Why does my cat's whiskers fall out?

Cat whiskers must not be cut

A cat's whiskers, also called vibrissae, are a very important part of feline anatomy. Thanks to them, they can know for sure if they can fit through a narrow path, and it also helps them to "see" up close, something that comes in handy. For these reasons, they should never be cut, but What happens if they fall off on their own?

If you have found a vibrisa on the floor and you are worried about your furry, read on to find out why does my cat's whiskers fall out.

Why are they falling off?

Find out why your cat's whiskers fall out

The whiskers of a cat can fall for the same reasons that the fur falls, which means that in principle we would not have to worry. Even so, as there are several reasons why they could fall off, let's see what we have to do in each case:

Allergies

Whether it's Food Allergy, dermatitis, or any other type, the mere fact of suffering it will make the furry scratch a lot. In addition, it can become very uncomfortable, so both hair and whiskers could fall.

What to do? The most advisable thing is to take him to the vet, especially if we see that apart from itching he has sneezing, cough, eye discharge (legañas) and nasal discharge, reddened skin.

Anxiety and / or stress

The cat is a calm animal, with very little tolerance to stress and even less to anxiety. When you live in a tense family environment, if the family is moving or if there is a new member in the household, you may feel pretty bad to the point that your behavior will change: He will become defensive, he could attack and, as if that were not enough, his hair and mustaches could fall.

What to do? The most important thing is to find the source of your discomfort and remedy it. On this article we tell you why a cat can get stressed and in this other how can you help him.

Young

Regardless of what cat it is, she will shed her hair twice a year: when the weather goes from hot to cold, and vice versa. Whiskers in this sense behave the same as normal body hairs, that is, they sprout, grow, mature and finally fall out.

What to do? If we do not see any other symptoms and the cat leads a normal life, nothing will have to be done.

External parasites

All the fleas, ticks or other parasites can cause the hair of our furry to fall, especially if the problem is serious. The itching can be very intense, so when that happens will scratch, which could cause baldness on her body and drooping of their whiskers.

What to do? Against parasites there is nothing like an antiparasitic. Whether in spray, pipettes, collars or pills, if we do preventive treatments throughout the year we will keep the cat safe. In case you already have, also with these products we can eliminate them. Of course, if the problem is really serious and the furry has reddened skin and baldness, or if we suspect that he has scabies, you have to take it to the vet to treat it.

As we can see, there are different reasons why whiskers could fall. Anyway, we have to know that they grow back, but it is important that we find out why they fall since, if it is a health problem, the furry will need help.

Will his whiskers grow back?

If your cat's whiskers or some of them have fallen out, then it is normal for you to wonder if they will grow back or not. If your cat's whiskers have fallen out, you can rest assured that they will grow back. Whether they have fallen naturally or have been trimmed. The whisker growth cycle in cats is the same as any hair growth cycle on their body.

On many occasions, cats' whiskers fall off naturally and then grow back. So if one falls out, there will be another mustache that will grow back. In addition to what has been explained so far, it is important to know what whiskers are for in cats, since their function is very important for the life of felines, That is why they should never be ripped off or taken off!

What are whiskers for cats?

There are several reasons why a cat can run out of whiskers

The whiskers of cats are also known as vibrissae, one can only be found on the muzzle, if not you can also find it on other parts of the body, such as on the legs. They are thicker hairs than those of the rest of the body and help them to know if the spaces in which they want to pass fit or if they must find another place to pass.

They are like sensors for the cat, since their root has many very sensitive nerve endings that communicate directly with their brain and allow them to measure the distance between their body and the objects and spaces around them. Even they are able to measure air pressure or anything that touches them.

It is also important to know that whiskers helps them express how they feel and the sensations they experience. If it has relaxed whiskers, your cat will also be relaxed, but if it has them forward it is alert and if it sticks too much to the face it is scared or angry.

How many whiskers should a cat have

For the whiskers function to work well it is important that cats have between 15 and 24 whiskers distributed between the muzzle and the rest of the body. They are usually in two equal rows on each part of the cat's body. The vision of cats is not very good up close so they rely on their whiskers to be able to measure things and orient themselves correctly.

What happens if you cut a cat's mustache?

There are people who believe that nothing happens if their cat's whiskers are cut, but this should not be done. In addition to that you will be taking away the possibility of orienting correctly, even if they do not bleed or feel pain if they are cut, it should not be done.

If your mustaches are cut they will not be able to perceive things up close and their orientation will be seriously impaired since they will not be able to differentiate well between an object that is close or further away, they will not know if they can fit in a space or not ... They will become clumsier and could suffer accidents due to the stress that this will cause.

Myths about cat whiskers

There are some false beliefs about cat whiskers that it is better to stop believing as soon as possible, because continuing to believe it will only cause more discomfort to the animal.

  • They are not necessary for the animal
  • They do not grow back
  • If they cut it hurts
  • If they cut they bleed
  • If they are cut, nothing happens
  • If they are yanked off it doesn't hurt
  • If their mustaches are cut they will not leave the house
  • If they are cut they will return home without getting lost
  • They can the ability to land on their feet if they fall from a certain height

Tips related to your cat's whiskers

The whiskers of cats are called whiskers

It is a good idea to take into account some tips about your cat's whiskers, so he will feel more secure with you:

  • Make him comfortable with his feeder. It is recommended that the bowl or container where you put the food is wide and shallow.
  • Don't touch his whiskers. Because of the sensitivity they have in their whiskers, it is better not to stroke them.
  • Observe their mood. You can tell if your cat is more or less happy by observing his whiskers, as we have explained above.

As you have seen, whiskers in cats are extremely important to them. In this sense, it is necessary that you respect them and never cut them. In addition, it is also important that you feel calm if they fall naturally, because they will grow back! It's more, if you drop them naturally, your sense of direction will not change, because it is a natural cycle of your body: one falls so that another comes out.


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