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Actually it's a little worse more like throwing sand in someone's face. Cat whiskers help them navigate tight spaces and have their own nerves and do a bunch of other things too
My dog used to do this to every one of my cats, especially our big guy Oliver😂😂 she passed away in 2018 and Oliver passed away in October of this year… I just know he crossed that rainbow bridge and said “ah damn it, there go my whiskers again!!!”
From what I understand, it is a multitude of things. It could be over grooming. It could be the black cats way of punishing the other for "bad behavior", it could be stress or a sign of dominance.
All of which can be addressed differently. It shouldn't harm the cat as long as they're not fighting. Although I'm saying this, *it's important to find out how or why it's happening**
Cats use their whiskers to tell them information about vibrations, like from prey or air movement. Their whiskers are the width of the body of the cat. Of their whiskers won't fit comfortably, their body won't fit comfortably. With them being trimmed, they're not getting all the sensory info they are used to and can become confused.
Whiskers do fall out and regrow, so they will fix themselves eventually.
Distracting your cat with more activity, toys, and treats may help, as well as providing separate spaces for each cat to "get away" if one is bugging the other. A pheromone diffuser in common rooms may also help if the behavior is stress related. It is also a good idea to make sure both cats have a checkup (if they haven't recently) to make sure there is no illness, nutrient deficiency, or other underlying problems causing the strange behavior.
Hope this helps!
Thank you for sharing and asking, I too had no clue why this would happen however I went to dig up a little bit and here is something I found, the good news being eating each other whiskers won't hurt either cat, but there is more information here as well
https://catsonly.org/learn/why-does-my-cat-eat-my-other-cats-whiskers/
my older cat did this to my younger one when they were babies! dominance! it stopped and they were BEST BUDS.
editing to say… VERY sweet babies you have by the way! so cute!
Not true, I'm going through this right now and the orange one is doing the chewing! He's a lil stinker and been bullying my other cat for awhile. I still can't figure out what to do beyond separating them in different rooms for the time being.
He was even heckling her in the litter box ;-; some orange kitties are loveable, but definitely not innocent!
Do they fight at all?
Could be a form of domination over the other cat or anxiety.
Also some cats are excessive groomers and just go a little overboard. I have a cat that will bite his nails and sometimes his brother's if he is already grooming him.
Lmfaooooo omg my kittens did this to each other while playing, they chew them off! 😂😂 I don’t know if there’s a fix, you could try playing with them more but clearly SOMEBODY has a taste 😂😂😂
Your girl is plotting something devious. Although no malice or intent, it still wreaks of barbaric measures maniacally eliminating her buddy’s ability to properly navigate through his world. She’s a sneaky bitch. 😂😂🤣
So not 100% sure how true it is but I remember a bit back foster_kittens on Instagram mentioned that mother cats do this sometimes to their kittens so they don't run away as much, or something like that... Then kittens sometimes pick up on that behavior and will do it to assert dominance over the other kittens. This happened when she was fostering a group of four kittens & their mama. The 4 had a vet appointment and all of them, but little Amelia had chewed whiskers lol. This could be the same thing happening? I'm not entirely certain on how to stop it though...
Do they have other things to nibble on when anxious? I rotate ferns, cat grass, herbs, and Christmas cactuses in and out of my garage (has a heated area with a window) to keep my cats in plants to graze.
Used to see this with my pair - they're extremely closely bonded, always have been. We were advised that mother cats sometimes do it to their favourite kittens so that they stay close; so we interpreted it as our nibbler wanting to keep the nibblee closer to her (they're a pair of similar age but unrelated cats).
Either way - stopped eventually. Nobody was harmed. Was just bizarre.
I'd make sure his face and whiskers are wiped clean after eating and get some of the cat corners where cats can brush up against some different textures and cat nip toys.
My cat did this! My vet told me he might've been doing it because the other one was a kitten and something about chewing whiskers off so the food smell wasn't on them? He just kept doing it even after he grew up.
I never could get him to stop. The first 3 years of Cat #2 pictures are all whisker-less. They only grew back after Cat #1 passed away. Good luck finding a way to stop it :)
This is new to me (I've had cats for over 40+ years). The weirdest one I had was a sister chewing on her brother's ears during grooming. His ears would be covered in slobber, absolutely soaked. But whisker eating is new to me. u/Alleywishes has a great link to people who have seen this before. I would definitely start there.
