Do your cats have extra whiskers?

[fuzzles]

I just have to ask this question. I put it in another thread but it made me curious if any of your cats have extra whiskers. I just got back from the vet and he said he's never, ever seen a cat with extra ones like mine has. My Zelda has an extra whisker on both sides of her nose almost halfway in between the bottom of her nose and the inside corner of her eye. I've never really noticed it until he said something. They aren't long like the ones on the side of her face. They're maybe a little under a quarter of that length. So she only has two extra whiskers, but its kinda interesting now that I know about it. Is this a freak of nature sort of thing or something genetic?

 

[trillcat]

Upon investigating 2 kitty cat faces, which was met with mixed emotions (one rolled over to show me her belly, the other just sort of sneered at me as if to say "You're waking me up why?") I report no extra whiskers.

 

[wingss2fly]

Scuddel had wiskers on his elbows.............LOL
He has 3 long hairs coming off the back of his front legs, his elbows.
But how many wiskers should one have on the side of the face??

K.

 

[fuzzles]

http://www.catwhisker.net/faq.htm

I'm not sure if this is true, but that webpage says 24 whiskers on average. 12 on each side and four rows per side of the face. Time to go count whiskers... I'm sure she'd love me doing that.

 

[mrblanche]

Ah, but let's not forget the mystery-solving Koko, who had a whole extra row, if I recall correctly...

 

[fuzzles]

Originally Posted by mrblanche

Ah, but let's not forget the mystery-solving Koko, who had a whole extra row, if I recall correctly...

Do you happen to have a picture of that? Would be interesting to see.

 

[katkisses]

My cat has the extra whiskers half way between his eye and nose too! He also has the extra ones on his elbows, LOL!

 

[fuzzles]

Well at least I know my cat isn't the only one like that now. Hehe I am including a picture I took last night in case I didn't explain where they were very well with said whiskers pointed out by the red arrows.



And the same picture not zoomed in on so you can see how big they are in length compared to the whiskers on the side of her face



Sorry if the pics are huge!

 

[forensic]

Originally Posted by Fuzzles

Do you happen to have a picture of that? Would be interesting to see.

I'm pretty sure mrblanche meant Koko the Siamese who solves mysteries in "The Cat Who..." series of books by Lillian Jackson Braun...

But YumYum was the greatest!

 

[natalie_ca]

No extra whiskers here, but abby does have 15 on each side. But not in the places you describe.

Both my kitties love to have their whiskers rubbed though. Using my thumb and index finger, I pinch their whisters between my fingers and gently pull outward. They purr and will often go to sleep.

Once I freaked out though when doing that to Chynna. I guess one was ready to fall out and I gave it a helping hand. She didn't even seem to notice, but I felt so bad

 

[wingss2fly]

Originally Posted by KatKisses

My cat has the extra whiskers half way between his eye and nose too! He also has the extra ones on his elbows, LOL!

Elbow whiskers...........I love it!
K.

 

[gaylemg]

Originally Posted by Natalie_ca

I guess one was ready to fall out and I gave it a helping hand. She didn't even seem to notice, but I felt so bad

Whiskers fall out and are replaced all the time. They are just modified hairs and they get replenished occasionally.

 

[aileen06]

Originally Posted by Forensic

I'm pretty sure mrblanche meant Koko the Siamese who solves mysteries in "The Cat Who..." series of books by Lillian Jackson Braun...

But YumYum was the greatest!

I love those books. While regular cats have 24 on each side for a total of 48, KoKo had 30 on each side for a total of 60. I loved Yum Yum too, what a sweetheart!!

 

[butzie]

Well, Butzie has 12 on each side. but she also has "eyebrow" whiskers - 5 on each side. I never gave it much thought. Is this unusual?

 

[skinnycat75]

Love the pics! What a pretty cat! Mine do not have the extra whiskers, though.

 

[natalie_ca]

Originally Posted by butzie

Well, Butzie has 12 on each side. but she also has "eyebrow" whiskers - 5 on each side. I never gave it much thought. Is this unusual?

Only a cat lover would go and count cat hairs! LOL

I tried to count Chynna's while she was cuddling in bed with me, but her face was so close to mine that I couldn't see them properly. I'll try later when she is sleeping on my desk.

 

[mrblanche]

Originally Posted by Fuzzles

Do you happen to have a picture of that? Would be interesting to see.

Hard to take a picture of a fictional cat!

 

[natalie_ca]

Ok, now that I have seen a picture, Abby does have 2 where you indicate, but they are very short and fine and only noticable if her face is turned a bit to the side. They are more like longish hair instead of coarse whiskers and maybe 1/8" long. But not noticable from a frontal view, and unless you are looking for them, not noticable from a partial side view either. And you can't feel them at all because they are fine not coarse in texture.

 

[cococat]

Nope, my cat is minus whiskers being a Sphynx and all

 

[7ruby18]

All cats, except perhaps the furless breeds, have the "elbow" whiskers.  I've always called them "curb feelers" (shows my age!) because they are like the long, springy metal probes that old cars (1960s) used to have by the front wheel wells that would drag along the curb to let you know you were parked close enough to it.

As for the nose whiskers, I have a tuxedo cat that has two on each side of his nose; one is 1/4" long and the other below it is 1/8" long.  My vet said she's never seen this before and wondered if it was genetic and familial; since Tuxie was an abandoned cat I took in we'll never know if his siblings were the same way.  But it sure is cute!