But did you know that cats also have whiskers on their jaw line and on the back of their front legs? Hello everyone! Therefore, you shouldn’t cut them. I'm posting because I'm concerned about my old man,and truly hoping someone has some insight for me. He's 5 pounds weighing in almost at 9 pounds and on a good raw diet. A cat has about 24 whiskers. Shedding is a normal cause of whisker loss. This protects the cat, as it prevents things from getting into the eyes, as it closes them. Sincerely, Bailey Campbell (and Dr. Universe) I've noticed though that his hair is thinning around his eyes and ears and his eyebrow whiskers which used to be long and made him look like a made scientist are gone. It is also important to remember that when whiskers dislodge naturally, your cat is unlikely to feel anything at all, it is when the whiskers … Cat’s whiskers aren’t just on their face. We also have whiskers on other parts of our body besides our face. Thou Shall Not Cut Your Cat’s Whiskers! A cat losing hair — also called alopecia in cats — can be complete or partial and happens in felines for a variety of reasons, the most common of which is skin allergies, experts say. Cat whiskers are not just on the nose. That means instead of underlying issues, cats of certain breeds have bald patches near the eyes because of their genes. Although the whiskers above the eyes, which are shorter and thinner are usually the same color as the fur. Is this bad? Natural shedding is a common reason why sedentary cats lose their whiskers. A cat has whiskers above the eyelids, on the chin, and the back of the front legs. You might have noticed that your cat sheds whiskers. Whiskers help cats to sense or feel as well as to communicate (body language). #2 – They Vibrate. The whiskers are sensitive to pressure and air movement. Note: These are things like a plant leaf; a claw, your fingers or just grass. Notice that fatter cats have longer whiskers. If you see any swelling, redness, crusting in the area of the lost whiskers. But cats also have them on their chin, forelegs, and near the ears. One interesting thing about it is that as your cat ages he won’t have fewer whiskers, but you might notice the whiskers greying or getting lighter. There are usually 8-12 cat whiskers found on either side of the cat’s nose. Cats have whiskers made of keratin, about 12 whiskers on each side of their snout’s muzzle, and shorter ones on their chin, above eyes, and on the backside of their front legs. Preauricular Alopecia The preauricular (meaning before the ear area) alopecia or facial alopecia is when the cat loses hair and has bald patches between the eyes and the ears or above the eyes. Further, the whiskers above your cat’s eyes help protect the eyes. Let’s take a deeper look at the importance of cat whiskers. “Older cats can get ringworm too, so if you notice your cat is suddenly showing signs of balding above their eyes, then it’s time for a vet visit to get a definitive diagnosis.” For further information on bald patches in your cat or other feline related health issues, you … 1. As mentioned above, whiskers are a great part of getting information about your cat’s surroundings, and more than that, they also help in keeping balance. Why are cat whiskers white? The cat's whiskers are feelers. 3. The facial whiskers, including those above the eyes and ears, serve as protection against sharp objects or tiny particles that might get into their eyes or injure their faces. Hey guys, So Gatsby is a pretty healthy kitty overal. If a cat’s whiskers are flattened against her face then she’s trying to tell you she’s not happy. Whiskers are formed from dead skin cells. He is an indoor cat and never goes outside. How whiskers work is almost as interesting as why. 2. I rescued him over 6 … This is where her "eyebrows" would be. 1. and why is it happening? It detects foreign objects and protects the eyes from any such particle and object. The whiskers present above the eyes help by stimulating the blink reflexes when the eye is touched. Mystacial whiskers are connected to muscles that allow the cat to move them. Generally, a cat has 24 whiskers on his face, 12 on each side. If he is scratching or rubbing his face irregularly. Besides the nose, there are whiskers above the eyes, on the chin, and on the backs of the lower front legs. They all work haha) Ned is about 13 years old, from what my vet and I could guess. It is not a cause for concern, unless your cat suddenly sheds more whiskers than usual. These do a similar job to the superciliary whiskers, particularly useful when your cat is prowling through long grass or bushes; they trigger a blink that will protect your cat’s eyes from being damaged. If a cat's whiskers can fit through an opening, the whole cat can fit through. However, those whiskers serve much greater purpose than the eyebrows in human beings. So, really, the