In one of the online pet care forums I follow, someone asked about tweezing a cat’s whiskers. They thought it would make their cat look better.
Surprisingly, the answers were divided between people who thought tweezing is okay and those who didn’t. That made me wonder if other people may have the same question, so I did some research. Here’s what I found.
Whiskers grow around a cat’s nose, chin and eyes. They can be light or dark in color. In fact, you may have to look closely to even see the whickers!
These thin parts of a cat’s anatomy are more than decorative. They’re essential as an extra sense. They help a cat sense vibrations and judge distance and space. Without them, it’s hard for a cat to walk.
If you’ve ever seen kittens, they may have short whiskers because their mama nibbles them short during grooming to keep her babies from wandering away. But otherwise, a cat’s whiskers typically stay intact.
Unlike hair, whiskers are rooted deep under a cat’s skin. They’re also wider at the base and taper off toward the tip. That means they’re harder than fur to pull out, and it will hurt when a whisker is pulled.
Whiskers do fall out sometimes. Like shedding, it’s natural, but tweezing or cutting whiskers is unnatural. It can actually cause an infection on the exposed nerve mound, which is painful. Your cat may also become disoriented and stressed.
In my opinion, whiskers should never be tweezed. Let them do their job and help your cat navigate his world. What do you think?
