"Not Now, Kitten Whiskers, Daddy Will Discuss It Later" Meaning

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How a cartoon clip went TikTok viral, plus other Shrek memes

Co-authored by Tobi Nwodo and Elaine Heredia, BA

Last Updated: September 28, 2025 Fact Checked

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• What is the "Not Now, Kitten Whiskers" meme?
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• Why is it trending?
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• Does Prince Charming say "Pookie?"
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• Other Shrek TikTok Memes
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• Video

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Since 2021, the "Not here, kitten whiskers. Daddy will discuss it later" clip from Shrek the Third has been dubbed by thousands of TikTok creators. But who says this infamous line? And who's the other voice in the clip saying, "But Pookie…"? We'll reveal all the answers in our guide to the meaning of the "Not now, kitten whiskers" meme, and we'll also cover other popular Shrek memes you may have heard of.

What does "Not Here, Kitten Whiskers" mean?

"Not here, kitten whiskers. Daddy will discuss it later" is a quote from Shrek the Third. Prince Charming says the quote to his fiance Rapunzel to imply they'll have a conversation in the future. It’s been used in TikTok videos and memes where users widen their jaw with a filter and lipsync to the line.

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Section 1 of 4:

What is the "Not Now, Kitten Whiskers" meme?

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1. 
   The "Not now, kitten whiskers" meme is a clip from Shrek the Third. In the clip, Prince Charming (the film's villain) is threatening one of the main characters, Princess Fiona. His fiance, Rapunzel, says, "But Pookie, you promised you wouldn't hurt them," to which Charming replies, "Not here, kitten whiskers. Daddy will discuss it later."

   • The real quote is "Not here, kitten whiskers," but people commonly mistake "Not here" for "Not now."
   • This clip comes with surprising sexual undertones. A woman calling her partner "Daddy" (and her partner referring to himself in the third person as "Daddy") is a kink performed most often in the bedroom during sex.
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Section 2 of 4:

Why is "Not Here, Kitten Whiskers" trending?

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1. 
   The "Not here, kitten whiskers" quote became a TikTok meme in 2021. To use it, TikTok creators play the clip's sound over their videos and film themselves lip-syncing to Prince Charming's part. TikTokers make these videos to poke fun at how diva-like Prince Charming sounds, as well as the silliness of having a quote like "Daddy will discuss it later" in a kids' film.

   • The meme later evolved to creators like @d3gra using a face-widening filter to make their jaws bigger, to better mimic the Prince.
   • Other users, like @colinlma0, turn on the blink face filter to radically change their facial features and highlight how ridiculous Prince Charming sounds in this clip.
   • Another filter that makes a popular pair with the "kitten whiskers" meme is the glamour filter. As you can see in this video by @neonguts021, it makes the users' lips appear poutier and their eyebrows look more slanted, like an exaggerated super model – perfect for our drama king, Prince Charming!

Section 3 of 4:

Does Prince Charming say "Pookie?"

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1. 
   No, Prince Charming doesn't say "Pookie" or "pookie bear." Shrek the Third features two main villains: Charming and Rapunzel. It's Rapunzel who calls Charming "Pookie," while he refers to her lovingly as "kitten whiskers." Together, the pair plots to usurp the throne of Far, Far Away from the heroes, Shrek and Fiona.

   • Prince Charming also wants to kill Shrek to avenge the death of his mother, the Fairy Godmother. She died in Shrek 2 while trying to secure the throne for him by betrothing him to Fiona (who is already married to Shrek, the ogre in that film).
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Section 4 of 4:

Other Shrek TikTok Memes

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1. 
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   "Do you know the muffin man?" By far, one of the most famous Shrek quotes is in the first film, in the scene when Lord Farquaad is interrogating Gingy (a gingerbread man) for information in his dungeons.

   • TikTok creators have adapted this quote to several different themes. In this viral post by @dora145, two patients in a hospital quote this line to one another while one of them is high on pain medication.
   • Full Quote:
     • (Gingy): "Okay, I'll tell you. Do you know the muffin man?"
     • (Lord Farquaad): "Yes, I know the muffin man, who lives on Drury Lane?"
     • (Gingy): "Well, she's married to the muffin man."
     • (Lord Farquaad): "[shocked] The muffin man?"
     • (Gingy): "The muffin man!"
2. 
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   "Yes, I was talkin' to you." In the first Shrek film, Donkey startles Shrek when he suddenly appears in front of him and starts complimenting him for scaring away some royal guards.

   • Some TikTokers play this quote over videos of their pets abruptly coming into frame or following their humans around, like in this post by @helenawhite05.
   • Full Quote: "Yes. I was talkin' to you. Can I tell you that you that you was great back here? Those guards! They thought they was all of that. Then you showed up, and bam! They was trippin' over themselves like babes in the woods. That really made me feel good to see that."
3. 
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   "We can stay up late, swappin' manly stories." In another scene from Shrek, the titular character decides to let Donkey stay at his house for one night. Donkey excitedly lists off all the fun things they'll do during their sleepover, like "stay up late" and swap "manly stories." Some TikTokers, like @beyonka_smalls, play this quote over their videos to show what they think it will be like to spend the night with their boyfriend or male partner.

   • Full Quote: "This is gonna be fun! We can stay up late, swappin' manly stories, and in the mornin', I'm makin' waffles."
4. 
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   "Cause I'm all alone." In Shrek, after Shrek and Donkey meet, the ogre asks Donkey why he's following him. Donkey responds with a song: "Cause I'm all alone. There's no one here beside me." TikTokers like @florica091 use this clip in their videos when they want to (jokingly) complain about being single or left to their own devices by their significant other.

   • Full Quote:
     • (Shrek) "Why are you following me?"
     • (Donkey): "I'll tell you why. [singing] 'Cause I'm all alone, There's no one here beside me, My problems have all gone, There's no one to deride me, but you gotta have faith…"
     • (Shrek): "Stop singing! Well, it's no wonder you don't have any friends."
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