Is it possible to cut a cat's whiskers: what will happen if you cut them off, will they grow back?

November 7, 2022 |

Furry pets often live in families with small children. Cats usually take care of babies and sometimes make real “nannies.” Trusting the child as an adult owner, purrs sometimes suffer from childish curiosity.

For example, a young researcher can try to find out what happens if a cat's whiskers are cut off? This is a risky undertaking - both for the experimental animal and for the baby. But the situation is quite common. Can a cat's whiskers be trimmed? Do cats grow new whiskers? Zoologists have an answer to this question.

Why does a cat need mustaches and eyebrows?

Why does a cat need whiskers? They are an important organ of touch. Many animals that feed on their mother's milk have similar adaptations.

The hardest and longest whiskers of a cat help the animal navigate in space. These hairs are located on the cheeks, on both sides of the nose, above the eyes, on the chin and tail.

Such whiskers perform an important function due to the fact that there are sensitive endings at the tip of each whisker. The function of the whiskers is to transmit information about the surrounding world to the pet’s brain. This is how the cat knows when an obstacle or prey appears in its path.

What are whiskers called on cats?

Cat's whiskers also have another name that is not known to everyone. Scientifically, they are called vibrissae. Cats touch different objects with them to determine their size. For example, before climbing into a hole, a cat checks with whiskers whether it is of sufficient size.

Do hairless cats have whiskers?

The pet may not have them at all. Due to the nature of the breed, hairless cats may have broken whiskers, curled or not have them at all.

Sometimes the absence of vibrissae occurs in furry representatives of the cat family. This is due not only to the breed, but also to a kind of mutation.

Whiskers on a cat's paws and nose

As already mentioned, the whiskers of cats are located not only on the face, but also on the paws and tail. How many whiskers a cat has along the body depends on the breed and the specific representative.

The longest hairs on the nose reach seven centimeters. The Book of Records has registered a Maine Coon cat in Finland with whiskers nineteen centimeters long. Another Russian cat had a slightly shorter whisker length - only 13.5 centimeters.

The whiskers on the paws and tail are not so long; they can be distinguished by their greater rigidity. The number of rows of a cat's whiskers determines how well they navigate the world around them.

What are cat whiskers - vibrissae?

In addition to the familiar sense organs, such as eyes and ears, the cat also has specific organs - whiskers, called whiskers by zoologists. They are long, dense hairs located at the base of the animal's nose.

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At the same time, the whisker follicles themselves are surrounded by muscle tissue with many nerve endings, which allows the pet to move them, which greatly simplifies the collection of information from the surrounding world. The developed nervous tissue surrounding the whiskers makes it possible to most accurately and clearly transmit impulses to the brain, thanks to which the cat can use their functions to the fullest.

A cat's whiskers can not only be cut off, but also fall out and break. At the same time, they almost always grow back stronger and more renewed. The mustache will not grow back only if its follicles have been damaged. Basically, it takes about a month to restore the vibrissae.

Why does a kitten's whiskers break?

If a pet's whiskers, especially small ones, break off, this can cause anxiety for the owners. The reasons for this phenomenon may be different:

• a cat's whiskers break during adolescence;
• when the balance of minerals in the body is disturbed;
• the reason may be the presence of worms or fungal infections in the pet’s body;
• damage to the vibrissae during play;
• Sometimes the antennae of small kittens are broken by mother cats to prove their authority to the kittens.

The reason could also be that the kitten is too curious - it came too close to the fire or met another animal.

Adult cats and male cats also often lose their whiskers; this may be due to the following factors:

1. An allergic reaction to an external or internal irritant.
2. A cat loses whiskers if the air in the room is too dry.
3. Vibrissae can break due to hormonal imbalance or improper functioning of the thyroid gland. In this case, the cat may be left without a whisker altogether.
4. A cat's whiskers split if it eats the wrong or unbalanced food.
5. Domestic cats lose their whiskers due to kidney problems and dehydration.

What to do to stop vibrissae loss

First of all, if your cat's whiskers are falling out, you should take him to the vet for an examination. The doctor will examine the pet and, if necessary, prescribe appropriate tests. Only after the reason why the cat’s whiskers break is determined, treatment is prescribed.

As a rule, in case of hair loss, the animal is prescribed anti-parasitic drugs, anti-allergenic drugs, antibiotics, and vitamins. You will also need to normalize the pet’s living conditions, change the cat’s diet, and, if necessary, increase the air humidity in the house.

If you cut off a cat's whiskers, how will its behavior change?

Is it possible to drive to an unfamiliar area without a navigator? Trimming a cat's whiskers means depriving him of the ability to fearlessly run and jump at any time of the day. The beast will lose an extremely important tool that allows him to feel complete. The animal's behavior may become somewhat strange. This is reflected in the inability to use some skills to their fullest potential.

1. Partial disorientation can lead to injury to a cat if it wanders around the house at night. It’s worse if the mug is allowed to walk – more dangerous situations will arise on the street.
2. The pet may incorrectly calculate the distance between objects and not jump to the final destination.
3. It is possible for an animal to get stuck in a sofa and other objects due to the inability to accurately match the size of the hole and its dimensions.
4. Behavioral changes are observed when the animal has a hard time with the loss of its whiskers: fearfulness, inadequacy, loss of interest in active games with its owners, lack of reaction to its name due to reluctance to communicate.

