Whisker Stress: Coping with this Common cat health problem
Cat whiskers are not there just for looks. The hair-like structures are pretty crucial to your cat’s lifestyle and health. Unfortunately, not many cat owners understand the role of these tactile hairs in the lives of their feline friend. If you happen to fall into this category, this article may pick your curiosity on correctly what role do whiskers play in the life of your cat.
Understanding Whiskers Stress
To understand this issue, we would first need to look at how cat whiskers exactly help felines in their day to day activities. Initially, whiskers are pretty much like the cat’s antennas since they help in interpreting the surroundings through the proprioceptors. That makes whiskers a sensitive part of the cat, to detect the slightest changes in temperature and air pressure in the surroundings.
Likewise, whiskers are great navigation tool that cats often use to judge the area of space they may want to enter. If the whiskers happen to touch the sides, the cat will hesitate not going through since it indicates the path if not a perfect fit.
Whisker stress or at times whisker fatigue may be a new controversial concept, but to an extent, it does hold to the possibility of such a condition. The idea is that cats have highly sensitive face antennas that are often stimulated during mealtimes, especially if it involves putting the face inside a bowl.
Potentially, the cat would show the following signs next time it faces whisker stress from using the bowl
- Pawing the food to eat from the floor
- Pacing around the food or water bowl
- Resisting food since it’s in a bowl
Avoiding the state
Fortunately, the fix for cat whiskers stress is quite simple. An easy step would be to first change the food and water bowls into bowls that take the span of the whiskers into account. In essence, the food and watering should be on a flat or mat-like plate. A shallow ceramic, metal or glass bowl can also work to see the symptoms dissipate.
The possibility of other conditions
Likewise, you would have to consider visiting the vet if you happen to overrule whisker stress. It is wise to remember that there are plenty of other health issues that can exhibit similar characteristics to whisker stress. Therefore, keep in mind checking up with your local vet can save your cat a lot of pain and discomfort.
SOURCES: WSU, Science Daily, OK State, Cat Food Dispenser Reviews
COPYRIGHT: Local Value
