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.

無論貓是因為它們的胡須而可愛，還是因為它們長在貓身上而可愛，有一點是肯定的：這兩者構(gòu)成了一個令人無法抗拒的可愛組合。以下是關(guān)于這些特殊毛發(fā)的一些鮮為人知的事實。

1

They Are Thicker Than Hair

它們比貓毛粗

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.

貓胡須比普通的貓毛粗兩到三倍，根部比普通貓毛深三倍。貓胡須不僅長在貓的臉頰上，也長在它們的下巴、眼睛上方、耳朵附近和前腿后部———所有貓需要收集其周圍環(huán)境信息所需的地方。

2

Cats Have a Set Number of Whiskers

貓有一定數(shù)量的胡須

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.

貓通常臉頰上有24 根胡須，每邊臉頰上有12 根，排列成四行，每行三根。雖然有些貓（臉頰）的胡須可以超過24 根，但總數(shù)應(yīng)該總是偶數(shù)。胡須對稱地分布在貓臉的兩側(cè)非常重要，這樣貓就可以準(zhǔn)確地了解周圍的環(huán)境。

3

They Are Sensitive7

它們很靈敏

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.

與人的毛發(fā)不同，貓的胡須深深地與神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)相連，幫助貓確定物體的距離、方向等。這就是為什么貓的胡須永遠(yuǎn)不能被剪掉的原因。

4

Cats Can Have Whisker Stress

貓有胡須應(yīng)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.

事實上，貓的胡須非常敏感，如果要求貓使用窄小的食盤或水碗，其胡須受到的壓力會導(dǎo)致所謂的“胡須應(yīng)激”。如果你的貓用爪子舀食物或把食物打翻到地板上吃，你可以考慮換一個寬一點的碗。

5

Whisker Size Corresponds9 to the Size of the Cat

貓胡須長短與貓的大小相對應(yīng)

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.

貓用來胡須判斷它是否能穿過狹窄的空間。一般來說，貓越胖或越蓬松，它的胡須就越長。緬因貓可能有6 英寸（15 厘米）長的胡須，而幾乎無毛的柯尼斯卷毛貓的胡須通常短而卷曲。

6

Leg Whiskers Help With Hunting

腕須有助于狩獵

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.

位于貓前腿后部、腕部下側(cè)的胡須幫助貓爬樹和捕殺獵物。當(dāng)它們用前爪抓著老鼠時，這些胡須能讓貓知道它的獵物是否還在動彈，以及它是否處于有利于發(fā)起撕咬的位置。

7

They Shed12

它們會脫落

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.

貓胡須絕對不能剪，但它們確實會經(jīng)歷自然生長和脫落的階段。偶爾在房子周圍發(fā)現(xiàn)一根脫落的貓胡須是完全正常的———它們會自己長回來。然而，如果你注意到脫落的胡須量突然增加，這可能意味著你的貓病了。

（英語原文選自：treehugger.com）