Research overview: non-mystacial vibrissae on the legs, brows, and chin

Cats have whiskers beyond the muzzle, and this overview reviews these often-overlooked vibrissae and their roles. Carpal whiskers on the back of the forelegs may help detect and orient struggling prey held in the paws, while whiskers above the eyes trigger protective blinking and others on the chin and cheeks add tactile coverage. Together they extend the cat sense of touch across the front of the body. Researchers describe their distribution, innervation, and probable functions. Why it matters: the full vibrissal system is more extensive than the famous muzzle whiskers alone, and the leg and brow vibrissae in particular tie touch to prey handling and eye protection, rounding out the picture of cats as animals that sense their immediate world richly through specialised hairs as well as through eyes and ears.