Research overview: whiskers and sensory guidance of prey capture

A cat's facial whiskers, or vibrissae, are mobile tactile sensors that play a crucial role in the final moments of prey capture, when vision is too close to focus. This overview surveys research showing that cats sweep their whiskers forward around captured prey to detect its position and orientation, guiding the precise placement of the killing bite between the vertebrae. It discusses the dense innervation of the whisker follicles and the consequences of whisker loss for capture accuracy. The topic illustrates how a non-visual sensory system is integrated into the predatory motor program to convert a successful grab into an efficient kill.