# Mother chewing kittens whiskers



## Idontlikecoffee (Jan 20, 2012)

Hi,

I have a little Abyssinian kitten reserved from a breeder, who is 6 weeks old.

His breeder says his mother is chewing his whiskers, I never really noticed until she sent me this picture.

I did a bit of googling and I was reassured that this was normal and that they whiskers would grow back.

I was wondering just how common this is, I've never experienced or heard of it before.

Baby Pi :


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

What a sweet baby! I don't know how common it is, but it happens quite often enough to be normal.

Great excuse to post a lovely photo


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## Mum to Missy (Aug 13, 2013)

What a little cutie :001_wub:

Not sure how common it is but Willowbee's whiskers had been chewed when I got her, but not sure if it was her mum or the other kittens, but they grow back and she has some nice whisker now, although there are still signs of the chewed ones there.


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

Very common with my girls, most of them chew them while the kittens are young but by the time they leave they're grown some whiskers, though I've got a 15 month old who's mother still prunes her whiskers off.

Lovely kitten, very nice expression.


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

Yes, I like that somewhat cross expression. It looks like he will have green eyes if their colour in the photo is accurate.


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## catcoonz (Aug 4, 2012)

Sweet kitten. 

It is common for kittens to have chewed whiskers, not necessarily from the mum but can also happen from litter mates when playing.

They will grow back so I wouldn't worry.


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## lisajjl1 (Jun 23, 2010)

Quite common here and there seems to be a selection process at work.....naughty kittens that wriggle when being washed and give mum a general overall challenge with their antics seem to have more chance of being pruned while the compliant ones seem to get to keep theirs!!!

Had a mother and son who lived with me until Mum was 17 and son lived to 16 and she pruned his off until the day she died - he looked really strange after she had gone as they grew back and he just looked odd as had never had a full set all his life.


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## Idontlikecoffee (Jan 20, 2012)

Thanks for the replies, its nice to know its normal


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## Taylorbaby (Jan 10, 2009)

totally normal! :laugh: apparently more common in oriental breeds, there is a little tail going around that it is mums way of choosing her favourite :laugh:

But its just grooming, I had a British boy go with no whiskers at all, he looks like he was all shaved ready to go into the army! It was so funny!  They grow back so I wouldn't worry! Couple of my current kittens have a few been chewed off!


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

Taylorbaby said:


> he looks like he was all shaved ready to go into the army!


:laugh: almost choked on my drink reading that :lol:


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

> Had a mother and son who lived with me until Mum was 17 and son lived to 16 and she pruned his off until the day she died


Yeah, if you have a whisker chewer then they're a whisker chewer for ever. It isn't confined to breeding queens trimming their kittens


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## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

I love baby Pi's little face :001_wub: such a cutie even without his whiskers 
Mai Tai nibbles whiskers too - I had to explain it to a trainee vet when I took one litter in for their vaccinations - he'd never seen it before either


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## Taylorbaby (Jan 10, 2009)

spotty cats said:


> :laugh: almost choked on my drink reading that :lol:


He really did! :laugh: I have been trying to find a picture to show but you cant really see his whiskers! :laugh:


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## moggiemum (Mar 28, 2013)

aww beautiful kitten , i must admit i wish i had chewed ankhies off when he was little .they used to tickle me so much lol, whereas susie are so soft and silky being a girl 

gorgeous kitten , i love abys


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## NorthernDarkness (Jan 9, 2013)

Years ago someone told me that mothers chew their kittens' whiskers off to keep them from wondering off/too far so easily. I like that idea, but not sure if there's any truth in that.


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## Kotanushka (Oct 25, 2013)

Chewing off whiskers might have something to do with bullying into submission. A lady bought 2 kittens from me and 6 months later sent me their photos. The boy (who was the biggest but softest in the litter) had his whiskers chewed by his tiny sister. She herself had been bullied by another sister when they were babies. So in the new life she put her brother into the place where she wanted him: he did not dare to even approach his food until SHE has FINISHED her meal.


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## Cerridwen (Jul 26, 2008)

There's almost no research on this at all. I've checked. I've found one study that found it to be more common in first time mums and that's the only study I've found. It could suggest stress, but it's really impossible to draw any conclusions from just that one study.

In other animals such as rats it's a know behavioral problem caused by stress (small cages, to little enrichment etc.).


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

One queen who comes to my stud always has chewed whiskers. She's the only entire cat and there are two other cats in the house with one of them being a whisker chewer. I've known of one kitten in a litter be a whisker chewer once they're old enough for mutual grooming sessions.


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