Years of observing cats makes one aware of their subtle ways. The whiskers don't tell you much about what you're cat is thinking, but they're interesting nonetheless. I have noticed that a happy or confident cat will push the whisker pads forward, which positions the whiskers more perpendicular to the body.
If scared (or asleep, or eating) they're faired against the cheeks for that streamlined look. Funny how they're integral to the cat "look", and so easy to overlook. This link will tell you all about the whiskers.
I guess everyone's aware that the major use of the whiskers is to determine if a space is too small for their body width. Pity it doesn't tell them if they'll have to reverse out. (Smile.) Imagine if we had that system on our cars telling us that the parking spot is a fraction too small.
Hey, that's not a bad idea! Car-skers!