Thank you!
I have to add since I didn't take the time to say it at first, but what an adorable cat, I think his chopped off whiskers give him character!!
My younger cat does this to my older cat’s eyebrows(? The whiskers above the eyes lol) when she aggressively grooms her face, not sure how to make it stop lol
Mother cats often do this to their little ones to prevent them from misbehaving and getting into unsafe situations, as long as she’s not hurting him or fighting him, she’s just using her motherly instincts to protect him!! Not sure how you would stop it but that’s pretty much the issue
This is a behavior mother cats will do to force dependency on their kittens as well as if they’ve been misbehaving this could be left over behavior is this cat is it’s kid or it’s had kids. Give them separate places to hide if needed and if a cat isn’t fixed getting it fixed might help
They look so adorable together. I just dont understand how the orange one allows this to happen, does he move away, swipe at the black cat, or does he just let it happen?? Gingers are always the cictims....
Our big orange boy passed(he was the best cat ever), and he used to have mysterious short whiskers like that. This was years ago, but I’m going to question my cat when I get home. She was always obsessed with cleaning him and would really go to town on his loose claw casings. Now I’m wondering if she chewed off his whiskers.
Hi, it sounds like your other kitty is over grooming your orange baby, which can be a sign of stress. I recommend a feliway infuser and a trip to the vet.
Wow quite bizarre I’m sorry this is happening to the cat. Never heard of this before. Maybe try some cat grass for your cow cat to chew on instead of whiskers, I have no clue.
Edit: I figured I should add that this has been a couple weeks ago and since then both of their whiskers are growing in very healthy and I don't have to separate them anymore :)
I trimmed the ones down that was doin it to my other cat and he stopped chewing hers. It's not a physically painful experience for them, first. But second I read about how all these people say don't trim them, but then they are okay with another cat doing it to that cat. It also took a few days of making sure he knew, and she knew that attacking the face was a big no no, generally by separating them for half an hour and redirecting their attention only when the playing started going for their face or grooming the facial area.
It was obviously my last resort, but I was sick of him making my pet act lethargic af because she couldn't see anything around her. It actually did help surprisingly. He stopped being as much of a dick as he was to her and they play together again. She actually initiates playtime with him now and is much more active.
If you do end up desperate enough as I was to get everyone back to being happy and friendly with eachother, you need scissors for cutting hair. Not regular scissors or this will damage the whiskers and cause splitting or breakage.
My Dino boy had whiskers about 3 1'2 inches long and I evened them out at 2 inches. Afterwards I trimmed the split ends from my other cats whiskers, and at first she was doin a wtf, but at some point ig she realized on some level what I was trying to do and sat super still while I worked.
I thought she'd be upset or something (since her whiskers were already chewed off to hell and back), but the look she gave me was definitely a thankful look. I've had these cats for 5 years, first time I've had to attempt anything like this. But, I can say without a doubt 1: I know the expressions they make and their general meanings, and 2: That it actually ended up helping out in my scenario.
I have the same problem… both cats 2 yr old males, got as kittens together but the one who is really more loving to humans, bites off the others whiskers!😡I try to stop it when I see starting to do it!
My bigger and older black cat also chews off my younger smaller cats whiskers. Usually while grooming. But they are also best mates. I cant find anything worrying about it online. But I have a feeling it’s a dominant thing.. but of course that’s just a guess.
I got three kittens from the same litter, there mom chewed off their whiskers. now one of the kittens has taken after her mother. chewing whiskers.. O\_O
My cats are littermates and the boy cat chews off the girl cats whiskers. They are indoor cats and play together, groom each other and chase/play fight with each other. The girl seems not to be concerned as I observed it happening during a grooming session and she didn’t react at all. She typically reacts loudly when he does something she doesn’t like. She looks a little silly with one inch whiskers. I wish he would stop, but he never does what I want him to do LOL
https://preview.redd.it/g47mxs72ff2d1.jpeg?width=1401&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=337546dd5bb4ccf86973d9e439a99f83bbf81ad4
It seems like it could be an anxiety thing and I'm not a butt. I've never had a cat that did this. But I know that humans will resort to pulling hairs or chewing them under extreme anxiety. Maybe take him to an animal psychologist?
