Whisker mystery.... please help me solve this!

So I'm looking at Zissou today and I notice one side of her face has shorter whiskers than the other. Hmmm that's odd. So I look closer and it looks like they've been cut. They don't taper at the ends, they're blunt. But the other half is fine.

Now... what could possibly have caused that? I know I didn't do it, I don't think she has opposable thumbs. I NEVER burn candles or anything like that, and she's not allowed on the counter and doesn't get on it. Nobody is ever around my cat unattended, that is, I rarely have people over and anyone I would let over wouldn't be cutting her whiskers!

What could she possibly be getting into that would cause this? They're not super short or anything, but I want to figure out what it is before she manages to hurt herself. No knives or anything are kept anywhere she could get to, and I don't do anything weird like keep hydrochloric acid around.

Ideas?

Do you have any rodents as pets ? My best friends Siamese used to nap with his head against the guinea pig's cage, and the guinea pig trimmed his whiskers for him. (momcats also trim their kittens whiskers, so maybe your other cats did it ?)

does she ever go outside? i knew a stray in my neighborhood once that's whiskers were cut almost entirely off...someone thought it would be funny and snipped them.

That is a mystery being that you dont have any other kitties and she doesnt go outside. maybe you can crawl around your apt and look for missing whiskersto help you solve it...........

Maybe they're a little brittle and that's the side she sleeps on? Or she could be breaking them off when she's playing.

Dorky Fish breaks off his whiskers periodically. I don't think he's ever broken more than 3 or 4 at once, though. And I don't know how he mananges to break them off but they look like they've been cut off...as you described Zissou's whiskers.

I have noticed that my dog's tail looked "cut". I figured it might have been the kids. I always notice my cat's whiskers, I think strong whiskers signify a healthy cat.

Do you have kids?

This once happened to my mog and on further inspection it turn out to be a severely misguided husband who was 'tidying him up'. The poor cat walked into things for weeks.

Hm. Yea, she doesn't go outside and no other cats, and I live alone. I found a whisker on the bedroom floor, but there's nothing near it that could cause this! It is nearly all the whiskers on one side of her face and none of the ones on the other, so it's not just natural rough-and-tumble. They look like they've been cut, all the same length. I can't think of anything they'd get closed in, or anything like that. This is frustrating, because I just worry that if she got into something that could do that it could cut her as well!

Is it possible that she was playing near a hot radiator or your oven?

Originally Posted by strange_wings

Maybe they're a little brittle and that's the side she sleeps on? Or she could be breaking them off when she's playing.

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I'd say check the bedding and if not there, maybe around registers if you have any in the floor.

Very strange... have you taken her to a groomer lately? I took my female persian to the groomer a few years back and she came home with all her whiskers cut back really short. I was a little irritated, because I always heard you shouldn't cut a cat's whiskers.

I groom her myself as she is way more patient with me than strangers. And you're right 2furbabies, it is very bad to cut a cat's whiskers and there is no reason to do it ever unless something drastic happens like they get into superglue or something (in which case they should be at the vet anyway).

My heat vents are in the ceiling and the hot water heater and everything are in a closet that is blocked shut by book shelves. The stove is electric so there's no pilot light or anything.

I guess they are kind of on the side she sleeps on... hmmm... you may be on to something there. I looked on her main beds but her belly hairs are white too so I can't tell if there are any whisker ends.

Would they look totally blunted on the ends? Not like split ends but like freshly-cut hair?

My cat Opie got out accidentally about 2 months ago, and when he returned ALL his whiskers were gone. Not cut, more like PULLED.