Do cats shed them?
Fur shedding is a normal process by which cats and other animals replenish their hairs or fur. Similarly, it is normal for whiskers, tactile hairs or vibrissae to fall or shed off too.
All hair including vibrissae undergoes through growth, dormancy and the shedding phase. When they shed off, it may go unnoticed since it does not happen all at once but only a few will fall off at a time, typically one or two and this is unlikely to affect their normal functions.
Therefore, it is not easy to say how often these pets lose their whiskers since they can fall off unnoticed.
However, excessive shedding could be an indicator of an underlying health problem. We have details on why your cat may be losing whiskers on a different discussion. We will be focusing on whether they will grow back or not.
Will they grow back?
Yes. Cats’ and kittens’ whiskers regrow if trimmed, cut or plucked unless there is an underlying health condition that is still present which made them fall off.
Skin allergies, mange due to parasitic infestation, fungal infections such as ringworms, overgrooming, hormonal imbalances among other factors may cause not only whiskers but also other hairs to fall off. Such conditions may affect normal regrowth unless they are managed.
Otherwise, if you trimmed them or some are naturally shed or they are broken or plucked accidentally, they will regrow after some time just like any other hairs they have.
However, if during the plucking their hair follicle gets damaged, you do not expect such sprout again. They will not.
How fast will they regrow?
On how fast cat whiskers grow, you must be a little patient since it can take about 2-3 months before they fully grow after trimming them. Some people have reported shorter times of about six weeks while others a longer time.
There are many factors that affect their growth rate including diet, health issues, hormones, breeds, among other factors.
Conclusion
Whereas they will grow back, whiskers have many functions in cats, and you are not supposed to trim them.