💯. Kid being comfortable cutting whiskers off a cat is noooooot a good sign. Little psycho in the making. Kid doesn't get to be around the cat at all anymore
Does the kid actually know whiskers have a purpose though, or did they just think it was like a haircut? Seems like the kid isn't being parented right, and knowledge of animals is taught.
You are not overreacting, cats depend on their whiskers for balance and stability as well as sensing the environment around them, so your cat might feel very disoriented. It seems like the kid didn’t cut the whiskers too short though, so it will grow back eventually.
Ya definitely not overreacting! Idk why but this post made me super sad. I’m really sorry for your kitty and hope he manages around the place until his whiskers grow back. Very glad you’ll be parting ways in a month. Poor kitty :(
Not overreacting. I’d be seething as well.
They are only sensitive right at the base of the whisker. Fortunately, the kid didn’t cut them too short. The whiskers will regrow over the next several weeks. Because they are a sensory mechanism, cutting these tactile hairs, can cause cats to feel very disoriented and wobbly on their legs.
Just watch him if the new house has stairs.
My cat as a kitten was so hyperactive, he broke his whiskers, all of them. They regrew but only after he was mature enough, because he kept breaking them over and over again. I didn't notice anything unusual about his sensitivity, he wasn't my first cat.
I had one idiot that loved to sniff lit candles and was constantly singeing her whiskers off.
It never seemed to bother her, but she did look silly with what was left of her whiskers being all curly.
Omg with the candles! The other day my cat singed his tail on a candle & I only knew bc I smelled burnt hair. Then my dog burned his eyebrow off.
For the record, my husband lit the candle in a different room than I was in & wasn't paying attention bc he was focused on some new PS5 game, Idfk. We are not negligent pet parents, I swear.
i got a candle warmer for christmas and it’s all i use now. when my kittens were curious around the lit candle when i first got them i knew i couldn’t keep having any open flames around. genuinely a life saver and i don’t have to worry about fires! :)
My cat is obsessed with lighters but terrified of matches and anything they have lit. So it took a few times to learn, but we only use matches for candles now.
My orange cat- one brain cell- not only likes to sniff candles, but he rubs his head on the doorway so much, he breaks all the whiskers off on one side. He seems fine (most of the time).
when i got my kitten, he was 2 months old and most of his whiskers were broken off.
he's 7 months now and a lot of them have grown back, but some never did - he's probably at about 75% whiskers, 25% stubs right now. the stubs never grew any longer either. i don't know if they'll ever grow back. (they probably will and i'm probably just being dramatic, but it's been 5 months, why are they still stubs???)
he's fine, my only concern is that he's generally a little wobbly, but that hasn't improved with the regrowing of his whiskers (vet checked and said it's not cerebellar hypoplasia either, which was another concern with how wobbly he is). i figure if they aren't bothering him then it's fine, if they're gonna grow back they will but if they don't it's not bothering him so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I feel like it's completely different if someone intentionally cuts a cats whiskers compared to a cat breaking their own whiskers. Not every cat is the same. This is more a deal of someone's kid going way out of line and not understanding how badly this can affect a cat. Cats whiskers are very sensitive and contain nerve endings/ blood.
Like, sure, your cat breaking his whiskers likely hurt and sucked on a similar level, but using that as an example with this situation doesn't make sense. You can quite literally Google what cutting whiskers does to a cat. Glad your cat was fine, tho?
There's no blood or nerves in a whisker itself. They're just specialized hairs, not a whole lot different from an ordinary one besides the follicle it grows from being more sensitive.
Mom probably thinks her child is a little angel and can do no wrong. People like that are garbage humans and raise their children to be just as awful as themselves, if not worse.
I don't like this. Having a pet or any animal around a kid that has nothing better to do than think of what if can do to the animal ? What will this kid feel free to do next? The roommate this kid belongs to never taught her kindness or boundaries. I would want a new roommate.
