Yes, a cat’s whiskers do fall out. They regrow. They are just like any other hair on a cat’s body in that respect. Although of course they much longer, they are thicker, they are more deeply embedded into the cat’s tissue and there are more nerves surrounding the base of the hair than the other hairs found on a cat’s body.
Before I wrote this very short article I checked the books that I have about cats shedding their whiskers. There was no reference in any of the excellent books that I have on this natural anatomical feature.
However, like any other cat owner I have seen whiskers lying around the house from time to time. They are quite visible because of their circumference and length. Therefore we know that cat’s whiskers do fall out from simple personal experience. They grow back as mentioned. They have to otherwise over the cat’s lifetime he/she would have none left!
You may know that whiskers are a very important part of the cat’s anatomy and I have discussed them in some detail on this page. There are many other pages on the site on whiskers!
Some cat owners collect their cat’s whiskers which have been shed around the home.
I’m curious to know why my little, ginger female hasvery long, mainly white whiskers, but always has a couple of random black ones.
Can anyone explain the genetics for that to me please?
Michelle, if I can figure out an answer to your question I will respond to your comment properly. In all my travels through all the books that I have read about the domestic cat and cat anatomy I do not recall reading about the lack of pigmentation in cat’s whiskers. I will try and research this matter today and may do an article on it. Thanks for asking.
oh yes they do!! I have quite a collection of them in a cat ladder that was to be used as an earring tree/pin cushion. I occasionally use them to tickle the *kids* noses! The black ones I find are, by far, the hardest to see, but I have gotten some. I even found the baby teeth of one of my *kids* and kept them as well. . .that is a rare find as they usually swallow them. . . ♥♥♥