## Whiskers: NOT hairs, BUT sensors

**Dramatic mistake**:
- Some owners (or "misinformed groomers") cut a cat's whiskers.

**Reality**:
- Whiskers are **vibrissae**.
- **Sensory organs**.
- Cutting them = **cruelty**.

Let's see.

## What are vibrissae

**Not normal hair**:
- 3 times thicker.
- Deeply innervated.
- Directly connected to the brain.

**Position**:
- Above the eyes.
- Cheeks (more noticeable).
- Chin.
- Nose.
- Even behind the legs.

## The function

### 1. Mapping the environment

**Vibrissae perceive**:
- Air currents.
- Minimal movements.
- Object positions.

**Essential for**:
- Orientation in the dark.
- Hunting.

### 2. Measuring spaces

**Vibrissae**:
- As wide as the body.
- Indicate if a passage is wide enough.

### 3. Eye protection

**Whiskers above the eyes**:
- Warn before objects touch the eye.

### 4. Emotional communication

**Whisker position indicates**:
- Relaxed: sideways.
- Excited/alert: forward.
- Scared: back.

## Consequences of cutting

### Disorientation

**Cat without whiskers**:
- Confused.
- Bumps into objects.
- Difficulty mapping.

### Stress

**Dog without "antennas"**:
- Anxious.
- Insecure.

### Hunting difficulties

**If the cat goes out**:
- Hunting compromised.

### Behavioral disturbances

**Possible**:
- Aggressiveness.
- Loss of appetite.

## Regrowth

**Whiskers regrow**:
- 2-3 months.

**During**:
- Cat is "sensorily incomplete."

## Never cut

**Stated fact**:
- Every veterinarian.
- Every feline ethologist.

**Cutting whiskers**:
- Cruelty.
- Ignorance.

## Rare medical situations

**Only a veterinarian**:
- For specific medical treatments (entropion, corneal ulcers).
- Never for aesthetics.

## What to do if broken

**Naturally**:
- They can break (play, fighting).

**Let them regrow**.

**Never pull**.

## The truth

**Cutting a cat's whiskers**:

❌ **NEVER**.

❌ **Cruelty**.

❌ **Compromised sensory function**.

✅ **Always respect** vibrissae.

✅ **Educate** those who do not know.

Whiskers are **vital organs**.

Treat them as such.