Although she is our canine senior citizen, wirehaired fox terrier Scooter can spot the blur of our barn cats Turbo and Tango in the brush a quarter of a mile away. Sirloin, our black Labrador retriever, can smell the scent of a grouse that walked across the path 15 minutes ago. Pretty impressive for a dog, but nothing like the almost extrasensory perception that cats possess. Located above the eyes, under the chin and in rows on the sides of the face, a cat s whiskers are actually rooted in highly sensitive nerve bundles. They are sensitive beyond our realm of understanding.
Cats depend on their whiskers to act like radar.
The whiskers help them to navigate around obstacles, to detect threats, and to judge distances when leaping from window ledge to the floor. This kind of reflex can come in handy when a cat is prowling around the shrubs in the backyard or entering a pitch-black room. A cat without whiskers can miss the cue to shut their eyes, possibly resulting in serious injury. This isn t a good time to be rearranging the furniture or letting the dog chase the cat around the house. All material found herein is copyrighted by the Newspaper Agency Corporation, The Salt Lake Tribune and associated news services.