Whiskers are vital to your cat's awareness and contribute largely to helping them understand the world around them. 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.
Cutting whiskers is not only painful, but can decrease a cat's spatial awareness. This can cause them to knock into things, become disorientated, less able to protect themselves from danger and less agile. So, put the scissors away and let your cat's whiskers grow wild!
Why Can Cats' Whiskers Be So Long? Cats' long whiskers are the result of their natural development. Usually, this part has the same size as a cat's body width, which plays a vital role in their ability and well-being. If you've realized that your cat's whiskers grow a bit longer every day, it's fine.
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.
' 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 a whisker gets broken, it will ultimately be shed and replaced. You should never cut off a cat's Whiskers. They help a cat sense their surroundings. If whiskers are cut, they will grow back.
They serve an important function. Whiskers are specifically tuned sensory equipment that guide a cat through daily functions. These specialized hairs aid vision and help a cat navigate his environment, providing additional sensory input, much like antennae on insects.
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. The same applies to the areas around his nose and muzzle.
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.
So what is it about scent-gland areas that cause cats to enjoy being petted there? When you rub these spots (like the cheeks behind the whiskers, pictured here), the glands release your cat's scent onto you. Cat experts call this "scent marking."
Whiskers Don't Need Trimming!
Like other hairs on a cat's body, whiskers shed. That's normal. But you should never trim them. A cat with cut whiskers will become disoriented and scared.
Whisker Size Corresponds to the Size of the Cat
A cat's whiskers are proportionate to the width of its body (hair included); it uses them to know whether or not it can fit through narrow spaces. In general, the chubbier or fluffier a cat is, the longer its whiskers.
An individual whisker will fall out every couple of months, and each whisker will be in a different phase of the shedding cycle at any given time. Whisker shedding in felines is healthy and normal, with some lore even suggesting that finding a cat whisker is good luck!
Cats are fastidious animals that spend a great deal of their day grooming themselves. Wet fur is extremely uncomfortable for a cat and often takes a long time to dry. Wet fur is also heavier than dry and thus makes a cat less nimble and easier for predators to catch.
You should only trim your cat's nails if they are too long, not because they are sharp. It's best to speak to your vet if you're unsure. If your vet has advised you to cut your cat's claws, you need to do so slowly and carefully.
The Primary Cause of Whisker Fatigue
Some cats will become uncomfortable with the sensation of their whiskers repeatedly contacting the sides of the bowls. This constant stimulation of their whiskers can cause cats to become stressed.
Dog groomers will sometimes trim the whiskers on dogs that are used in conformation dog shows. This is usually done to either conform with a breed standard or give the dog the desired look for their breed.
While whiskers can be cut and trimmed without causing any pain for your pooch, pulling, twisting or plucking them will definitely cause your dog grief. Of course, the way a dog reacts to this pain will vary depending on the animal involved and the level of discomfort.
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.
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. However, do not do this. Learn more about how to groom a dog properly.
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. (Ever accidentally yank out your nose hair? Ouch!)
Thankfully, whisker stress is easy to avoid by offering shallow bowls or plates that are wide enough so the cat's whiskers don't touch the sides. Cat-friendly designers are catching on and you can now find a wide variety of shallow bowls. Look for ceramic, metal or glass dishes.
Licking is not only a grooming mechanism but also a way cats show that they love you. Your cat is creating a social bond by licking you, other cats, or pets. This sign of affection may stem from kittenhood when your cat's mother licked them to groom them and show care and affection.
They're trying to bond with you.
In cat's world, cuddle time is productive bonding time. Your kitty needs you for food, warmth, and shelter, and sometimes all they want is show you how much they love and appreciate you.
Kneading to mark territory — Cats are strongly driven by scent-related communication, relying on scent markers to claim territory and leave other cats a message. Your cat has scent glands in her paws, and scratching and kneading deposits her scent, letting other animals know she was there.