Mine have fewer whiskers...
Only 4 or 7 on each side.
If a cat is chasing a mouse and the mouse runs into an old rabbit burrow then the cat will stick its head and whiskers into the burrow and if its whiskers get bent then it knows it can't fit in..
You see the cats body is the same fatness as its whiskers so if the cat gets thinner its whiskers will get shorter.
Thick whiskers mean a strong and healthy cat thin whiskers are a sign of weakness... So thats al from me..
Catz.