Question
My cat has long whiskers. And she constantly rubs those whiskers on things, like they itch. I read up a bit, and it says that's just their way of declaring ownership with scent glands and such.
Okay, case closed. Except it really seems like she's frustrated with the sides of her face. And if you physically grab her whiskers and just kind of pull on them, she seems more satisfied than annoyed. Like she's happy you're pulling on them, and if you rub the base of the whiskers she seems even happier.
As a human who finds beards being itchy and wanting to shave, I am wondering about her point of view. I've read about trimming whiskers being cruel because cats want to use them for knowing how wide their bodies are etc. But she is clearly having issues with it and I can literally tug on the whiskers and she seems more relieved than annoyed.
Is there any record of overlong whiskers actually annoying a cat? Has a cat ever seemed happier after a whisker trimming? The cat hates nail clippings too, but foregoing that meant she cut up her ear scratching it. Is there something foundational about whiskers where it is not something you should ever worry about because "they are supposed to be as long as they are due to cat science" ?
Answer
What do her teeth look like? It seems to me like it's a matter of her gums being irritated. One of my cats had a bad case of gingivitis when I got him, and would aggressively rub his cheeks/teeth on everything he could.
If you cat has gingivitis it could be something as simple as brushing her teeth to get rid of the gum inflammation/irritation. You should be able to lift up your cat's lip to see if there's plaque on the teeth and if the gums look reddish/irritated. Otherwise it might be a good idea to make a quick stop by the vet in case it's something less visible/more serious.
Answered By - Spidercat