Why would someone cut my cat’s whiskers?

A few days ago, my indoor Devon Rex cat managed to get out. She was missing for about 24 hours, and when she finally came home, she was a bit shaken but seemed okay overall. But when I checked her closely, I noticed the whiskers on one side of her face had been cut. They weren’t completely gone, but they were all trimmed down very evenly, so I doubt it was an accident.

I know whiskers are important for cats, like for balance and stuff, so I’m really puzzled. Could someone have done this on purpose? Maybe to mess with her or make things difficult for her? I’m just happy she’s back home, but now I’m keeping an eye on her just in case someone fed her something bad while she was out.

I would guess she got stuck somewhere and that’s how her whiskers were damaged. It doesn’t make sense for someone to grab a cat, cut her whiskers, and then let her go again. Either way, I am glad she’s safe now and back home!

@Fallon
If she got stuck, it wouldn’t be as even as you described. That’s why it seems strange.

Hadley said:
@Fallon
If she got stuck, it wouldn’t be as even as you described. That’s why it seems strange.

What if she walked past something hot?

Zeke said:

Hadley said:
@Fallon
If she got stuck, it wouldn’t be as even as you described. That’s why it seems strange.

What if she walked past something hot?

Whiskers that are burned look different. They thin out or curl. I had a kitten who once got too close to fire, so I’ve seen it before.

Maybe she had a fight with another cat. Sometimes cats will bite off each other’s whiskers during a tussle.

My cat once got her whiskers cut by the sharp edge of a tin can. Maybe your cat was scavenging somewhere.

Devon Rex cats have very fragile whiskers due to the same mutation that gives them their unique fur. While it could have been cut, there’s also a chance your cat got her head stuck somewhere and broke them trying to pull free. Happens sometimes.

It might’ve been a kid playing with scissors.

I’ve had this happen with two of my cats before. We lived on a lot of land, and I always thought it was the neighbors, even though they seemed to love animals. If you’re in a neighborhood, it’s probably a person.

A lot of people are just mean for no reason!

My daughters both had phases where they cut their own hair, each other’s hair, their dolls’ hair, and even tried to cut the dog’s fur. Maybe it’s something like that with kids around.