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Original poster

Something “shaved” my cat!

30 replies

Seeingadistance · 21/06/2025 12:02

This morning one of the cats was sitting outside on windowsill. While I was in the bathroom brushing my teeth I could hear miaowing and assumed she was singing the hunter’s song of triumph. But she was still on windowsill and I could see a tuft of hair sticking up on her side. Assumed she’d had a tussle with her sister. She was calm and unbothered.

when she came in I pulled the hair tuft away and saw that she looked as if someone had run a razor along her side!

There are magpies about. Could they have done this?

OP posts:
Original poster
Seeingadistance · 21/06/2025 12:04

I tried to post pictures but they’ve not appeared.

OP posts:
ginasevern · 21/06/2025 13:03

Is the windowsill near or on the street? I mean, could there have been human involvement?

Original poster
Seeingadistance · 21/06/2025 13:18

No, windowsill is out of sight of the street, and I live on a short cut-de-sac in a small village. No one who lives here would have done anything like this, and anyway the cats are shy and run away from anyone who isn't me.

I'll try to post pic again.

OP posts:
Original poster
Seeingadistance · 21/06/2025 13:21

Photos of the "shaved" area, and one of the tufts of hair. The cat is completely unbothered by whatever has happened.

Something “shaved” my cat!
Something “shaved” my cat!
Something “shaved” my cat!
OP posts:
Corgiears · 21/06/2025 13:25

I’ve seen something about this before, which is a bit weird but:

https://www.reddit.com/r/sheffield/s/wfFaAPtaO4

Original poster
Seeingadistance · 21/06/2025 14:04

Corgiears · 21/06/2025 13:25

I’ve seen something about this before, which is a bit weird but:

https://www.reddit.com/r/sheffield/s/wfFaAPtaO4

That is weird!

OP posts:
Dominoeffecter · 21/06/2025 14:06

How bizarre, I’m glad you cat isn’t upset.

thismummyslife · 21/06/2025 14:09

Has someone mistaken her for their own pet and took her to the vets?

fatgirlswims · 21/06/2025 14:11

I’ve heard of this before happening to multiple cats in a neighbourhood- it was weird and sinister. Can remember no more. I don’t think it was the same as the Sheffield one.

sorry this has happened - some one has done this intentionally

Original poster
Seeingadistance · 21/06/2025 14:40

thismummyslife · 21/06/2025 14:09

Has someone mistaken her for their own pet and took her to the vets?

It happened in the space of no more than 5 minutes. I'm in a bungalow and the cats jump in and out my bedroom window. She was on sill adjacent to my bedroom - I opened the window for her, but she stayed where she was. Then I went into my en-suite to put sunscreen on. While doing this, I heard her miaowing, went back to bedroom - she was quiet, hadn't moved from position she was in before. Only difference was the tuft of hair sticking up. Then she jumped in window and I realised a patch of hair was gone from her back! Not an area a vet would usually shave anyway.

Also, that area is chipped so I would have heard anyone walking across it - and she would've run away.

It's possible that I just hadn't noticed the tuft of fur sticking up before and it had already happened earlier. Very strange. Quite disturbing that this seems to be a thing.

Neighbours on both sides also have cats - I'll go and speak to them about it, see if they've noticed anything.

OP posts:
ginasevern · 21/06/2025 16:19

It probably did happen earlier, maybe even yesterday, and you didn't notice. Sorry to say but shaving cats has been a bit of a "thing" amongst teenagers. It was happening a lot in Bristol last year.

SilverMau · 21/06/2025 17:23

There is another possiblity. Did she fall off the window ledge and then scrape her back on the wall as she turned to land on her feet?

I ask this as I have horses and they will 'skin' themselves where they rip the fur out leaving a bald patch of skin. A typical way of doing this is slipping on tarmac, but a rough surface such as brick would also do it (they can even do it by catching one leg on another leg white having a hoolie, as the friction can just rip the fur out at the roots).

The good thing is, as there is no cut, she should have no problems and grow the fur back soon.

Original poster
Seeingadistance · 21/06/2025 18:53

I've had a look around the window ledge everything is normal - no signs of fur there or that she might have fallen.

She had her breakfast at about 7.30am and was fine then. Noticed the missing fur at about 10am.

OP posts:
Mingenious · 21/06/2025 18:56

My cat’s always got a spot like this on her back and I’ve never been able to identify exactly how it’s happening but I think it’s from where she must be going under a metal fence or something on her travels

RentalWoesNotFun · 21/06/2025 19:03

Get security cameras installed. That’ll scare any weirdos with designs away. Poor kitty.

AlwaysGardening · 21/06/2025 19:12

Has she gone under a car and burnt herself on an exhaust pipe? I thought my cat had been shaved once but she had been over grooming but I don’t think a cat would overgroom their back!

yestothat · 21/06/2025 19:22

Someone posted the same on mumsnet a couple of weeks ago, I can’t post a link as I’m on the app but it was @crackadawntitled ‘fellow cat owners, WTF is this on my boy?!?’
very strange

Needanadultgapyear · 22/06/2025 07:35

That does not look shaved as the hair in the edges would have bits that were shorter. It looks like where there has been a wound and a scab and then the hair comes away with the scab leaving a bald area. Probably a cat fight wound.

Original poster
Seeingadistance · 22/06/2025 17:45

Needanadultgapyear · 22/06/2025 07:35

That does not look shaved as the hair in the edges would have bits that were shorter. It looks like where there has been a wound and a scab and then the hair comes away with the scab leaving a bald area. Probably a cat fight wound.

No, it's definitely shaved. The skin is clear - no signs of injury at all. And the edges are straight and well defined. It looks like someone called or enticed the cat over, then simply took one pass over her coat with a battery operated shaver or clippers.

I'm going to report to SSPCA so there's a record if this in case there's a local pattern.

OP posts:
ARainyNightInSoho · 22/06/2025 17:57

This happened to my friend’s cat. It turned out that another family thought the cat was theirs and had taken it to the vet where it had had some kind of treatment.

Our local Facebook page is inundated with posts from people saying they have a hungry stray cat hanging around their house and that they are such good people they are feeding it and adopting it. You can see how this might lead to a vet visit. My own cat spent several hours a day at a neighbour’s house for years and convinced them she wasn’t being properly looked after at home. Cats can be very deceptive.

Original poster
Seeingadistance · 22/06/2025 22:35

Definitely not a mistaken visit to the vet.

SSPCA have taken a note of my address and will monitor. They've had another recent report of similar, but in a different area.

OP posts:
Aimzxo · 26/06/2025 06:46

Hey did you ever get to the bottom of it? I've got the same thing with my cat, I'm pretty sure she's been shaved! 😬

Something “shaved” my cat!
MugPlate · 26/06/2025 06:50

Is it a tiktok challenge?

MigGril · 26/06/2025 06:57

Op are you sure she hasn't had a tussle with a male cat. This area on the back is where it would try and grab her. They can pull hair and it does look like they have been shaved.

My cat used to over groom and her skin was perfect anyone looking at her would think she had just been to the vets.

But if a human couldn't have got to her then a male cat could be a possible 🤔. They don't always bite.

Courgettezuchinni · 26/06/2025 07:05

That looks clipped - not a ringworm infection which might cause hair to drop out. Someone is deliberately shaving a cat- bonkers!