Dealing With Cat Whiskers Falling Out

Cats > Skin and Hair Conditions > Dealing With Cat Whiskers Falling Out

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). The whiskers are sensitive to pressure and air movement. Generally, a cat has 24 whiskers on his face, 12 on each side. In addition, cats have thicker hairs that look like whiskers above the eyes and on the back of the front legs.

Whiskers Regularly Fall Out and Are Replaced

Whiskers fall out just like hair and this is a natural process; the whiskers are soon replaced by others.

However, if you notice a lot of whiskers falling out at once, this may be a sign of illness. Try to see if you can see other symptoms such as watery eyes, excessive hair loss, fragile nails or bad breath. Your cat may have vitamin deficiencies. Visit your vet.

When a cat loses weight, the cat will also lose his longest whiskers. These will be replaced by shorter whiskers, which will be as long as the cat's width. This is no reason to worry, unless the weight loss is severe and may be a signal of a disease.