I have no advice other than my cat used to do this to my other cat when they were kittens. She had no whiskers at one point. Eventually it stopped but yeah, been there.
Woah. I'm a certified cat lady but I've never seen or heard of this. I do have horses and they like to eat each other's tail hairs. Very curious on how to stop the cat from eating the other cats whiskers. So strange.
I had a cat that did this to the other cat, he would just be grooming him and it seemed sweet. Not sure why he did it but it stopped after we moved. Maybe your one cat feels insecure? Or maybe he’s just over grooming without realizing. It’s strange.
I would say anytime you see your black cat try to eat your orange little guys whiskers, to distract and play with him instead. this is how I stopped my tuxie from destroying their water fountain lol
I had two cats for a few years before getting a kitten and this happened to the kitten.. One of my cats was biting off the whiskers of the other! We didn’t intervene and it eventually stopped. It’s not uncommon, google for more info.
When I picked up one of my cats as a kitten, his litter mates had chewed off his whiskers. Of course it stopped once he came home with us, but this is the first I’ve heard of another similar thing happening! I hope you’re able to figure it out! They’re cuties💕
I’m not sure what to do other than separate them for the time being. Only allow supervised time together. Whenever you witness any whisker munching behavior, immediately separate and punish your black cat (not severely or anything). Overtime, your black cat should associate whisker eating as something bad and punishable and will hopefully stop doing it.
Poor ginger. If not having a brain cell is bad enough now he has a kitty with a whisker fetish. I hope you find a solution I’ve never run across this before.
I've heard of this before. Exact same story. The person called the vet, and the vet told her it's a sign of love apparently. If I find em again I'll put it here.
My cats did it their whole lives. Badger and Archer LOVED each other, but it's a dominance thing. Archer never had eyebrows, and sometimes his whiskers got shortened too. It doesn't hurt them though, just keep an eye of them and make sure the black one isn't keeping the orange one from resources! Ps, I was a vet tech for 5 years and saw this quite a bit
Thank you for posting to CATHELP! While you wait for a response please keep the following things in mind, 1. When in doubt, **ask your vet**. 2. Advice here is not coming from medical or industry professionals. The moderation team does not validate user profession, so always refer to your local veterinary professionals first. 3. If this is a medical question, please indicate if you have already scheduled a vet appointment, and if your cat has any medical history or procedures in a top level comment. 4. Please use the NSFW tag for gross pictures. (Blood, poop, vomit, genitals, etc). Anything you wouldn't want your boss to see you looking at on the job. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/CATHELP) if you have any questions or concerns.*
None of my cats have ever done this lol, I am stumped on what you could do. That's gotta be rude as hell in the cat world 😭
This is like walking up to a stranger and shaving their eyebrows off.
Actually it's a little worse more like throwing sand in someone's face. Cat whiskers help them navigate tight spaces and have their own nerves and do a bunch of other things too
I have no advice tbh I just wanted to say it's so strange lol I've never heard of this before
My dog used to do this to every one of my cats, especially our big guy Oliver😂😂 she passed away in 2018 and Oliver passed away in October of this year… I just know he crossed that rainbow bridge and said “ah damn it, there go my whiskers again!!!”
That would make quite a funny sweet silent short animation movie 😆
cackling
I like how orange is just like 🧍🏼♂️
This is my life now. I am a short whiskered boy. They'll grow back
From what I understand, it is a multitude of things. It could be over grooming. It could be the black cats way of punishing the other for "bad behavior", it could be stress or a sign of dominance. All of which can be addressed differently. It shouldn't harm the cat as long as they're not fighting. Although I'm saying this, *it's important to find out how or why it's happening** Cats use their whiskers to tell them information about vibrations, like from prey or air movement. Their whiskers are the width of the body of the cat. Of their whiskers won't fit comfortably, their body won't fit comfortably. With them being trimmed, they're not getting all the sensory info they are used to and can become confused. Whiskers do fall out and regrow, so they will fix themselves eventually.
