I totaly agree with you as soe may know Oscar was abused as a kitten and had cigarette burns on his body broken bones etc etc etc and his whiskers ripped out.....
![Sad](images/smilies/icon_sad.gif)
..however he was less than 8 weeks old when this happened....I got him at 10 weeks ish (estimate) AND he used to bump into everything, not jump nothing not confident at all not only down to his ill treatment but LACK OF WHISKERS....then he grew longer "like guard hairs" that seemed to take the place of his whiskers or the whickers regrew not sure which...but the vet said they wouldn't as torn out by roots....so I always considerd them longer normal hair to compensate...as soon at they became the right length ie just wider than his face off he went and never looked back adventure wise.
So I agree total neccesity to a cat.