' Thankfully, cat whiskers do grow back if they've been cut or naturally fallen off. Phew. However, it can take some time and, as we've discussed above, whiskers are a key part of cat communication so a loss of whiskers can affect how your feline friend navigates their environment and how they feel within themselves.
If you trim a cat's whiskers, it often will become disoriented and have trouble moving around. A lost whisker will eventually grow back, but the cat will miss even one. Cutting the whiskers is akin to lopping off the ends of our fingers.
If you just accidentally cut your cat's whiskers, don't worry too much. No, you won't hurt your cat's whiskers, or vibrissae, if they get accidentally cut. The whisker itself has no nerves or blood vessels but is firmly attached to a hair follicle and sinus, which has nerve innervation.
Vets and experts agree that whiskers should never be trimmed or cut. Clipping your cat's whiskers would be like taking away part of their vision or sense of smell. Doing so would be highly disorienting for your feline family member.
Does It Hurt For A Cat's Whiskers To Fall Out? Fall out, no. It does hurt when they are pulled out or clipped. It's less painful than having hair pulled out, but it's still quite uncomfortable.
These specialized hairs aid vision and help a cat navigate his environment, providing additional sensory input, much like antennae on insects. Although whiskers are called “tactile hairs”, they do not actually feel anything in the way we feel things.
While it's fun to learn about cat whiskers, it's best never to touch them. Whiskers play an essential role in how cats operate in their environment and stay safe and healthy.
So, don't worry if your groomer removes these hairs. Dog breeders commonly remove the whiskers when showing their dogs in dog shows. They believe that removing the unruly hairs is part of regular grooming. The “clean” look gives the dogs an improved profile and avoids distracting the judges.
Some groomers and pet owners are unaware of the importance of whiskers and cut them off for aesthetic reasons. Show dog owners often have their whiskers removed because it is thought to give the head a “cleaner” look.
Some dog groomers snip off vibrissae for aesthetic purposes, but this is not a good idea. It's true that dog whiskers tend to appear sporadically, while cats get whiskers in neat lines, but they serve an important purpose and shouldn't be removed.
Whisker fatigue doesn't exactly mean the whiskers are tired, rather, they've become stressed from overuse. The most common cause of whisker fatigue is something a cat does every day – eating and drinking. Small, high-sided bowls typically used for feeding a cat's food and water are usually to blame for whisker fatigue.
It usually takes around two to three months for whiskers to grow back but this is determined by other factors such as breed, diet, and health issues. Cats who are unwell might not regrow their whiskers until they are healthy again.
They are, in fact, hair
And similar to the rest of your cat's hair, whiskers do fall out on their own and grow back.
What Are Cat Whiskers? Although they look like antennae and have a radar-like function, cat whiskers are highly sensitive hairs made of keratin, a protein also found in their claw sheaths.
In most cases, cats will purr when they are in a relaxed environment, sending out waves of calmness. This may also occur when you stroke them, and if this is the case, your feline friend is feeling happy or sociable. However, cats purr to communicate other emotions and needs, too.
You can use the clippers to trim under his chin and his beard. If at any time you come across whiskers, you have two choices. If your hand is steady enough, you can try to trim the rest of his hair without cutting the whiskers or you can put the clippers down and use shears to trim around them.
In general, animals use whiskers to help them 'see' the world, navigate it and identify features. Humans used to have whiskers too (about 800 000 years ago we lost the DNA for whiskers), but have now largely integrated the function performed by whiskers into their brains, specifically into their somatosensory cortex.
Vibrissae are two times thicker than other hairs on your dog and they reach much deeper under your dog's skin and are rich in nerves and blood vessels. As you might guess, this means that having one of these vibrissae plucked or pulled out can be very painful for your dog and can result in bleeding. Don't do it!
Smell Transfer
Cats recognize each other (and us) by scent. Raising the butt is your cat's way of getting their anal glands closer to your nose so you can get a whiff of their pheromones.
In general, cats prefer to be stroked along their back or scratched under the chin or around the ears. Paws, tails, their underbellies and their whiskers (which are super sensitive) are best avoided.
Cats typically don't like being petted on their tummy, legs/feet, or tail. Of course, there are always outliers—some cats will love every bit of affection, no matter where they're touched or who's doing it. But generally, you shouldn't pet a cat you don't know on their stomach or extremities.
From a young age a cat's mother would not only lick them as a way of grooming them, but also to show affection. Cats then replicate this behaviour with you as a way of showing their own affection – it simply comes naturally. This licking behaviour is not just exclusive between pet and owner.
Kneading to convey comfort — Happy cats appear to knead to show pleasure. Cats often knead while being petted, or when snuggling into a napping spot. Your cat may also knead on your lap to show her love and contentment, and then settle in for a pat or nap. A stressed cat may knead to create a soothing, calm mood.
Most cats react to catnip by rolling, flipping, rubbing, and eventually zoning out. They may meow or growl at the same time. Other cats become hyperactive or downright aggressive, especially if you approach them. Usually these sessions last about 10 minutes, after which your cat loses interest.
The cat's meow is her way of communicating with people. Cats meow for many reasons—to say hello, to ask for things, and to tell us when something's wrong. Meowing is an interesting vocalization in that adult cats don't actually meow at each other, just at people.