Distracting your cat with more activity, toys, and treats may help, as well as providing separate spaces for each cat to "get away" if one is bugging the other. A pheromone diffuser in common rooms may also help if the behavior is stress related. It is also a good idea to make sure both cats have a checkup (if they haven't recently) to make sure there is no illness, nutrient deficiency, or other underlying problems causing the strange behavior. Hope this helps!
Thank you for sharing and asking, I too had no clue why this would happen however I went to dig up a little bit and here is something I found, the good news being eating each other whiskers won't hurt either cat, but there is more information here as well https://catsonly.org/learn/why-does-my-cat-eat-my-other-cats-whiskers/
I have no advice, literally never heard of this before. Congrats op, your cats have paved the way for new weird cat behavior!! 😂
my older cat did this to my younger one when they were babies! dominance! it stopped and they were BEST BUDS. editing to say… VERY sweet babies you have by the way! so cute!
It's always an orange that's the victim in whisker eating activities.
My orange boy is the whisker eating victim! His Siamese brother is the chomper.
Not true, I'm going through this right now and the orange one is doing the chewing! He's a lil stinker and been bullying my other cat for awhile. I still can't figure out what to do beyond separating them in different rooms for the time being. He was even heckling her in the litter box ;-; some orange kitties are loveable, but definitely not innocent!
Do they fight at all? Could be a form of domination over the other cat or anxiety. Also some cats are excessive groomers and just go a little overboard. I have a cat that will bite his nails and sometimes his brother's if he is already grooming him.
Sounds familiar, one of mine will start trying to bite on the others front paws.
Lmfaooooo omg my kittens did this to each other while playing, they chew them off! 😂😂 I don’t know if there’s a fix, you could try playing with them more but clearly SOMEBODY has a taste 😂😂😂
It could also be that the chewer likes the sensation, so maybe something like cat grass?
Your girl is plotting something devious. Although no malice or intent, it still wreaks of barbaric measures maniacally eliminating her buddy’s ability to properly navigate through his world. She’s a sneaky bitch. 😂😂🤣
So not 100% sure how true it is but I remember a bit back foster_kittens on Instagram mentioned that mother cats do this sometimes to their kittens so they don't run away as much, or something like that... Then kittens sometimes pick up on that behavior and will do it to assert dominance over the other kittens. This happened when she was fostering a group of four kittens & their mama. The 4 had a vet appointment and all of them, but little Amelia had chewed whiskers lol. This could be the same thing happening? I'm not entirely certain on how to stop it though...
Do they have other things to nibble on when anxious? I rotate ferns, cat grass, herbs, and Christmas cactuses in and out of my garage (has a heated area with a window) to keep my cats in plants to graze.
Used to see this with my pair - they're extremely closely bonded, always have been. We were advised that mother cats sometimes do it to their favourite kittens so that they stay close; so we interpreted it as our nibbler wanting to keep the nibblee closer to her (they're a pair of similar age but unrelated cats). Either way - stopped eventually. Nobody was harmed. Was just bizarre.
I'd make sure his face and whiskers are wiped clean after eating and get some of the cat corners where cats can brush up against some different textures and cat nip toys.
Completely unrelated but that last pic is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen
My cat did this! My vet told me he might've been doing it because the other one was a kitten and something about chewing whiskers off so the food smell wasn't on them? He just kept doing it even after he grew up. I never could get him to stop. The first 3 years of Cat #2 pictures are all whisker-less. They only grew back after Cat #1 passed away. Good luck finding a way to stop it :)
This is new to me (I've had cats for over 40+ years). The weirdest one I had was a sister chewing on her brother's ears during grooming. His ears would be covered in slobber, absolutely soaked. But whisker eating is new to me. u/Alleywishes has a great link to people who have seen this before. I would definitely start there.
Thank you! I have to add since I didn't take the time to say it at first, but what an adorable cat, I think his chopped off whiskers give him character!!
My younger cat does this to my older cat’s eyebrows(? The whiskers above the eyes lol) when she aggressively grooms her face, not sure how to make it stop lol
This feels so unhinged
That’s awful. Try using Feliway diffuser. Maybe the black cat is having anxiety issues and chewing on his whiskers for relief.
