Cat Whiskers cut off

Reggiesmammy

Hi
My Persian cat was at the groomers today and they cut her whiskers off, she is unbalanced and not herself. Will she be ok without her whiskers, I'm sick to the stomach over this I can't believe that someone would cut off a cats whiskers😫

Smiley012

I would report the pet shop to someone!! That's appalling, I can't believe a groomers would do that. Did you ask them why they did this? Or kick up a fuss in the shop?

So I googled this and got this:

" Whiskers do grow back, but cats need their whiskers to remain intact in the same way you and I need our touch senses to get around."

So basically, until they grow back, you will probably have quite a stressed cat, but she will be fine!

prinzeugen

That is shocking. A call to the ISPCA might be in order. That is like denying a human the sense of touch.

Mourinho

She will be fine. But I'd keep her indoors for now, with her balance and that affected she might fall or something.

But most importantly, whiskers help a cat gauge whether it can fit into a tight space, with them cut she might squeeze into a hole somewhere and not be able to get out, which is fine and a laugh if she stuck behind the bin or something in the kitchen and you can take her out, but not if she's prowling and gets stuck in a hole and starves to death

Cherry Blossom

Does the groomer deal with many cats OP? It's quite normal with dogs and they may not have known.

Reggiesmammy

My boyfriend picked her up from vets because I was at work, I got home just after 11 to discover a disoriented depressed cat with her whiskers trimmed to about a centimetre. I am beyond annoyed, the poor pet is so sensitive & stressy already she doesn't need this. She was rescued from a house fire when only a few months old and has been so stressed ever since 😔 I hope she gets back to herself soon

Reggiesmammy

Sorry just to add she is a house cat and rarely goes outside so I will be keeping her indoors for a few weeks. Also they would usually groom dogs so maybe it's the norm with a dog , I feel terrible😰

trixychic

God I would be talking to them pretty pronto. That's awful

gctest50

Euthansia is the only thing for it, no hope at all i'm afraid.

Euthansia for the pet groomer that is


.

sillysmiles

I would definitely ring and complain. If it was genuine ignorance, they did to know that they fu€ked up, and that it is not acceptable. It would question what they know about animals they are looking after.


Was it a vet? Or groomer that operates in a vet's practice? Either way I'd still be giving someone a bollixing.

Reggiesmammy

I rang the vet this morning, it is a groomer who comes in once a week to a vet's practice. I could only get talking to reception & it's not her fault so I didn't say much only explained what had happened & the severity of what the groomer had done, she is getting some one to call me back either way no-one can magically bring back her whiskers so not even interested in talking to them. She is still very depressed this morning but eating, purring & cuddling so hopefully in a few days she will be fine. It is just another set back for her confidence 😔 Does anyone know if it is painfull or what the effects are for her, I'm googling and getting mixed feedback- some ok, some horror stories!

sillysmiles

Reggiesmammy wrote: »

she is getting some one to call me back either way no-one can magically bring back her whiskers so not even interested in talking to them.

I would still complain. But idiot groomer needs to know the severity and the vet who's practice needs to know that idiot groomer is an idiot.
To be fair I often preface giving out to a company/organisation on the with "I know you didn't do it, but you are the person I'm speaking to who represents your organisation"

I know nothing of pain or damage to a cat when it is done, though I imagine that it's not actually sore as there isn't nerves in the hair, but they are lacking the feedback sensation from the hair to the nerve ending in their face.

Kovu

What a horrible thing to happen to your poor puss
You'd think the groomer would know better, I'd have thought it would be quite widely known that all cats use their whiskers for sensory perception. And for a groomer to not know it! :eek:
It definitely wouldn't have hurt her but she's likely a bit confused. The closest thing to explain it would be like us losing our sense of balance and periphery vision.
Cats naturally shed whiskers but only one or two at a time so it never disorientates them. I actually collect them from my own cats whenever I spot them on the bed/blanket. Must have about 50 of them now!

Alun

Kovu wrote: »

I actually collect them from my own cats whenever I spot them on the bed/blanket. Must have about 50 of them now!

I thought I was the only one I've no idea why I do it though, or what I think I might do with them!

VonVix

Awful!

Was the cat matted and needed to be shaved, OP?

boomerang

OMG idiot groomer!

You need to make sure your complaint is heard and taken on board OP, so this doesn't happen to another cat.

Can't believe any groomer wouldn't know this!!!

intheclouds

Poor puss!

She will adjust and they will grow back, but it's going to be a disorienting few days for her.

I'd definitely be complaining strenuously. Did the groomer have any qualifications?

SillyMangoX

Alun wrote: »

I thought I was the only one I've no idea why I do it though, or what I think I might do with them!

How about we pool together and send all the collected whiskers to the OP for her poor puss!

In seriousness though, that is a horrible thing to happen to the poor cat. I remember when one of mine singed her whiskers off a candle before, it was like she was walking in circles for ages. I'd definitely report this to the groomers, I don't get how they could be so clueless about cats if they're grooming them!

Reggiesmammy

Thanks for all your replays. I'm really bad at confrontation and ever though I'm sick with worry and fuming at the groomers I'm no good at giving out so I'm going to write them a letter.

She was matted but not very badly, my Tom cat gets much worse and has been groomed/shaved with no sedation. But she is very nervous and panicky so that's why I brought her to the vets instead of the groomer I have used previous. Stupidly I thought she would be handled much better.
I know it sounds dramatic but I feel like she was bet up, I'm heart broken. She is just sitting staring into space now hopefully tomorrow is a better day. Valuable lesson learned on trusting so called professionals with your beloved animals

salsagal

Hi OP,

Not sure if you've already tried it, but if she's stressed, it might be useful to try one of those anti-stress remedies. There's a plug in version (quite pricey though) and a drops version of the same thing. I'm not sure if I'm allowed mention brand names in the forum but a trip to a pet store would sort you.

If she's already stressed from the housefire then it might be worth trying?

Best of luck with her!

VonVix

Reggiesmammy wrote: »

Thanks for all your replays. I'm really bad at confrontation and ever though I'm sick with worry and fuming at the groomers I'm no good at giving out so I'm going to write them a letter.

She was matted but not very badly, my Tom cat gets much worse and has been groomed/shaved with no sedation. But she is very nervous and panicky so that's why I brought her to the vets instead of the groomer I have used previous. Stupidly I thought she would be handled much better.
I know it sounds dramatic but I feel like she was bet up, I'm heart broken. She is just sitting staring into space now hopefully tomorrow is a better day. Valuable lesson learned on trusting so called professionals with your beloved animals

Was her face matted? Depending on the severity, shaving it off can sometimes be the only thing you can do and if she was matted around the face the whiskers would have to go too for the sake of the animal. That's what I have experienced in a dog grooming environment.

Reggiesmammy

I have the plugin diffuser- I highly recommend it, worked wonders on her. Pricy but works
There were no mats near her face, only belly , legs and behind.
She is in much better form now , she is starting to jump around the place- she looks like a little lamb 😊

intheclouds

Poor little dote. I'm sure she will be much better tomorrow.

Just being at the groomers will have been stressful for her. One of mine is stressed for 2 days after just visiting the vet for a checkup!

I'm sure with lots of cuddles she will be fine.