You may have noticed that your cat has lost some of their whiskers and wondered, do cat whiskers grow back?
The simple answer is Yes, whiskers will grow back. Your cat’s whiskers are like their hair, which means they can fall out and be replaced by new others. This is a normal and natural process that does not harm your cat, but it may take some time to grow back.
However, if you still consider the reason why they fall off and how long it takes to grow back? Well, in this article we will explore more related to your question as well as why you should never pluck or clip your whiskers.
Have you ever tried giving your cats some marshmallows or pancakes to eat?
Do Cat Whiskers Grow Back? – Purpose of Cat Whiskers
Yes, they do. Whiskers do have similarities with animal fur or human hair, it is will grow back as normal and naturally. However, it can take some time to grow back, depending on the breed and your cat’s health condition.
Cat whiskers are important for your cat’s navigation and senses; they are also known as sensory hairs, tactile hairs, or vibrissae.
Cat whiskers help your cat measure the size of openings, detect changes in air currents, hunt for prey, and express their emotions.
Kittens also have whiskers even at the time of birth. These are the whiskers through which they start to sense the surrounding world. Apart from only losing whiskers cats also lick themselves or their owners to keep them clean.
In case if kitten starts to roam away from the mess and tries to get far away, the mother cat bites the kitten’s whiskers to guide him or her about the surrounding range in which he can move. This is how a mother cat keeps her kittens safe at home.
The cat whiskers are not only around the mouth, such hair endings sprout from the eyebrows, face, and backsides of legs too. Cats’ whiskers have different-sized hair. These do help them to sense in all three dimensions.
That is why cats get squeezed off even from the space that looks tight enough to pass through.
The super whisker tool can also sense the changing air currents. This kind of sense aids the cats in searching out the right way in the darkness. Whiskers also let them be alert of the smallest movement of any prey at all times.
How Cats Show Their Mood?
Cats show their expression or mood by their ears and tails. Just like this, a cat’s whiskers can also do this same function. Such naturally fantastic whiskers move according to different situations as a response. These hair having muscles make them move in this way.
If your cat’s whiskers are relaxed, this means he or she is comfortable and happy. If the cat’s whiskers are at a forward angle, this shows that your cat is angry or curious about something. When the cat becomes scared, his whiskers also stick back against the face.
All such functions are performed due to the deep connection of whiskers to the muscular and nervous systems of cats.
Thus, cats’ whiskers serve them ample information. Sometimes cats suffer from whisker fatigue. According to professional vets, cats feel tiredness or overstimulation in this case.
No doubt whiskers are small hairs or like hairs but they are completely different from animal fur or human hairs.
5 Reasons Why Cat Whiskers Fall Off?
There are various reasons behind the falling whiskers of cats. This natural process that dead skin cells and hairs shed away. In the same way, whiskers fall out. Thus, many cat owners ask “DO cat whiskers grow back?”. Just like hairs, whiskers can also grow back.
Just like hair, whiskers also lose due to some unease or stressful condition. If you buy a new family member for your cat or shift to a new home, this may cause anxiety problems in your cats and whiskers will fall off as a result.
If the cat’s whiskers fall out moderately then there is nothing to be worried about. But if a lot of whiskers are lost within a short time, then it could be following alarming conditions. You must contact an experienced vet in this case.
Unnecessary whisker shedding is not a usual thing. There would be many reasons behind this. Following are some possible causes of whisker falling.
Catfight Causes Whiskers Fall Out:
A simple catfight can turn horrible. This happens mostly in mating season. If you are owning a tomcat, then be prepared for such nasty fights. During such brawls, if the opposite cat scratches the face, your cat’s whiskers are expected to fall off.
Do not allow the strange cats to enter your backyard and protect your pets by using cat deterrents in the compound. Thus, the eccentric cats will stay away from prowling into your yard.
One more way is to keep your feline friend at your home to protect you from such fighting troubles.
