What is 'Whisker Stress'?

March 15, 2016

A cat’s whiskers, AKA vibrissae, are very sensitive and provide your cat with detailed sensory feedback about their environment. If those senses become over-stimulated, it may cause whisker stress, which can affect their eating habits.

Your cat may seem to be a finicky or picky eater, but in reality, it could be sensitive to its whiskers touching the sides of its bowl.

Some common signs of this sensitivity are:

• Scooping the food out of the bowl onto the floor
• Taking a few bites and walking away and then coming back
• Leaving the bottom or side layer of food in the bowl most of the time

A simple solution to reduce or eliminate whisker stress is to switch their food and water dishes to flatter, wider-style bowls. You can find many options of whisker-friendly cat bowls and dishes at our store for cats.