is it okay to cut a cats whiskers off?

Answer 1

No



A cat has about twenty-four movable whiskers, twelve on each side of its nose (some cat's may have more). Whiskers are more than twice as thick as ordinary hairs, and their roots are set three times deeper than hairs in a cat's tissue. Richly supplied with nerve endings, whiskers give cats extraordinarily detailed information about air movements, air pressure and anything they touch.

The scientific word for whiskers is vibrissae, a name that suggests their exquisite sensitivity to vibrations in air currents. As air swirls and eddies around objects, whiskers vibrate too. Cats use messages in these vibrations to sense the presence, size, and shape of obstacles without seeing or touching them. Whiskers are also good hunting tools. A cat whose whiskers have been damaged may bite the wrong part of a mouse it's attacking, indicating that signals from these delicate structures provide cats with vital information about the shape and activity of its prey - interestingly, whiskers also help cats smell odours.

Whiskers can also be a bother to a cat, especially if he tries to eat food out of a bowl. The end of the whiskers touching the side of the bowl transfer irritating sensations to his brain, making it hard for him to continue eating.

Whiskers are extremely sensitive as they are closely connected to the nervous system. Any damage to his whiskers will cause your cat discomfort, and he may become confused or disoriented. DON'T ever trim his whiskers, and DON'T ever wash them, he will keep them clean himself.

When kittens are cleaned by their mother, she may chew off some or all of the whiskers - don't worry, this is normal and they will soon grow back.

Cats also have a number of reinforced hairs similar to whiskers on other parts of their bodies: over the eyes, on the chin and at the back of the legs.

Answer 2

OF COURSE NOT DON'T BE SILLY!

Also known as "tactile hairs" or vibrissae, whiskers are the long, thick, flexible hairs on a cat's face. These hairs are located in horizontal rows on the whisker pad, the puffy area between the top corners of your cat's mouth and the outer edges of his nose. Whiskers, like hair and nails, do fall out and are replaced. But whiskers are different from the cat's body hair in a few ways:
Whiskers should never be cut or trimmed (we'll discuss why later).
Whiskers are two to three times thicker than the cat's hair.
Whiskers are rooted very deep in the cat's face, in an area rich in nerves and blood vessels.
In addition to having the long tactile hairs on their cheeks, cats also have shorter ones above their eyebrows, on their chin and on the back of their front legs. Since we are most familiar with facial whiskers, let's look at what they are good for:
Navigation
Mood indication
Measuring an opening
Whiskers help the cat feel his way around. Whiskers are so sensitive that they can detect the slightest directional change in a breeze. At night, for example, this helps a cat slink its way through a room and not bump into anything. How? The air currents in the room change depending on where pieces of furniture are located. As the cat walks through the room and approaches the couch, he'll know which direction to turn based on the change in air current around the couch.
In addition to having sensory properties, a cat's whiskers are also a good indicator of his mood. When a cat is angry or feels defensive, the whiskers will be pulled back. Otherwise, when the cat is happy, curious or content, the whiskers will be more relaxed and pushed forward.

But the whisker's primary use is to help a cat judge whether or not he'll fit through an opening. A cat's whiskers are roughly as wide as his body -- sort of a natural ruler. The whisker tips are sensitive to pressure. You'll probably see a cat stick his head in and out of an opening before he puts his body in. He's judging the width of the opening, and is determining if he can fit into it. An interesting note: cats don't have a true collar bone, like humans. This allows them to turn and twist their way through very narrow openings.

Answer 3

I did that when I was about 4 years old, so I was told. Cats, especially outdoor cats, need their whiskers. That's how they can determine if their body will fit into an area or not. The whiskers are like radar to them. They will grow back eventually but the cat will be off balance until they do. My cat lived to be 17 years old so he surely survived having his whiskers cut off when I was a kid.

Answer 4

No, it is not okay to cut of a cat's whiskers... the tail is for balance the whiskers are how they judge what sort of spaces they can fit into. If you cut off the whiskers you will find your cat getting stuck in spaces too small for what it should have tried to get into.

Answer 5

Yes, you can cut a cat's whiskers off. It doesn't throw off their balance or any of those other wives tales. In fact, I had to shave off a cat's entire set of left whiskers yesterday at work. He had a mass on his face and it had to be removed. So, the whiskers had to go as well.
He's still alive, still able to keep his balance and no longer has an ugly tumor on his face/neck area. So, I think its pretty safe to say that its okay for the whiskers to be cut off.
That's not to say that its okay to do it just because, but if there's a reason or a need to cut them off, then go on......

Answer 6

NO! Mary O and pawprint099 gave good answers. Cats need them, and they look nice with whiskers. Cat's whiskers grow and mature and then naturally fall out and are replaced. I find long, white cat's whiskers occasionally on one dark rug, and when the cat is sitting on my knee I can see a healthy crop of old and new whiskers on each side of the nose, above the eyes and in other places like the legs and cheeks etc. My cat likes having her whiskers rubbed flat along the growth direction on each side of her face. Then she licks my fingers and asks me to rub them again. Cat being washed by her servant of course! Treat your cat well. Get a good cat care book, or surf the web looking for proper cat care, or at the cat's next health check up with the vet, ask their advice.

Answer 7

A expert will tell you that a cat uses whiskers to balance theirself and to get around in the dark.I know alot of brats who has cut their cats whiskers off and the cat never tumbled to the ground because of being off balance nor did the cats walk into walls at night.I see no reason to cut a cats whiskers but why do you ask?

Answer 8

Their whiskers are not just hair, they need them. There was a case around here of a family getting charged with animal cruelty when their child cut their cats whiskers off. Apparently, the mom thought it was okay, "isn't that cute" kind of thing, at least until they got charged. Stupid people should not be allowed to have pets. If you're dumb enough to do this, then I hope you get charged with cruelty.

Answer 9

Whiskers allow the cat to "see" by feeling what's around them. For example if they go into a small area if their whiskers touch they know they shouldn't go that way because they'll get stuck (their whiskers are as long as the cat is fat).
So your cat may get stuck in small areas if you cut it's whiskers off. I would recommend not doing it. :)

Answer 10

NO! Whiskers are very helpful for the kittys sense of balance and where he/she can fit. Whiskers are cute why would you want to cut them off? Besides the point, just dont do it!