... lol no, I'm NOT going to do it, but I HAVE done it in the past when I was fairly young (think eleven or twelve years old,) thinking a new 'do would look cute on my kitty. I'm now curious, as I knicked them down fairly short. Would that have been a problem for him?
2007-02-14 19:29:25 · 21 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Cats
Thanks for all the responses, guys. However, some of you fail to realize that I was all of a decade old when I did this. Stop being dramatic - I thought I could make him the cutest cat in the neighborhood. He's still alive, for christ's sake.
2007-02-15 04:00:15 · update #1
Yes, it would be a problem for the cat. Whiskers keep the cat from bumping into things in the dark and help with depth perception.
2007-02-14 19:35:18 · answer #1 · answered by ambernpeach 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Whiskers
A cat's whiskers have a twofold purpose: they are precisely the narrowest width that the cat can squeeze itself through comfortably, and they are also used for balance.
Cutting off a cats whiskers renders it incapable of standing up.
Since cats use their whiskers to 'feel' their way around, a mother cat will often bite the whiskers off her kittens (including the ones over the eyes) when they are new born and the eyes are still closed, to keep them from wandering away from her.
The whiskers of a walking cat point forward. Slightly downward if the cat is calm. Slightly upward if the cat is excited.
2007-02-15 05:51:44 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes... it would have inconvenienced him some what (especially if he were an outdoor kitty) becuase cat's use their whiskers to assess width and sense slight vibrations nearby. A cat's whiskers are as long s the width of his body; so, before entering a tight space, the cat will kow if he could fit if his whiskers do not graze the sides. The whiskers also senses minute movements and helps the cat when hunting or avoiding danger. Fortunately, whiskers do grow back - like hair.
2007-02-15 03:35:54 · answer #3 · answered by Phoebhart 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The whiskers are a very delicate sense organ. The slightest contact, even a soft breeze will cause them to move. The base of each whisker is connected to very sensitive clump of nerves that detects these minute movements. In this way cats can often sense objects (mice, rats, clumsy people) moving around them. They also help them move around in the dark without bumping into things. You shouldent of cut the whiskers now he will not be able to
Whiskers also serve another important purpose. They tend to stick out as far as the widest part of the cat's body. When a cat is trying to escape from a predator and looking for an appropriate hole to dive into, it can sense whether the hole is large enough simply by sticking it's nose into the opening. If it can get it's whiskers into the hole without them touching on both sides then it knows the hole is wide enough for it's body to fit in as well.
Cat's use their whiskers for a lot of things. The ones around the eyes warn them when something is too close to their eyes, and causes a reflex to make them blink. The ones on the sides of their face do multiple things. Most importantly it lets them detect how wide an opening is and whether or not they can fit through it. now that you have cut the whiskers if it gets stuck in a tight place it wont be able to get loose contact your vet for advice
2007-02-15 04:45:35 · answer #4 · answered by PaIgE c 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
from what i heard *worked at a pet store* it is used for your cat to explore. If a cat walks throug a walk way head first, he tests it by making sure if his whiskers fit. Like just cuz the head fits it doesnt' meant he body will, but as long as your cat is not obesse then supposedly as long as the whiskers can fit width wise the cats body can too. So yeah in general i gather it helps a cat determine what kind of tight spaces it can squeeze in, but if ur cat is not super adventurous or wild then it should b totally find, since as far as i know its painless to cut.
2007-02-15 03:35:05 · answer #5 · answered by dasmartretard 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cutting a cat's whiskers can throw off their balance, it will also make them think that they can fit into spaces much smaller than they really are able to. I'm glad your not doing this anymore. I'm sure we've all done it once before then we were young :)
2007-02-15 03:46:24 · answer #6 · answered by giggles for breakfast :) 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes a big problem. Cat's whiskers help them gage sizes where they can fit through since they are about the size of their bodies. If they are shorter than they are big, this can give a cat a false sense and actually get him or her stuck.
2007-02-19 00:06:54 · answer #7 · answered by Rhode Island Red 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A cat uses their whiskers to determine whether or not they can fit into certain places so it is never a good idea to trim them. I would not recommend cutting the whiskers of a cat even if "it just a little".... you could get your cat stuck somewhere he couldn't get out of, and that would not be good.
Good luck
2007-02-15 10:54:38 · answer #8 · answered by Somanyquestions,solittletime 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It could defiently of been a problem because cats use their whiskers for balence, and to judge weather they can fit in somewhere or not , it's like if you cut off your big toe and tried to walk right away , you would never know how much you depended on your big toe untill it was taken away. Becarful with your kitties!
2007-02-15 04:43:42 · answer #9 · answered by Bree 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A cat whiskers should never be bothered. A cat can tell if it will fit through a door (for example) by whisker length. Cats are so smart. Don't make your cat handicapped!
2007-02-15 03:39:20 · answer #10 · answered by stubatha 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