Do hairless cats have whiskers? Some hairless cat breeds such as the Sphynx breed, may have no whiskers at all.
The Sphynx cat may have some whiskers but the whiskers will be sparse and often broken.
This information also applies to most other hairless breed of cats.
Which Hairless Cats Breeds Have Whiskers?
Here are different hairless cat breeds with information about whether they have whiskers. See below:
The Sphynx Cat
The Sphynx breed of cat is hairless.
A Sphynx cat may have some whiskers.
The whiskers of a Sphynx cat may be broken or totally absent.
The peterbald Cat
The Peterbald breed of cat is of Russian origin.
The Peterbald cat has a hair losing gene.
The Peterbald cat does have whiskers.
The Dwelf Cat
The Dwelf breed of cat is a combination of the Sphynx, Munchkin and American Curl breeds.
It may or may not have whiskers.
The Lykoi Cat
A Lykoi cat may be completely covered in short, sparse hair or may be hairless.
A Lykoi cat does have whiskers as can be seen in this photo.
The ukrainian
Levkoy Cat
A Ukrainian Levkoy is cross between a Donskoy cat and a Scottish Fold cat.
A Ukrainian Levkoy has whiskers that are sparse and appear curly or bent.
The Bambino Cat
The Bambino is a crossbreed. Even as adults they can be the size of a kitten.
Whiskers on a Bambino and very short and sparse.
The Donskoy Cat
The Donsky breed of cat has little or no hair
Donsky may have short or long whiskers but they will be sparse. Some Donsky cats will have no whiskers.
The opposite of very short whiskers is very long whiskers. Does your cat have long whiskers?
Teeny Tiny Whiskers On A Hairless Cat
How Cats navigate using Whiskers
Cat’s whiskers are sensitive to touch and vibration, which gives the cat information about its surroundings.
The root of the whisker is embedded deep within the cat’s skin. The whiskers give the cat access to information about their immediate environment.
The whiskers are incredibly sensitive, due to the large number of nerve endings that are located at the base of each hair.
These nerve endings send information back to the brain, allowing the cat to gauge the distance, shape and size of objects around them.
This ability to ‘feel’ their surroundings is incredibly important for cats, as it allows them to navigate in the dark and helps them to avoid danger.
The whiskers also help cats to judge whether they can fit through a space – if the whiskers touch the sides of a gap, the cat knows that they won’t be able to fit through.
So, how do hairless cats live without whiskers?
Some cats have whiskers that are different colors? Read more about whiskers changing color.
How Do Hairless Cats Judge The Width of Openings With No Whiskers?
Sphynx cats rely more heavily on other senses, such as sight and touch, to make such judgments about the width of openings.
A Sphynx cat approaches potential openings with more caution and might use trial and error to a greater extent than cats with longer whiskers.
They slowly edge their body towards an opening, using their head and the rest of their body to feel their way through. Their skin is also sensitive, which can compensate somewhat for the lack of long whiskers, allowing them to feel their way through tight spaces.
Sphynx cats use visual cues to help judge distances and sizes of openings.
They might not have the same instinctive confidence in their ability to fit through tight spaces as cats with a full set of long whiskers, but they are adaptable and do learn from experience.
Hairless Cats Can Have A Problem Moving Around In The Dark
Hairless cat breeds can have a hard time feeling their way around in the dark.
The whiskers of a cat are particularly useful at night. Cats eyes do not focus as well at night as they do during daylight hours, and their depth perception is lacking.
The whiskers of a cat, enhance a cat’s ability to be aware of its environment in the dark.
Therefore a lack of whiskers can make navigating in the dark more difficult for hairless cats.
Hairless Cats Need To Be Kept Indoors Whiskers Or No Whiskers
Hairless cats need to be indoor cats. With no fur or very little fur for protection of the skin, they are susceptible to the heat and also to cold weather.
Hairless breeds are often seen wearing little sweaters like the one below to help keep them warm and very cute they look too.
When choosing or making cosy clothing for your Sphnyx make sure that it is made from a soft fabric that will not irritate the cat’s skin.
The clothing also needs to laundered frequently. Use a non perfumed, eco friendly detergent or washing powder. Rinse thoroughly to avoid any potential skin irritation.
Conversely, being exposed to the sun can cause sunburn and damage to the skin.
Another good reason to keep your Sphnyx or hairless cat breed indoors where they will be protected from the weather.
Remember that hairless cats have never had whiskers or perhaps just very short or broken whiskers.
As this is all they have known, we presume they don’t have whisker envy. We don’t know about it if they have.
Related: Do your cats whiskers look singed? Yes, it does happen and candles are often the culprit of singed whiskers. Watch those candles when cats are around.
