Cats come in all shapes and sizes.

Some are small and live in our homes, and others are large and live in the jungle.

But there's one thing they all have in common.

Whiskers.

And not just for show.

Those bristly hairs have an important job.

Why do cats have whiskers?

When I think of a cat's whiskers, I'm usually picturing the ones right here.

But cats have whiskers in other places too.

Above the eyes, on the chin, on the forelegs, near the ears, and above the upper lip.

That's a lot of whiskers.

Whiskers are thicker, stiffer, and longer than most of a cat's fur, and they're more deeply embedded.

Around the root of each whisker are nerve endings that can send a signal from the tip of the whisker right to a cat's brain.

Whiskers help a cat sense its surroundings.

They can sense not only the slightest touch, like a speck of dust landing near an eyelid, but even differences in air currents and air pressure.

So a cat doesn't have to be touching a piece of furniture or its favorite prey to know it's there.

That's especially helpful at night when many wild cats like to hunt for their food.

Whiskers help them essentially see in the dark.

Most house cats have 12 whiskers on each cheek, for a total of 24.

Lions have 4 or 5 rows of whiskers on each side of their face, and the top row has a different pattern.

So researchers can use their whiskers like fingerprints to tell each lion apart.

One more cool fact about these special hairs.

Cat's whiskers have special sensory organs called proprioceptor that help a cat stay balanced.

Who knew whiskers were part of the secret to why cats always land on their feet?

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