And if you look at its eyes, you will notice that it is half-closed. The severest signs of FAS represent fight or aggression stance, including the offensive stance, a heightened “Halloween cat” posture, pupils constricted or dilated, intense staring. Feline hyperesthesia syndrome (FHS), also known as “twitch-skin syndrome” and “psychomotor epilepsy,” is an obscure cat disorder resulting in intense biting or licking of the back, tail, and pelvic limbs. Cats have a tapetum lucidum, which is a reflective layer behind the retina that sends light that passes through the retina back into the eye. Your cat’s face will almost look very tense. Can't say what the reason is but my friend's straight hair get a bit wavy too at times usually after rain. But dark whiskers can occur at any age really. It will never curl up into a ball or make the hair on its back stand up. Sometimes a cat's whiskers get curly even in straight haired animals. Whiskers are very, very sensitive. Who knows! If your ginger tabby has one black whisker, think of it as a trendy highlight in your kitty’s whiskers! May hiss or growl. The Narrow Pupil in a Squinted Eye While this improves the ability to see in darkness and enables cats to see using roughly one-sixth the amount of light that people need, it appears to reduce net visual acuity, thus detracting when light is abundant. Forward Position – If your cat’s whiskers are forward with an increased flattening of their cheek, nose, or muzzle, this is a good indicator that your cat is in pain. Whiskers are harder, thicker, and firmer hairs on a cat that allow a cat to sense what’s around them quickly and easily, which makes getting into small spaces, gauging whether their bodies can even fit, even determining how windy it is much easier due to the sensory data they get out of their whiskers. Assess your cat's eyes at birth. Instead of going gray, feline whiskers go black. A cat in freeze mode will curl into a small ball with tail curled tightly into body, ears and whiskers back; full stare at threat. I know curly whiskers is a usual thing in curly cats but why does it happen in straight haired ones? I don't understand when it happened but the ends of my cat Ray's whiskers are curling up and it looks really horrible. In these cases it has a strictly genetic cause and cannot be prevented, except through breeding programs the avoid using cats that have no family history of the problem. You do not need to do anything (unless the whisker is close to the eye and is irritating it). If your cat does not normally have twisted or fragile whiskers (a few certain breeds do), the whisker may be a little uncomfortable but will regrow and the old will fall out within a few weeks. Annamarianna; Comments . Like our hair, whiskers can change color with age. Feb 20 2012 14:27:59. This is one of the surest signs that you have a friendly cat on hand. Never Cut Your Cat’s Whiskers If your cat goes into an offensive position, their ears and whiskers will point forward. Entropion often occurs in brachycephalic breed cats at birth. He was near the kitchen this morning and i didn't see anything on him, he is a indoor cat and has not gone out so it couldn't have been anything bad like another cat. Also known as vibrissae or tactile hairs, feline whiskers are specialised hairs which are found on either side of the muzzle (sinus hairs or mystacial whiskers), the cheeks, above the eyelid, and on the wrists of the foreleg.The whiskers on the muzzle are the longest of the three sets on the face and are placed … About. If their whiskers are rigid and pulled around their face it means they may feel threatened, whereas, if their whiskers are relaxed, it indicates that your cat may be feeling happy and content. 7. And like curling whiskers, dark pigmentation can be part of the breed. Learn more about the symptoms and treatment of this disorder, below. In addition to the eight to 12 cat whiskers your cat has on either side of her nose, she also has shorter whiskers above her eyes, on her chin, and on the backs of her lower front legs. 3. Whiskers can also give you an insight into a cat’s behaviour or emotions. Whiskers tell you how they’re feeling. Last Updated on October 30, 2020 by Julia Wilson. You should be on the lookout for entropion in kittens that are brachycephalic breeds. It may lay down on its back and present its belly to you, waiting for your touch.