why do my kittens whiskers keep snapping off after they grow about 1/2 cm long.they seem quite brittle.?

Question

hes a male kitten born on christmas day 06. the whiskers that keep snapping are manly white, he does have some normal ones.

Answer 1

There are some breeds with brittle whiskers.
If you have had your cat checked out and deemed healthy by the vet, you may have ended up with one of the brittle cats.

If you don't already, though, please do feed your cat nutritious food! The grocery store/department store foods are full of fillers that are unnecessary for cats. By buying good food you're giving your cat a diet closer to one that nature intended- look into these:
Innova Evo
http://www.naturapet.com/search/default.asp?animal=cat

Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul
http://www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com/products/cats/dry_food/
http://www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com/products/cats/canned_food/

Eagle
http://www.eaglepack.com/Pages/SP_Cats.html

Felidae Platinum
http://www.canidae.com/cats/platinum/dry.html
http://www.canidae.com/cats/platinum/canned.html

Go! Natural
http://www.petcurean.com/index.php?page_id=34

Halopets Holistic
http://halopets.com/index.cfm

Merrick
http://www.merrickpetcare.com/store/canned_cat_food.php

The Honest Kitchen
http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/products/index.shtml

Natural Balance
http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/catformulas/home.html

Natures Variety** ALSO CARRIES FROZEN RAW MEAT
http://www.naturesvariety.com/content.lasso?page=1352

Natures Logic **ALSO CARRIES FROZEN RAW MEAT
http://www.natureslogic.com/products/cp.html

Wellness
http://www.oldmotherhubbard.com/

SoJourner Farms *Natural Cat food mix- you make your own with this.
http://www.sojos.com/food.html

Answer 2

This happens with kittens because they are so active. The whiskers tend to get broken during play. Its nothing to worry about. The white ones are probably just a little bit weaker than the others. This happened to all my kittens and to my now 12 week old kitten. His whiskers were fine until a few weeks ago and then they started to break. My other kittens grew out of it, and so I am sure mine and yours will too. I've always fed all our kittens an excellent diet so the idea that its a nutrient deficiency didn't add up to me.

Answer 3

If that is happening frequently, then I suspect a dietary deficiency. Best consult a vet or cat nutritionist about it. Cats shed their whiskers but it shouldn't happen more than 3 times a year - if that. And except for the one closest to the top of the snout, the whiskers should grow at least 1-1/2 to 2 inches.

Answer 4

It sounds to be like possibly a calcium or iron deficiency. It could be his diet or even a more serious problem. I'd get him checked out by a vet and discuss the issue with them, you could be looking at some type of genetic disorder. Either way, this is not normal and you need to get him looked at as soon as possible. The sooner he's diagnosed, the sooner he can be treated. I'm so sorry to hear about this and I hope all works out for you.

Answer 5

They do shed their whiskers as well as their fur. Maybe that's what it is? I know when my male cat was a kitten, his whiskers were really curly, but now they're fine.