Do cats shed whiskers?
Cats and kittens lose their whiskers or vibrissae. Like any other hair, they go through the growth and dormancy stages before they shed off.
However, you should not cut them at all even if they appear unruly or curly. You should not even try to curl them or modify them in any way. Any unruly whiskers will naturally be replaced when they are shed off.
Whereas normal shedding may lead to some missing vibrissae, it does not occur to all of them at the same time. Typically, only a few will be missing (one or two) and it is not even easy to notice that they are missing in the first place.
However, if most of your cat’s whiskers are falling off, this is not the normal shedding, there must be something wrong with your kitty that should be addressed immediately.
Why you should not cut or trim cat whiskers?
Whiskers are connected to the nervous and muscular system making them very sensitive. They help in feeling and sensing. If they are brushed by anything, they can detect its proximity, texture, and size even when they cannot see that object.
Furthermore, they can detect even slight movements including those of air. This helps them detect their predator or danger or pursue their prey. Furthermore, they help them detect the girth of openings and communicate their mood.
Therefore, here are some of the things that may happen if you cut a cat’s whiskers or to cat without whiskers:
- Owing to their sensing and feeling roles, cutting them off will increase the chances of injuries and trauma. Your cats will not be able to detect proximity (distance), approaching predators, where their preys have gone, and they may be stuck in openings since they won’t know if they can go through them.
- Secondly, these pets will feel insecure and disoriented since they help them detect their environment.
- Finally, since they help express their mood, you will not be able to know when your fluffy friend is scared, startled, excited, angry and so on since they form part of their body language for display such emotions.
If you accidentally cut them, do not be worried. All though they will take time, they grow back just like any other body hair.
Will they lose balance?
No. vibrissae or tactile hairs do not help in keeping balance in cats. Therefore, it is untrue to claim that clipping or trimming them will lead to balance loss.
These animals maintain their balance in their inner ear while whiskers work as sensory organs.
Does it hurt a cat to cut its whiskers?
It does not hurt to cut or trim them. They do not have nerves just like other hairs. However, plucking them will be very painful since their hair follicles have a lot of nerves.
Always try to protect them
Being touch sensors with “40% of the brain’s sensory area aligns with parts of the body that have whiskers”, as VCA Hospitals notes, they must be protected.
Therefore, avoid brushing them roughly or when petting your feline friend, be gentle, avoid plucking or pulling them very hard as it is very painful to do so.
What about whisker stress?
If they constantly touch a surface including their feeding and watering bowls, they may become sensitive resulting in some form of stress. In such a case, use wide flat feeding bowls to reduce vibrissae stress
Conclusion
You should not trim, cut off or pluck your cat’s whiskers while grooming this pet. It is not ok. Do not even brush them vigorously or try to straighten or curl them. Let them be shed off naturally.
While I don’t endorse whisker trimming, it’s not fair to call “Wade” anything negative. After all, he’s helping the cat to have a harmonious relationship with him. Without that help, their relationship would be strained, which would not be good for either of them.
On a side note, the idea of cutting whiskers to an inch in length seems a tad bizarre. Besides the fact that it reduces the usefulness of the whiskers to the cat, the appearance of cat “stubble” just seems like it would be weird…especially since the whiskers would have blunt tips, as a result (they’re wider towards the base).
I almost never trimmed my cat’s whiskers. But once in a while, one of my cat’s whiskers would curl up into his eye, which seemed to bother him. Cutting it short (not plucking or shaving) seemed to bring him temporary relief (until it grew back). I would never do it for any other reason, except for medical or the cat’s comfort.
Ok..I have a munchkin cat who has an abscess. I was trying to clean it up and shave the hair around it…and you can guess..I shaved his whiskers on one side;-(. I feel so bad. I know he will be ok, but how long will it take for his whiskers to grow back?
It’s a well known fact that cats use their whiskers to gage whether they can safely fit through an opening,door, tight space etc. They are thinner and softer at the tips, and grow thicker towards the roots.They NEED their whiskers people! They have a function!
I wouldnt do that either, My cats are my babies.
Does it hurt if trim or cut a cats whisker?????
Short & the long answer is the hole whisker is all nerves which are highly sensitive.
I accidentally trimmed one by mucking around, my cat was a bad mood cat.
She cranky time to time.
She lucky did not scratch or bite, but meowed & groaned at me to say it hurt & she was not happy. It was less than inch snipped.
It upset her hole sensory;, feeling, balance, etc.
Not advisable to trim or cut them. Unless a vet has to for a reason.
I trim my cats whiskers because he likes to cuddle with me during bedtime. He likes to nuzzle and bunt. This sign of affection does not bother me except his whiskers going up my nose, needless to say it not only drives me crazy but cost me sleep. He is an indoor cat and is extremely affectionate towards me. It would be safe to say that he owns me. I haven’t noticed any side effects of the whisker trim, I use a battery powered beard grooming device. I leave him with about an inch of whiskers when done and only takes seconds.
Above is an entire article explaining why you shouldn’t modify, trim, pluck, or play with your cat’s whiskers written by a pet care specialist. Yet Wade seems to think that none of this advice applies to his own cat; even an indoor cat needs to navigate a home, from jumping and climbing to walking through doorways.
I have two cats: one is fully blind and the other is half-blind. The fully blind one walks and jumps around the apartment as if he can see, which goes to show that his whiskers are impressive sensory tools. The half-blind cat is much more nimble and active; he loves to climb and jump. I can see how much he uses his whiskers when he’s playing. I can’t imagine taking them away.
And yeah, I get whiskers in my nose. And in my ears and mouth. It’s worth it.
Yeah, but Wade hasn’t noticed any side effects. Who cares what the cat notices?
It’s a well known fact that cats use their whiskers to gage whether they can safely fit through an opening,door, tight space etc. They are thinner and softer at the tips, and grow thicker towards the roots.They NEED their whiskers people! They have a function!
Wade, you’re a dick.