Some Facts About Cat Whiskers关于猫胡须的一些事实

Whether cats are cute because of their whiskers or whiskers are cute becausethey come on cats， one thing is certain： The two make an irresistibly2 cutecombination3. Here are some little-known facts about these specialized hairs.

无论猫是因为它们的胡须而可爱，还是因为它们长在猫身上而可爱，有一点是肯定的：这两者构成了一个令人无法抗拒的可爱组合。以下是关于这些特殊毛发的一些鲜为人知的事实。

1

They Are Thicker Than Hair

它们比猫毛粗

Cat whiskers are two to three times thicker than regular cat hair and have rootsthree times deeper. Cat whiskers are not only found on their cheeks but also appearon their jaws， above the eyes， near the ears， and on the back of the forelegs—allplaces a cat would need to gather information about its surroundings.

猫胡须比普通的猫毛粗两到三倍，根部比普通猫毛深三倍。猫胡须不仅长在猫的脸颊上，也长在它们的下巴、眼睛上方、耳朵附近和前腿后部———所有猫需要收集其周围环境信息所需的地方。

2

Cats Have a Set Number of Whiskers

猫有一定数量的胡须

Cats typically have 24 whiskers on the cheeks—12 on each cheek， in four rowsof three. And while some cats can have more than 24， the total number should alwaysbe even4. It’s important that the whiskers are symmetrically5 on either side of itsface so that the cat can get an accurate6 read of its environment.

猫通常脸颊上有24 根胡须，每边脸颊上有12 根，排列成四行，每行三根。虽然有些猫（脸颊）的胡须可以超过24 根，但总数应该总是偶数。胡须对称地分布在猫脸的两侧非常重要，这样猫就可以准确地了解周围的环境。

3

They Are Sensitive7

它们很灵敏

Unlike human hair， a cat’s whiskers are deeply connected to the nervoussystem and help the car determine an object’s distance， direction， and so on. This iswhy a cat’s whiskers should never be cut.

与人的毛发不同，猫的胡须深深地与神经系统相连，帮助猫确定物体的距离、方向等。这就是为什么猫的胡须永远不能被剪掉的原因。

4

Cats Can Have Whisker Stress

猫有胡须应激

A cat’s whiskers are so sensitive， in fact， that if it’s required to use a narrowfood or water bowl， the pressure to its whiskers can cause what is known as“whiskerstress”. If your cat is scooping8 food out with its paw or knocking food on the floorto eat， consider getting a wider bowl.

事实上，猫的胡须非常敏感，如果要求猫使用窄小的食盘或水碗，其胡须受到的压力会导致所谓的“胡须应激”。如果你的猫用爪子舀食物或把食物打翻到地板上吃，你可以考虑换一个宽一点的碗。

5

Whisker Size Corresponds9 to the Size of the Cat

猫胡须长短与猫的大小相对应

A cat uses whiskers to know whether or not it can fit through narrow spaces. Ingeneral， the fatter or fluffier10 a cat is， the longer its whiskers. A Maine coon catmay have six-inch-long whiskers， whereas the almost hairless Cornish Rex’s aretypically short and curly.

猫用来胡须判断它是否能穿过狭窄的空间。一般来说，猫越胖或越蓬松，它的胡须就越长。缅因猫可能有6 英寸（15 厘米）长的胡须，而几乎无毛的柯尼斯卷毛猫的胡须通常短而卷曲。

6

Leg Whiskers Help With Hunting

腕须有助于狩猎

The whiskers at the back of cat’s front legs， on the undersides of its wrists， helpthe cat climb trees and kill prey11. When they’re holding a mouse， say， in their frontpaws， those whiskers let the cat know whether its catch is still moving and whetherit’s in a position favorable to delivering a bite.

位于猫前腿后部、腕部下侧的胡须帮助猫爬树和捕杀猎物。当它们用前爪抓着老鼠时，这些胡须能让猫知道它的猎物是否还在动弹，以及它是否处于有利于发起撕咬的位置。

7

They Shed12

它们会脱落

Whiskers should never be cut， but they do go through natural growth andshedding phases13. Finding a lost whisker around the house now and again iscompletely normal—they grow back on their own. If you notice a sudden increase inshed whiskers， however， it could mean your cat is ill.

猫胡须绝对不能剪，但它们确实会经历自然生长和脱落的阶段。偶尔在房子周围发现一根脱落的猫胡须是完全正常的———它们会自己长回来。然而，如果你注意到脱落的胡须量突然增加，这可能意味着你的猫病了。

（英语原文选自：treehugger.com）