Wonder World Of Science : Why Do Cats Have Whiskers? (1986)

foreign [Music] I wonder I wonder what do you wonder wonder cat I wonder why do cats have whiskers why do cats have whiskers well if you're curious enough you can find out just look around oh sure that's a good idea I'll watch that mother cat and her kittens it's fun watching them find out about the things around them I did that too when I was just a little kitten I used to touch things with my paws you can tell a lot about things from how they feel and I sniffed everything my nose told me a lot and I was always listening to things my ears told me about what was happening around me and I learned how wonderful food tastes I guess my tongue did that for me and my eyes always could see even the tiniest movement near me [Music] well you must have been a very curious kitten too you were using your senses of sight smell touch taste and hearing like these kittens are doing like all cats do to find out about the world around them do you think whiskers might also help you find out about things well sometimes I do feel things with them like when I walk through the grass the grass kind of tickles me [Music] does that mean that whiskers are part of my sense of touch good thinking that's right [Music] whiskers help your sense of touch they tell you about the world around you foreign Hey look I have whiskers over my eyes too and down under my chin too just as all cats do all your whiskers help your sense of touch you have another sense that's especially good too watch and you'll find out what I mean it's dark in here isn't it yes but I can see just as well as this cat can not all animals can see as well in the dark as you cats can you mean a cat's sense of sight is special that's right cat's eyes contain a substance that gathers in light and reflects it like a mirror that helps you see even when there's just a little light Where You Are [Music] I wonder why cats have eyes like that if you're curious enough you can find out by watching how a cat's eyes work together with its other senses oh I think I understand what you mean cats are hunters and our senses help us hunt especially at night when we can see well even though it's dark and we can hear very well we can hear even the tiniest Movement we can turn one ear in the direction of a sound to hear it better and that helps you follow the animal you're hunting that animal is called your prey your eyes are set in the front of your head that helps you judge how far away the prey is while your senses help you hunt your prey their senses help them escape from predators like you [Music] I'm a predator that's just another word for hunter if you look closely at a mouse you'll see that a mouse's eyes are on the sides of its head that helps it see all around without turning its head a mouse has sensitive whiskers too and very sensitive ears mice hear better than cats do if there's a predator around the mouse will see and hear the predator and be able to escape so a predator's senses help it hunt but you know we cats don't really use our senses to hunt very much most of us are pets and we don't have to hunt for our food no unless you live on a farm you don't hunt much anymore but cats long ago did and your big relatives still do oh you mean lions and tigers yes all their senses work together to help those Predators get their prey just as all your senses would if you still had to use them to help you hunt for your food but your senses work together to help you do something else too you cats don't have trouble keeping your balance in narrow places do you no why not I don't know I just sort of feel how to do it is that what you meant that a cat's senses all work together to help it have good balance yes good thinking wherever you are you're getting sent signals not only from your whiskers and your eyes and your ears but from all parts of your body these signals help you keep your balance that's what makes it easy for you to land on your feet cats are very good at that aren't we your senses can also tell you something else they can tell you about the mood and the feelings of another cat that cat doesn't look friendly uh oh when I see eyes like that I know the cat is angry and when I see ears do that I suspect that cat is ready to fight laughs well Wonder cat wondering why cats have whiskers has helped you find out a lot more about your senses and what they're used for and about what are Hunters call predators and about predators and prey and I have a lot more to wonder about but not just now foreign [Music]