When most people think of cat whiskers they think about the long hair around the cats' muzzle.  In actuality whiskers are found in many places on the cats' body.  They are found in the eyebrows, on the chin, the cheeks and in an area behind the forelegs above the paws. 

Whisker hair is two to three times thicker than normal hair and it tapers to a fine flexible tip.  Whiskers emerge from nerve bundles directly connected to the superhighway leading to the brain, allowing the hair to be extremely sensitive to temperature change, air movement, and vibration as they transmit immediate information about the cats' environment.  

Whiskers serve as delicate sense organs of touch; as the cat moves about its daily activity the whiskers are constantly flexing and moving to detect subtle changes in air movement, vibration or temperature change.  This allows the cat to target potential prey and to even stay out of harms way as solid objects such as furniture or appliances create delicate disturbances in the surrounding air that the felines' whiskers detect.  The cat can easily maneuver over and around these objects even in near darkness.

There are 24 whiskers located around the cats' muzzle, 12 on each side, positioned in four rows.  The cat is able to pivot the whiskers hairs at the skin's surface in the top and bottom rows independently of each other, to take full advantage of their sensitivity.  These particular whiskers are helpful in navigation as they help the cat judge distance, sense the direction vibration is coming from, and even help the cat determine the best bite point on captured prey.

The whiskers located behind the forelegs above the paws collect information about captured prey.  Through these sensitive hairs the cat is able to determine the size of its prey, the shape and position it is in, the preys position in relationship to itself, and whether or not the prey is still alive and possibly if it is getting ready to bit or struggle for freedom.

Your cats' whiskers and their position also give you a lot of information about the mood your cat is in.  You want to see your cats' whiskers extending straight out from its cheeks and not tensed or bunched together.  This indicates the cat is calm and content and doesn't  feel a need to be sensing its environment.  Whiskers that are bunched together and lying flat against the cats' cheek indicate that they may feel angry or vulnerable.  This position is an indication that the cat may be getting ready to fight or flee.  To alert the owner whiskers pulled back close to the face may also be an indication that your cat is ill - so if you see this, be particularly observant.  This is a common position for the whiskers when a cat is eating or greeting another cat.  Whenever the whiskers are stiff, fanned out and pointing forward it indicates your cat is on full alert and ready for action.  This is a common position when your cat is hunting, playing and sometimes just walking.

If you notice your cats' whiskers twitching during a nap it's a pretty good indication that your cat has entered into the deepest kind of sleep.  This is usually accompanied by rapid eye movement and it's a good bet your cat is dreaming at this time.

Whiskers are extremely important sense organs to your cat.  You should never cut your cats' whiskers as the cat could become disoriented and they may lose their ability to sense and interpret stimuli in the environment, some of which could be harmful to your cat.