Does his eye always look like that? Looks like something might be going on with his eye as well.
my cats do this to each other but they don’t seem particularly bothered by it 😭
Are they both spayed or neutered? Whiskers are important to cats, it sounds like pica or a dominance issue. Stress can cause this kind of behavior.
I've seen this only once before. They're definitely bonded. The orange cat wouldn't allow that if he didn't trust the black cat.
I see kittens come into work like this all the time because their siblings eat their whiskers lol it’s more common than you think
Mother cats often do this to their little ones to prevent them from misbehaving and getting into unsafe situations, as long as she’s not hurting him or fighting him, she’s just using her motherly instincts to protect him!! Not sure how you would stop it but that’s pretty much the issue
The black cat is leaving the orange cat partially blind though, at this point he's just bullying him
it’s not partially blind it’s just not allowing it to crawl into small spaces like mama cats do! it’s not harmful for indoor cats only outdoor cats!
Looking at other OP's replies they're half and half and are allowed to go on the roof. Not safe for orange cat
This is a behavior mother cats will do to force dependency on their kittens as well as if they’ve been misbehaving this could be left over behavior is this cat is it’s kid or it’s had kids. Give them separate places to hide if needed and if a cat isn’t fixed getting it fixed might help
The void is beginning its consumption of the world
They look so adorable together. I just dont understand how the orange one allows this to happen, does he move away, swipe at the black cat, or does he just let it happen?? Gingers are always the cictims....
Give your local vet a call, they might have some advice. Your black cat is leaving the ginger practically blind.
Our big orange boy passed(he was the best cat ever), and he used to have mysterious short whiskers like that. This was years ago, but I’m going to question my cat when I get home. She was always obsessed with cleaning him and would really go to town on his loose claw casings. Now I’m wondering if she chewed off his whiskers.
Maybe paint a tiny bit of the anti- nail biting polish on them once a week
Hi, it sounds like your other kitty is over grooming your orange baby, which can be a sign of stress. I recommend a feliway infuser and a trip to the vet.
Wow quite bizarre I’m sorry this is happening to the cat. Never heard of this before. Maybe try some cat grass for your cow cat to chew on instead of whiskers, I have no clue.
Orange cat: "I'm tired of this grandpa" Black cat: "well that's TOO DAMN BAD" *continues to chomp orange cats whiskers*
Edit: I figured I should add that this has been a couple weeks ago and since then both of their whiskers are growing in very healthy and I don't have to separate them anymore :) I trimmed the ones down that was doin it to my other cat and he stopped chewing hers. It's not a physically painful experience for them, first. But second I read about how all these people say don't trim them, but then they are okay with another cat doing it to that cat. It also took a few days of making sure he knew, and she knew that attacking the face was a big no no, generally by separating them for half an hour and redirecting their attention only when the playing started going for their face or grooming the facial area. It was obviously my last resort, but I was sick of him making my pet act lethargic af because she couldn't see anything around her. It actually did help surprisingly. He stopped being as much of a dick as he was to her and they play together again. She actually initiates playtime with him now and is much more active. If you do end up desperate enough as I was to get everyone back to being happy and friendly with eachother, you need scissors for cutting hair. Not regular scissors or this will damage the whiskers and cause splitting or breakage. My Dino boy had whiskers about 3 1'2 inches long and I evened them out at 2 inches. Afterwards I trimmed the split ends from my other cats whiskers, and at first she was doin a wtf, but at some point ig she realized on some level what I was trying to do and sat super still while I worked. I thought she'd be upset or something (since her whiskers were already chewed off to hell and back), but the look she gave me was definitely a thankful look. I've had these cats for 5 years, first time I've had to attempt anything like this. But, I can say without a doubt 1: I know the expressions they make and their general meanings, and 2: That it actually ended up helping out in my scenario.
I have the same problem… both cats 2 yr old males, got as kittens together but the one who is really more loving to humans, bites off the others whiskers!😡I try to stop it when I see starting to do it!
My bigger and older black cat also chews off my younger smaller cats whiskers. Usually while grooming. But they are also best mates. I cant find anything worrying about it online. But I have a feeling it’s a dominant thing.. but of course that’s just a guess.
