Cats’ whiskers, or vibrissae, are exceedingly sensitive. If a cat seems reluctant to eat out of a particular bowl, she may be bothered by whisker fatigue. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Whisker Fatigue”
Here’s a term that was new to me, whisker fatigue.
Do you know this term, whisker fatigue?
It’s the reason I grew my beard.
I got tired of shaving.
Whisker fatigue has to do with cats and the fact that their whiskers, or vibrisi, as they’re called, are very, very sensitive.
As you know, they can detect all kinds of things.
And if they have a bowl that has sides that are too steep and it bothers their whiskers, they can get what is called whisker fatigue and it makes them irritable around their food.
And so if your cat is sort of reluctant to get to the food and the bowl, put it on a plate instead.
Yes.
Or a smaller, yeah, a less deep dish.
You know, this is not really related.
There is a trick that people who pickpocket use when they want to take your watch or something on your hand.
They pull your whiskers?
They squeeze your wrist over the watch where your wristband is, right?
Yeah.
So you feel this extra pressure.
Like they might grab your arm and pretend to be stopping you from going into traffic or grab your arm as a way to get your attention and ask for directions.
But they squeeze so hard that when they let up their hands, it still feels like they’re squeezing.
They can take off the watch.
And because you still feel the echo of their squeezing, you think your watch is still on your hand.
Oh, my gosh.
It’s like phantom watch.
Yeah, phantom watch.
Exactly.
Anyway, the whiskers remind me of that.
Yeah.
Just this too much stimulus gives you, like, bad feedback.
Yeah.
Wow.
Interesting.
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