Eating whiskers

susannah

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So, my eldest boy cat (he's about 2) has a behavior that I find very odd: he will pin down the two younger boys (9 and 6 months) gently and start grooming their face. Then he'll select a whisker, get it between his teeth, and PULL until it comes out. It doesn't seem to bother either of the baby boys. I was wondering a few things: (1) WHY does he do this??? (2) Is it going to hurt the boys periodically growing up without whiskers (he seems to let them grow back in, then "harvest" them in about 1-2 weeks) (3) Is it going to hurt Boo (the oldest boy) to be eating so many whiskers? Thanks in advance for your opinions.
 

hissy

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I would stop the behavior now by applying bitter apple to the whiskers. Kitties need their whiskers at night as well as to measure distance in the day. He needs to not groom them to this extent if at all possible- and I thought my cats were strange?
 

tigger

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Tigger has always groomed Scooter's whiskers since we brought him home. When he was a kitten, she would chew his side whiskers down to little tiny stubs. He will be 3 this year, and she now chews his eye brows down ... I will never understand WHY she continues to do this. The boy will not fly the coop ... He is soooooooo in love with her. Hissy, he is the one who bugs Tigger at night! How can we get her to stop this? Use the bitter apple on the eyebrows?
 

hissy

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I wouldn't use bitter apple so close to the eyes. You might try petroleum free vaseline that might discourage him and it won't hurt the cat so close to the eyes.
 
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