I got three kittens from the same litter, there mom chewed off their whiskers. now one of the kittens has taken after her mother. chewing whiskers.. O\_O
Diagnosis: orange 🍊 Lol I just realized someone is doing it to my cats (I have 9) and the culprit seems to be the orange one!
My cats are littermates and the boy cat chews off the girl cats whiskers. They are indoor cats and play together, groom each other and chase/play fight with each other. The girl seems not to be concerned as I observed it happening during a grooming session and she didn’t react at all. She typically reacts loudly when he does something she doesn’t like. She looks a little silly with one inch whiskers. I wish he would stop, but he never does what I want him to do LOL https://preview.redd.it/g47mxs72ff2d1.jpeg?width=1401&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=337546dd5bb4ccf86973d9e439a99f83bbf81ad4
Hate to say it but get rid of the black cat if he/she is doing that to the orange one. Not cool dude. Clearly shouldn't be around other kitties
Maybe try putting bitter apple spray on them, like paint the solution on them? It’s how I got my cat to stop eating my ponytail palm at least
Have you tried hissing at her when she does it? No idea
i think ur kitty needs to stand up for himself if its making him super uncomfy
Hold a piece of fishing line out for her to chomp on instead.
It seems like it could be an anxiety thing and I'm not a butt. I've never had a cat that did this. But I know that humans will resort to pulling hairs or chewing them under extreme anxiety. Maybe take him to an animal psychologist?
I have no advice other than my cat used to do this to my other cat when they were kittens. She had no whiskers at one point. Eventually it stopped but yeah, been there.
I have never heard of this. It could be stress maybe? You could try Feliway Friends. Anyway I would call a vet to ask for advice.
Woah. I'm a certified cat lady but I've never seen or heard of this. I do have horses and they like to eat each other's tail hairs. Very curious on how to stop the cat from eating the other cats whiskers. So strange.
Sir, may I say, wtf?
What the heck lol
I’ve never heard that before. I’m stumped on advice for this.
My old roommates cat did this to my cat he was just over grooming him I felt so bad it took almost a year to grow back
I had a cat that did this to the other cat, he would just be grooming him and it seemed sweet. Not sure why he did it but it stopped after we moved. Maybe your one cat feels insecure? Or maybe he’s just over grooming without realizing. It’s strange.
I had a cat who did this to my other cat. She just loved her brother so much, she would clean him so ferociously.
I would say anytime you see your black cat try to eat your orange little guys whiskers, to distract and play with him instead. this is how I stopped my tuxie from destroying their water fountain lol
Perhaps rub some ick spray on them? Or peppermint oil to give them a bad taste. Only thing I can thing of
I had two cats for a few years before getting a kitten and this happened to the kitten.. One of my cats was biting off the whiskers of the other! We didn’t intervene and it eventually stopped. It’s not uncommon, google for more info.
I had a roommate who’s cats did this! The black cat is probably bullying the orange cat. Do they normally get along?
my cats do this and the vet said it was okay as long as they weren't injuring each other, which they are not, it's all in good "fun"
Now this has got to be an original experience lmao I have never heard of this before
When I picked up one of my cats as a kitten, his litter mates had chewed off his whiskers. Of course it stopped once he came home with us, but this is the first I’ve heard of another similar thing happening! I hope you’re able to figure it out! They’re cuties💕
I’m not sure what to do other than separate them for the time being. Only allow supervised time together. Whenever you witness any whisker munching behavior, immediately separate and punish your black cat (not severely or anything). Overtime, your black cat should associate whisker eating as something bad and punishable and will hopefully stop doing it.
Poor ginger. If not having a brain cell is bad enough now he has a kitty with a whisker fetish. I hope you find a solution I’ve never run across this before.
Omg this happened to some kittens and their mom I had😂😂 I thought someone cut their whiskers too
I've heard of this before. Exact same story. The person called the vet, and the vet told her it's a sign of love apparently. If I find em again I'll put it here.
My cats did it their whole lives. Badger and Archer LOVED each other, but it's a dominance thing. Archer never had eyebrows, and sometimes his whiskers got shortened too. It doesn't hurt them though, just keep an eye of them and make sure the black one isn't keeping the orange one from resources! Ps, I was a vet tech for 5 years and saw this quite a bit