To prevent such a situation from happening, have a conversation with your child in advance on the topic: “Is it possible to trim a cat’s whiskers?”

Why do cats' whiskers turn black or white?

The color of the whiskers directly depends on the color of the animal itself. They can be white, black, red or several colors at the same time. Usually a black cat has black whiskers, but sometimes white whiskers are normal. In some breeds they turn black over time.

If a cat with a white mustache has acquired a black color, this phenomenon also does not mean anything terrible, just a normal change in hair pigmentation. You should be wary if the color, on the contrary, changes to white. Sometimes this can be a symptom of a disease. Therefore, even with a slight deviation, it is worth consulting with a veterinarian.

Does a mustache grow?

Animals can lose their whiskers for a variety of reasons. For example, an animal can very easily damage its whiskers when approaching a heat source or break them in a fight with another animal.

Also, since it's actually hair, it's completely normal for your mustache to fall out on its own from time to time. However, they are usually replaced gradually so that the animal does not lose all of its whiskers overnight.

Most mammals' whiskers grow back, and although it takes some time, the whiskers will eventually return.

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What can be done about this problem?

What should you do if your cat’s whiskers begin to fall out and break? The universal answer is this: the first and most important thing an owner can do for their pet is to calm down, pick up the animal and take it to the veterinarian. Under no circumstances should you try to cure this problem yourself, because most often mustache loss is a symptom, not a disease . In general, no special actions can be taken in this case - you should not comb your mustache or lubricate it with any oil, you just need to find the cause of this problem and eliminate it.

Help for a cat that has lost its whiskers

Any problems associated with a cat's whiskers are not only caused by harmless reasons. They often indicate the development of a serious illness in a cat.

Prevention of antennae loss consists of a small list of measures, which include:

1. Air humidification in the apartment. Excessively dry air negatively affects the health of the cat.
2. Proper feeding of a mustachioed pet. Regular intake of essential nutrients into the cat’s body maintains and strengthens its health and, accordingly, the condition of its whiskers. It is also important to change your pet's water daily. A drinking bowl should be freely available.
3. Timely treatment against ectoparasites and helminths.
4. Vaccination on time.
5. Refusal to self-medicate kitty.

In a word, if a cat lives in comfortable conditions and receives adequate nutrition, he will not face problems with whiskers. But if your cat continues to lose its whiskers, and their general condition has noticeably worsened, you should consult a veterinarian as soon as possible. This is a clear symptom that indicates a problem in the cat’s body. An experienced veterinarian will definitely send the animal for tests and prescribe a specific course of treatment. Treatment will be aimed at eliminating the disease that leads to the loss of antennae in the pussycat.

On the part of the owner, strict adherence to the veterinarian’s instructions, implementation of prescribed recommendations and therapeutic procedures is required. As a rule, the cat is sent home for treatment. But in severe cases, hospital stay is required. If you follow your doctor's instructions, the effect of treatment will come very quickly.

How to spend less gasoline by planning your route correctly?

Often, from year to year, motorists persistently follow the established habit and drive from home to work or to other objects strictly along the same route, not realizing that they can choose a different route that will be less congested with vehicles, on which there will be fewer traffic lights and , after all, which will be shorter in distance. Choosing the optimal route among the possible ones will save gasoline. A navigator or a special program installed on your phone (2GIS, Google Maps or some other) will help you solve the problem of choosing the optimal route. You can also find out which road there is a traffic jam on at the moment, so as not to burn fuel in vain trying to drive along it, from other drivers, for example, by using a car radio.

What do whiskers say about your cat's mood?

If you observe your cat closely, you may have noticed that she can move her whiskers, unlike other hairs on her body. This is because the whiskers are deeply rooted in the skin and connected to the muscles.

A cat's whiskers can give you an idea of ​​your cat's emotions at a certain moment. If their whiskers are pushed forward, it indicates that they are curious. If they are being held harshly in the face, it usually means they feel threatened. A relaxed mustache is a sign of happiness and contentment.

Diseases that can cause mustache breakage

Another reason why a cat may lose its whiskers is improper nutrition and drinking. If your pet doesn’t want to drink or, on the contrary, starts going to its water bowl too often, then this is a reason to be wary and consult a doctor. A broken mustache in this case will not be a cause, but rather a symptom of some disease. It's the same with nutrition. With an unbalanced diet, the mustache loses its elasticity and can break at the first unsuccessful fall or jump. Moreover, nutritional imbalance can be revealed in different cases :

• Industrial products . Foods, although labeled as “vitamins and minerals,” may often be made from products that are not beneficial for cats. This is especially true for economy class products. There may also be intolerance to any component. But industrial feed poses the greatest danger due to the abundance of chemical additives, dyes and salts. All this can cause enormous harm to a cat’s body.
• Natural products . Here, the reasons for the most part may be hidden in surrogate products - it is not always known what the meat or skin of the poultry was processed with, what the cottage cheese was made from, or what chemicals were mixed into the milk. The cat's body is very sensitive to such components, so it is quite possible that this is the reason why the kitten has brittle whiskers.