OMG! my poor kitty!!

Tracy

Tracy

shallowly obsessing
O.G.
Sep 30, 2007
12,926
62
#1
OMG. my 5 yo son just CUT my kitty's whiskers!!! Will they grow back?? geeesh! He walked in w/ the cat and innocently said, "do you notice something different about casey's face?" I asked him why he would do that and he said, " i was giving him a new look!" OMG! i tried to not laugh!
please tell me they grow!!
 
#2
This was a cruel thing to do, as cats [and dogs] use their whiskers for a lot of sensory info.

Short answer, YES, they will grow back BUT it will take awhile, & for all of that time your kitty is not safe outdoors.

They are at some risk indoors too, but less so, because if they get stuck, you are more likely to hear them crying, & rescue them.

Until the whiskers are all grown back, your cat can't be allowed to go outside; they use them to decide if a space is big enough to get into/out of, & can be easily trapped and die if not quickly extracted.

Please tell your son that this was a "haircut" that the cat didn't need, and was very distressing to them. Cats with their whiskers cut have trouble drinking water - they snort it, up their nose, because they get too close. They stumble, look drunk, & seem disoriented - it's terrifying for them, & they may scratch or bite, in their fright.
 
#3
^^^ That is an old wives tail and is not true. Whiskers are specialized hairs or vibrissae. Vibrissae are specialized hairs that are mechanoreceptors. These hairs help cats with tactile sensations. While the actual cutting of these hairs can be disorienting for your kitty, it will not do any permanent damage. Your cat will not drown, it will not spin in circles. It may have a hard time judging whether or not he can fit into a smaller space because vibrissae allow a cat to judge his size in comparisson to his surroundings. No permanent damage has been done, but try not to let your son make a regular habit of this. And yes, the whiskers will grow back.
I have worked as vet tech and gone to vet school. We learned this in small animal anatomy.
 
#5
They will grow back. I had a cousin who did this to our cat when we were kids and the cat was no worse for wear. They grew back in a very short time.
 
#7
kirsten said:
This was a cruel thing to do, as cats [and dogs] use their whiskers for a lot of sensory info.

Short answer, YES, they will grow back BUT it will take awhile, & for all of that time your kitty is not safe outdoors.

They are at some risk indoors too, but less so, because if they get stuck, you are more likely to hear them crying, & rescue them.

Until the whiskers are all grown back, your cat can't be allowed to go outside; they use them to decide if a space is big enough to get into/out of, & can be easily trapped and die if not quickly extracted.

Please tell your son that this was a "haircut" that the cat didn't need, and was very distressing to them. Cats with their whiskers cut have trouble drinking water - they snort it, up their nose, because they get too close. They stumble, look drunk, & seem disoriented - it's terrifying for them, & they may scratch or bite, in their fright.
Click to expand...

You and I know what cats use their whiskers for but my 5 year old does not. He was in no way being intentionally cruel. He's 5.

The cat is fine. He is not an outdoor cat so he is always safe inside.
He is not snorting water up his nose, nor is he stumbling around or disoriented.:tup:

And, just to state the obvious, I don't need help disciplining or educating my child. He now knows why cats have whiskers.
 
#8
^My cat has his whiskers and still snorts water up his nose...he usually dips his paw in the water bowl and licks it off. :roflmfao:

Your kitty will be fine....and please hide the scissors from your son! :P
 
#9
Nolarice -- I'm sorry if what I stated above sounded condescending. But I was worried that what the previous poster had said would freak you out and send you into a panic.
 
#13
^^that's so cute. casey also likes to sit in our bathroom sink. one day i walked in and caught him *turning on the faucet*! no lie. he has a fascination w/ water!
 
#15
Awwww, no harm done. It's actually quite funny when you think of a young child innocently giving a cat a whisker haircut, not realizing it's not a good idea. It's a great time to explain to your young son what cats have whiskers for, but in the meantime they will grow back. Unfortunately I've had a few accidents when shaving my long haired cats... whiskers have vanished too. It didn't harm them, they just looked a bit peculiar for a while. Don't worry, your cat will be fine.
 
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