main reasons why a cat's whiskers drop are the same as those that fall off the rest of the fur, such as whiskers found above the eyes: Normal hair cycle and molt Domestic cats can change a couple of times a year, when the weather changes from warm to cold and vice versa to increase or reduce their coat of fur. 2. Your cat may experience issues with standing on all four legs, and you may even notice your cat leaning or falling over at times, which can be a frightening sight. A cat's 'eyebrows' are also feelers, and so are the little whisker-looking things sticking off the backs of the legs, just above the feet. You probably do not want to pet a cat that looks like this. Now you know why. Whiskers allow the cat to figure out where he’ll fit. My cat has some blood above both er of her eyes and it looks like the fur fell out. Where you may think that your cat’s whiskers are limited to just around their nose, they’re also above their eyes, ears, jaw and forelegs! The whiskers on a cat’s upper lip and above their eyes stand out most when we think of cat whiskers. These are known as mystacial whiskers. hi, My cat is losing hair above her eyes and it keeps growing back. She had been out for 5 days and I am not sure is she is allergic to something outside. I see her lying in the tall grass and I was just wondering if it could be an allergic reaction. And on the back of their forelegs just above their paws, their whiskers are called the carpal whiskers. In addition, there are whiskers on the jaw, above the eyes and on the back of the forelegs. Your cat may have just developed its first bald spot, or you may find that they have lost, or be in the process of losing most of their hair. 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. Thus, those whiskers right above your cat’s eyes are not redundant growths, but highly important part that will protect your cat… They’ll sense something nearing your cat’s face, like tall grass, and induce a blinking response so the eyeballs don’t get poked. As stated above, cats’ whiskers are made of the same substance that makes up their fur. HI, I have a solid black short haired cat. Making sure the eyeball, adjacent to the whiskers, is not inflamed or squinting. A loss of balance commonly occurs when a cat is suffering from vestibular disease. You may notice that your cat sheds fur and whiskers. She is around 10-11 month old we don't know her breed so sorry if that's something you need to know and please don't say take her to the vets as i really want to now shes okay and doesn't need to go to the vets. He seems healthy and is very social, however recently I have noticed he has lost patches of hair on his ears and above his eyes, like where eyebrows would be. Better not let him gain weight. We have whiskers above our eyes, on our chin, and even on our front legs. See a picture of a cat with cut whiskers. It makes sense because, like human hair, whiskers continue to grow and can fall out for a variety of reasons. A couple of feline experts believe that cat hair loss around eyes could be hereditary in a couple of cases. Since genetics-induced hair loss causes no irritations to the pets in most cases, it's unnecessary to treat it. He is now about 6 years old. 4. You may be also able to see shorter whiskers above each of the eyes (kind of like eyebrows). The whiskers grow as long as the cat is wide. 3. They might not be obvious, but cats have whiskers on their forelegs near the paws. While losing whiskers may cause the cat to feel something, unlike when regular hair falls out, the pain, or sensation that they feel is minute. Abscess: Abscesses are one of many common cat skin problems. A cat has about twenty-four movable whiskers, twelve on each side of its nose (some cat's may have more). The cat hair loss above eyes is also known as preauricular alopecia or facial hair loss is common and does not point to a medical condition. An abscess is a painful collection of pus at the site of a bite or puncture wound. However, it … A cat’s tactile hairs may be the most prominent on either side of its nose and upper facial lip. If more whiskers continue to be lost. These hairs are two to three times thicker than the fur of the coat. Whatever the color the cat’s fur the whiskers are nearly always white. Whiskers shed and change color. The whiskers on their forelegs (carpal whiskers) are one of the reasons they’re such successful hunters as they help to determine movement of prey. Cat whiskers have an important role for the cat's body: they help judging distances and size, detecting objects and other animals from a considerable distance (even in the dark). And as I mentioned above, they can shed whiskers the same way they shed their coat. I found him when he was a kitten and he was a feral cat. Cat whiskers are simply cats’ hair with the same structure as the rest of their fur despite the different appearances.