A common mistake people make is thinking that cat whiskers and human hairs are the same thing. Cat whiskers are longer, stiffer hairs called vibrissae. Whiskers are touch receptors, making them a lot different from human hairs. The whiskers are connected to your cat’s nervous system, sending information about your cat’s surroundings directly to its sensory nerves. This helps your cat detect and respond to changes in its environment.

Another common mistake people make, is they think they should trim their cat’s whiskers. This is a big no-no because it can cause your cat to become very disoriented and frightened. Without connection to its nervous system, your cat will become very skittish and will not be able to adapt to certain situations like being in the dark.

Cats have a sensory organ at the end of their whiskers called a proprioceptor, which sends signals to the brain and nervous system. The proprioceptor tells your cat about the movement and position of its body and limbs. This organ also makes your cat’s whiskers very sensitive to even the smallest change in its environment. Not only do your cat’s whiskers help it to gauge whether it can fit into a tight space (without having to see it), they can even respond to vibrations in the air. This helps your cat decide on its next immediate move.

Whiskers also serve as a way for your cat to measure distance, which is why they are able to leap so swiftly and smoothly.