Have you heard of whisker fatigue?

Cat whiskers are sensitive antennae that help cats gather information about their environment. Whisker fatigue is essentially whisker over-stimulation, sensory overload from whiskers repeatedly rubbing against something, for example, the cat’s food or water dish.

If your cat takes food out of the dish and eats it from the floor or indicates that he/she would prefer the food grouped in a mound in the middle of the dish (my Mosi did both), whisker fatigue could be the culprit. Try a flat, shallow food dish and a wide water bowl filled to the brim.

Scientific research on whisker fatigue is inconclusive. For example, a 2020 study by Slovak and Foster found that some cats preferred whisker-friendly dishes, but overall, did not find strong evidence of whisker fatigue. The study had a number of limitations, and many owners did end up purchasing whisker-friendly dishes to give their cats the benefit of the doubt.

But of course the lack of scientific proof does not mean that whisker fatigue isn’t real. There are many (too many!) things we still don’t understand about animals, including cats. Until quite recently, cats didn’t get anesthesia - at all, or enough - during surgical procedures in part due to our poor ability to recognize cat pain.

So if your kitty is reluctant to eat, drops her food, or shows other signs of whisker sensitivity, consider changing her dishes. Ever since finding out about whisker fatigue, I’ve made sure to feed my kitties from flat, open dishes. Their water comes from fountains and large, completely filled stainless steel bowls.

Sources:

Slovak, J.E. & Foster, T.E. (2021), Evaluation of whisker stress in cats. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 23(4), 389-392. journals.sagepub.com/do….

Taylor PM, Robertson SA (2004), Pain management in cats--past, present and future. Part 1. The cat is unique. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 6(5), 313-320. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ar…

Wooten, S. (DVM), petmd.com/general-healt….