Does it hurt if my cat’s whiskers get cut? | Dr. Justine Lee, DACVECC, DABT, Board-certified Veterinary Specialist
If you just accidentally cut your cat’s whiskers, don’t worry too much. No, you won’t hurt your cat’s whiskers, or vibrissae, if they get accidentally cut. The whisker itself has no nerves or blood vessels but is firmly attached to a hair follicle and sinus, which has nerve innervation. (Ever accidentally yank out your nose hair? Ouch!) Your cat uses his whiskers as a sensing mechanism and air movement or vibrations allow him to “feel” where he is. You may notice your cat’s whiskers are the width of your cat (or your cat’s ideal weight, I should say), which evolutionarily allows your cat to fit through tight spaces and sense how much personal space he has around him. Please don’t cut those whiskers off – they are actually quite important to let him know how much room he has to wriggle!
Cutting a cats whiskers can be life changing for a cat for a few weeks. “don’t worry” when you absolutely should worry because if you let your cat out with cut whiskers not even going to be able to put it on the fence or walk properly. The best article.
I agree with the other comment. A board certified vet is saying “don’t worry” about cutting a cats whiskers? Yikes
Comment *My cat is not eating anything after the whiskers were removed. He is off balance also. And vomited when vomited. I don’t know what to do. Please help.
Why were the whiskers removed! They need them. It sounds like something else is going on and he’s nauseated. I’d get to a veterinarian asap.