Page 8 - Kind News, May/June 2023

CURIOSITY CORNER

What do

WHISKERS do?

Have you ever wondered about whiskers? Animals
use whiskers to help them sense what is around them.
Whiskers can help an animal, like a cat, hunt better at
night by letting them know what is moving in front of
them. Take a cat and mouse, for example: The
mouse’s movement makes the air move. The cat can
feel it in their whiskers. Whiskers help a cat move
toward the mouse, even if it is dark out.
A cat’s whiskers can also tell you how they’re
feeling. If their whiskers are rigid, or stiff, and pulled
around their face, this may mean that the cat feels
threatened. If their whiskers are relaxed, the cat may THIS PAGE: LARISIKSTEFANIA/BIGSTOCKPHOTO.COM. COVER: GRAY PHOTOGRAPHYBIGSTOCKPHOTO.COM.
be feeling happy.
Most cats have 12 whiskers on each cheek. Dogs can
have different amounts of whiskers and they can be
found above their eyes, under their nose, on their chin,
and on both sides of their mouth. Next time you see an
animal, try to spot if they have whiskers. Notice where
the whiskers are located and how that location might
help them sense the world around them. Ask yourself:
What do you think it would be like to have whiskers?

KIND QUESTIONS
Now that you've read Kind News, challenge yourself with these questions.
1. In “What Climate Change Means for Wildlife,” Susan 2. After reading Curiosity Corner, “What Do Whiskers
Spikol discusses the impact of climate change on wildlife in Do?,” were you surprised to learn the important things
New Hampshire. Have you seen the effects of unusual that whiskers do? Why or why not? How else do you
weather (very hot or cold temperatures or flooding) on think animals sense what is going on in their world? Do
people or animals in your area? If so, what have you seen? you think this is similar to or different from how humans
What do you think you and your family can do to work sense things? Why or why not?
against climate change?

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