Ask a Vet: What is Whisker Stress in Cats?

If you've ever looked up reasons why your cat refuses to finish their food, you might have come across the term "whisker stress." Also known as whisker fatigue, whisker stress is a hot topic in the veterinary community. 

But what is whisker stress? And is whisker stress a real concern for pet parents? We spoke to veterinary surgeon Dr. Linda Simon MVB, MRCVS, member of Wag!'s licensed veterinary team, to get the lowdown.

Whisker stress is the overstimulation of a cat's whiskers, usually occurring while a cat is eating or drinking.

Dr. Linda Simon MVB MRCVS explains the sensitive nature of a cat's whiskers: 

"Whiskers are sensitive and are used to 'estimate' the width of spaces that cats will walk through, ensuring they won't get stuck in a tunnel or tight space. The whiskers can detect small movements or particles in the air, allowing for a cat to better evaluate their surroundings."

Because a cat's whiskers can detect these small movements in the air, there's a belief amongst the cat community that a cat's whiskers rub against the side of their food or water bowl, causing them discomfort and even pain. Some articles on this topic even suggest that whisker stress could cause a cat's whiskers to fall out. 

In theory, whisker stress affects how much a cat eats, how much they enjoy their food, their mental health, and even their quality of life.

Due to the recent interest and press surrounding whisker stress, pet care companies worldwide have started manufacturing "whisker-friendly" food bowls. 

It's almost impossible to enter a pet store these days without seeing one of these "whisker stress-free" bowls. These bowls tend to be wider and shallower than standard bowls so cats can eat their food without their whiskers rubbing against the sides of the bowl.

Some pet companies go a step further, designing their bowls to improve digestion and reduce bacteria build-up. Many of these bowls are raised to improve digestion and made from durable, easy-to-clean materials like stainless steel.

Whisker stress — a calamitous condition for cats, or a made-up marketing ploy to sell more whisker-friendly bowls?

While there's a lot of chatter surrounding whisker stress, vets and pet parents are still debating whether it's a genuine concern. Dr. Linda Simon has her doubts about whether whisker stress is a common issue:

"[Whisker stress] is not something I have encountered in practice."

While vets are unsure if whisker fatigue is a real thing, there's a lot of anecdotal evidence from pet parents that suggests it's a real problem. On the other hand, there are few studies on whisker stress, which makes proving whether or not whisker stress is real a challenge.

Here's a look at the evidence of whisker stress, from anecdotal evidence on social media to studies and even an expert opinion from a veterinarian.

Empirical evidence of whisker stress

Very few studies are available on whisker stress. One of the most commonly quoted studies on whisker stress is a 2020 study by Jennifer Slovak DVM MS DACVIM at The Animal Medical Center in New York. 

This study aimed to learn whether cats fed from commercially available whisker-friendly bowls ate more, dropped less food, and spent more time at their bowl. Forty cats took part in this study. 

They fasted for 12 hours and were fed their normal amount of dry and wet food. Their pet parents filmed them feeding for 5-minute intervals and measured the amount they ate. Then they repeated the experiment with new whisker-friendly bowls. 

The results suggested there was no evidence that whisker-friendly bowls increased the amount eaten and time spent at the bowl or decreased the amount of food dropped. Results suggest that cats may have marginally preferred the whisker-friendly bowls. 

While this is just one study on a small number of cats, there is some evidence that whisker stress doesn't affect the general cat population's eating habits. 

Another study from later in 2020 on general behavioral and mental well-being in cats states that there is no empirical evidence that whisker stress is real. 

Anecdotal evidence of whisker stress

Conversely, there's lots of anecdotal evidence that cats experience whisker stress when eating or drinking. Do a quick search through the r/cats subreddit, and you'll find pet parents discussing how their cat's behavior has changed after purchasing whisker-friendly bowls. 

Many pet parents on Reddit say that changing their cat's bowl to a shallower version or even a small plate has stopped their cat from pawing at their food and has increased their appetite. Some people said their cats started eating food around the edges of their bowl when they hadn't in the past. 

However, this evidence is purely based on people's stories and by no means definitive proof that food bowls hurt a cat's whiskers or that whisker fatigue is legit.

More research is needed to prove whether or not whisker stress is real. For pet parents who suspect their cat is suffering from whisker stress, Dr. Linda Simon offers this advice:

"If a cat is particularly sensitive or has had previous feeding issues or whisker injury, we could consider this a condition in them. If an owner is concerned, they could trial a 'whisker-friendly' bowl as it won't do any harm."

Just like humans, all cats are individuals, and some cats may have more sensitive whiskers than others. If your cat has a whisker-related injury or isn't eating their food, trying a whisker-friendly bowl isn't a bad idea — just don't expect it to resolve the problem completely.