Health Concerns Causing Whisker Loss:
if your cat is suffering from a very significant hair loss along with whiskers, this condition is known as alopecia. In this disease, cats’ fur is also losses along with whiskers.
The growth of fur and whiskers also get affected in this case. This form of hair loss also results from skin irritation caused by some bacterial infections. Sometimes tick invasions also cause skin problems that result in whiskers and fur loss.
Whisker Loss Due to Allergies:
Cats also allergic to different items like us. Such allergies are most often revealed through skin irritations. Cats can be allergic to some shampoos, pollen, parasites, and food. When you understand the reason for this allergic reaction do not expose your cat to that item or substance.
Indications of an allergic reaction include itchy skin that turns red, any outbreak appears on cats’ faces, and whiskers that may also fall off suddenly. Your cat will start to lick and rub that affected area due to skin itching.
In this scenario, only the professional vet can help you to diagnose the exact cause of this allergy and can suggest the current treatment.
Cats are known well for hiding their illness, so, this is hard to find that your cat is having an allergic reaction. They may satisfy the itching in your absence. Thus, you must watch out for the cat’s behavior to notice if he or she is suffering from any discomforts.
Clip or Damage Whiskers:
Do cat whiskers grow back after clipping them? Well, yes, whiskers will grow back but you should not manipulate or clip them anyway. As it is already mentioned that how deeply the cat whiskers are connected to the nervous system.
Clipping the whiskers will badly affect the navigational capabilities of cats. This is just like if the humans get lost in the sense of direction and touch.
After clipping, the whisker’s functions will be lost navigational and sensory abilities will be compromised and balance will also be impacted adversely. The skill to sense and clasp the prey may be at stake due to whisker clipping.
This may distress the cat’s movement and make them feel scared due to having a new sensation after losing whiskers.
Furthermore, your cat may suffer from physical and emotional damage.
Playing Hard:
Your cat may be very active and naughty at the same time. This may excite your cat to play very hard or fast. This will result in losing the whiskers. Sometimes, your cat is roaming around the candle and suddenly the fur or whiskers catch a bit of fire.
This can be a disaster. So, keep an eye out if you have burning candles near you and your cat.
Take notice of the way of walking off your cat if too many whiskers are lost at once. This may be due to the wear and tear of hair. So, make sure the room lights are on and keep your cat away from passing too small places to avoid the whisker shedding.
How Long Whiskers Takes to Grow Back?
Your cat’s whiskers are unique to them, and they may vary in length depending on their breed. This means that the time it takes for their whiskers to grow back may also differ
The cat breed like Maine Coons is very large so, they have longer whiskers too. The Maine Coons have set up the world record of cat’s longest whiskers about seven plus half inches in length. While the other small cats have much longer whiskers and have less hair as well.
In generally, for a healthy cat might take about three months to grow back up to its original length, but in some conditions, the whiskers take a longer period to regrow or may never grow in severe cases.
If your cat’s whiskers are not growing back after 2 or 3 months then there must be any of the following reasons.
Your cats might have a dermatitis problem which is a skin allergy, alopecia. In this case, they might be hair loss, bacterial infection, fungal infections such as ringworms, mite infestation, or feline acne.
Therefore, if you notice any signs above, it is important to consult with your vet immediately.
Does Your Cat Feel Pain When You Cut Their Whiskers?
No, cats do not pain when you cut their whiskers. Whiskers are like your cat’s hair or nails; they do not have nerves inside them, so it does not hurt your cat.
However, it is not recommended to cut your cat’s whiskers because they are a primary tool of navigation for your cat. It helps to detect changes in the air, measure your cat’s size of openings, and express their emotions.
Therefore, you should keep it normal and it is nothing to worry about if your cat loses a few of their whiskers naturally. It will grow back.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, cats have matchless energy and they have magical fun. The whiskers make them unique pets. Cats’ whiskers are very fascinating hairs and essential to update them about whatever is happening around them.
During different activities, whiskers shedding is a usual thing and will grow back definitely. In this way, cats will no more like this without whiskers.
