# Anatomy of a Whisker **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 22, 2002, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anatomy-of-a-whisker/144333 "2002-12-22T05:58:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Khan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3ab097/32.png) [@Khan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khan)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anatomy-of-a-whisker/144333/1 "2002-12-22T05:58:32Z")
What exactly are these things, anyway? Considering my cat’s reaction when I start playing with hers, they must not be just long, thick strands of fur. Are they alive? do they have a blood supply? Are they just innervated strands of keratin? [DATA]Intriguing.[/DATA] ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anatomy-of-a-whisker/144333/2 "2002-12-22T06:21:12Z")
From [Fun Facts about Cats.](http://www.catspride.com/4b_content.htm) > [@](#): > > Their long sensory whiskers are coarse and very thick. They grow from special hair follicles in a cat’s upper lip that are very deep and have lots of nerve endings. The slightest twitch of a whisker stimulates these nerve endings and delivers information about the cat’s surroundings. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anatomy-of-a-whisker/144333/3 "2002-12-22T06:45:42Z")
Try pushing the whiskers down and the cat will give a snarly expression. It never fails. ---
**Author:** ![Khan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3ab097/32.png) [@Khan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khan)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anatomy-of-a-whisker/144333/4 "2002-12-22T07:02:51Z")
Yeah, tonight I was petting her “snout” with my thumb, and every time I hit the center of her whisker patch, she’d push her head forward like she does when she brushes up against your leg. ---
**Author:** ![Incubus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anatomy-of-a-whisker/144333/5 "2002-12-22T08:40:52Z")
I would imagine it might cause a slight tickling sensation; if someone was gently poking/messing with my moustache hairs it would make a tickling sensation that I would probably snarl my lip to relieve. ---
**Author:** ![Scruloose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@Scruloose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruloose)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anatomy-of-a-whisker/144333/6 "2002-12-22T13:15:44Z")
I saw a great documentary on cats once. The whiskers themselves, IIRC, are just long thick hairs connected to very sensitive nerves and such. In the show, they state that cats can find thier way around things in complete darkness, not because they touch things with thier whiskers, but because thier whiskers can sense the air currents that wrap and eddy around objects. They can tell if something is in front of them without touching it or seeing it. I found that fascinating. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anatomy-of-a-whisker/144333/7 "2002-12-22T13:41:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CzechMaster401k \* > \*\*Yeah, tonight I was petting her “snout” with my thumb, and every time I hit the center of her whisker patch, she’d push her head forward like she does when she brushes up against your leg. \*\* Cats have scent spots at several spots on their bodies. One pair is on the side of the face, where you petted. If you watch a cat prowling the edge of its territory, you’ll see it nuzzling bushes to scent-mark them. The forehead scent, on the other hand, is usually reserved for family members. –Nott, who had to stop mid-post to let Freckles out. ---
**Author:** ![NoSubstitute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@NoSubstitute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoSubstitute)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anatomy-of-a-whisker/144333/8 "2002-12-22T16:41:09Z")
Ever step on a cat’s whisker and have it imbed in the sole of your foot? Twice I have done that. I swear they have crochet hooks on the end. ---
**Author:** ![NoSubstitute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@NoSubstitute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoSubstitute)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anatomy-of-a-whisker/144333/9 "2002-12-22T16:43:20Z")
And, no, it was not still attached to my cat. ---
**Author:** ![Slugworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4bbf92/32.png) [@Slugworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slugworth)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anatomy-of-a-whisker/144333/10 "2002-12-22T20:31:41Z")
My sister, completely unaware of what whiskers were, tried to trim our dog’s. I walked into the room right as the snip was made, and me and the dog both made approximately the same noise of terror and shock. ---
**Author:** ![Dravin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Dravin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dravin)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anatomy-of-a-whisker/144333/11 "2002-12-22T20:39:58Z")
The family cats also used to get regularly trimmed like that by my younger siblings.