the whiskers short on one side of our cat's face to see what would happen (the other side was left intact as a control).
They did grow back but seemed to take a long time.
So how come cats like fish? They'd hate getting wet enough to catch them in the wild.

Title: Re: How do cats' whiskers work and what do they do?
Post by: Make it Lady on 02/07/2008 20:09:56

Cats catch fish by dipping their paw in the water and waiting for a fish to swim over it then they flip them out. I think fishermen call it tickling. I've never tickled a fish but my cat caught every last fish in my neighbours pond. we told them it was a heron!

Whiskers on cate are just a little wider than their bodies and do act as a sort of size control. It tells then 'beware low bridge,' and 'beware narrow road.' Whiskers are very important in the dark too.
I'm not sure about meecies though. Most of the ones I see are partially chewed..Yuk!
As for cutting them, I guess it is like cutting pubic hair. It grows back but boy does it itch!

Title: Re: How do cats' whiskers work and what do they do?
Post by: blakestyger on 02/07/2008 22:07:11

Quote from: Make it  Lady on 02/07/2008 20:09:56

I guess it is like cutting pubic hair. It grows back but boy does it itch!

Overshare!

Title: Re: How do cats' whiskers work and what do they do?
Post by: rosalind dna on 03/07/2008 22:35:11

The reasons for the cats or mice whiskers are for sensing stuff in the air, scents, the rain, other predators or prey.

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