SYNDROME OF TIRED TANKLES IN CATS

Cats are unique animals. Their ability to navigate in space, hear the slightest rustle, and control their bodies while jumping is fascinating.

Most people know or guess that whiskers (vibrissae), among other things, play an important role in these skills.

Vibrissae are a special type of stiff, thick hair. In cats they are located on the muzzle, above the eyes, on the paws. They are exposed to the slightest movement of air around the cat, which leads to irritation of the sensitive nerve endings in the hair follicle of such a hair. Therefore, vibrissae, as antennas, help the cat to find out how close he is to an obstacle, whether someone is moving near him. The information a cat gets from its vibrissae helps it figure out even the shape of its prey's body and choose the best place to bite.

The structure of vibrissae is similar to that of normal hair. The hair follicle of the vibrissae has special cavernous sinuses, which can fill with blood or empty depending on the contraction of the hair-lifting muscle and depending on the external action on the hair. The targeted filling of these sinuses with blood helps the animal move the whiskers.

The whiskers are also used by cats to communicate. They are directed: forward during friendly contact or fan during exploration of an object, backward during agonistic behavior 

The position of the whiskers is taken into account by veterinarians when assessing the intensity of acute pain in cats. There are even mobile apps specifically designed for this purpose.

The vibrissae are particularly sensitive: on the one hand, the swelling of the venous sinuses transmits vibrations or deformations of the vibrissae to the nerve fibers; on the other hand, the muscle fibers can move the whiskers to allow better exploration of the environment. The connections of the vibrissae to the nervous system are extremely complex (For example, the neural connections of the vibrissae look like this - Fig.). This is what allows cats to get a huge amount of information about their environment with their help.

However, this high sensitivity has a negative side. Excessively frequent and strong stimuli, which register vibrissae, may lead to appearance of foci of pathological excitation in brain areas, which receive information from antennae. A consequence of this may be the unpleasant feelings of the cat when touching the antennae, up to the refusal to feed.

Some "cat moms and catatas" have noted that the cat only eats food from the center of the bowl, or refuses to eat if the bowl is not filled to the brim. It is believed that the reason for this may lie precisely in the avoidance of touching the vibrium to the wall of the bowl. Such behavioral changes in cats have even got a special name - "tired whiskers syndrome".

Fatigue is a temporary reduction in the performance of the body or organ due to intensive or prolonged work.

Tired antennae syndrome is called excessive stimulation of the sensitive vibrissae system. Its most common symptoms are:

Refusal to eat and drink from a familiar bowl
The cat walks around the bowl and meows as if something is wrong
The cat tries to get food or water out of the bowl with his paw
The cat becomes aggressive around food or treats if they are offered without a bowl.
So how can you help your cat in this situation? It is advisable to use wide, shallow bowls for food and water, and to avoid careless touching of the whiskers. Manufacturers of modern pet care products are already aware of such cat peculiarities and offer bowls of appropriate shape and size, as well as special mats for licking food from them. Puzzle feeders (puzzle feeders) can also be a good alternative.

However, if you have considered all of the cat's utensil requirements and food whims, and the cat is still behaving at the bowl differently than usual, consult your veterinarian. There are many diseases that can have similar symptoms.