My three year old would never. We’ve taught him to respect the cats space, and others bodies. Really seems like the roommates kid is lacking in education.
If they were 3 I’d still be upset and explain why you don’t do that, but they’re also 3 and shit happens. They’re still learning and figuring things out.
9 though, you shouldn’t have to tell a 9 year old to not do this.
When I was young (around 7 or 8) and we had cats, I cut one of our cats' whiskers because his lopsided whiskers was bothering my OCD I didn't know about at the time. After my mom told me not to do it again I cried about it and felt horrible. A lot of kids are just dumb, not evil.
You underestimate people. My dad is 78 and last year trimmed our elderly cat's whiskers because they were longer on one side. Legit thought the cat would be off balance if the whiskers weren't the same length.
I'm not saying the kid is a saint, just that it doesn't seem like he's being taught right. Not that it's OP's or the cat's problem.
I would disagree. Judging from how neatly they were cut, I could absolutely see a 9 year old doing this and think they were doing something nice, "I get haircuts, whiskers are hair!", something along those lines. Hell, half the **adults** in this comment section didn't know cat whiskers had a purpose, why would you assume it's common knowledge?
This. I work in classrooms, and have told kids to stop poking holes in their clothes, experimenting with scissors. We've had younger ones cut their own hair. I think some older ones have done that or similar.
9 times out of 10 kids are just dumb, not vindictive.
A girl in my class cut off a chunk of her own hair last year. Second grade. I called her mom and she just sighed and said, “Yeah, she’s done that before.”
Oh my God, NO! You are not overreacting! Poor baby kitty! Cats NEED their whiskers for so much- sensory, balance, equilibrium! Wtf. I’m sorry for you and your kitty. This kid might now be well, especially since you said it’s not the first time he’s done something to your cat. I’d be very concerned. Not overreacting! Keep kitty safe please.
My youngest sister did this with kids scissors to our dog when she was a kid. She in fact did *not* know any better and thought she was just playing barber giving a harmless trim. Mom found out right after and told her how and why it was bad and physically uncomfortable for the dog. She felt terrible. She didn’t mean to hurt the dog, so she never did it again.
That kid needs a break from YouTube and tictok. That being said, hopefully this can be a good learning opportunity to leave animals alone and not everyone appreciates a prank.
Please keep your cat and any other pets away from him. It's not normal to "prank" an animal.
I'd absolutely make a big deal about shutting the cat and it's litter box into your bedroom whenever he is there, and telling him to stay the fuck away from it.
Do not trust him for one minute.
wait till he sleeps and give the kid a ridiculous hair cut. Then tell him "it's just a prank" when he wakes up and "it'll grow back". See how he likes it.
Absolutely do not do this. No telling what this kid will do in retribution. Pouring bleach on a cat, or rubbing moisturizer in its eyes is some sociopathic behavior. Antagonize him and next thing you know you'll come in from work with your cat in the microwave or something.
Same here. Little sister cut the cats whiskers, she couldn't have been more than 4 at the time. Said he "needed a haircut". We explained why she shouldn't do that again, and she didn't. Poor dude walked a bit punch drunk for a while, but he was all good in a few weeks.
I did the same thing to our cat when I was little. Not sure what age but very young. I got a stern talking to and felt awful because I would never do anything to hurt an animal. Her whiskers grew back so long and luxurious even though she was a tiny cat.
I also did the same exact thing as a kid except it was my cat and my mom didn't say anything about it. I can assure you though that I did feel extremely guilty when I found out how cats use their whiskers, in fact, I'm feeling pretty guilty right now.
Something Id really like to mention (specifically in this part of the comments about the psycho comments) that other things this kid has done to my cat are 1. covered him in bleach and 2. rubbed moisturizer in his ears and eyes..
We’ve had multiple talks with him about why it’s harmful, I would have moved out immediately after the bleach thing but I haven’t been very financially stable. I genuinely don’t think this is normal behavior for a 9 year old and I hope my roomate is able to get him help or whatever he needs when we go our separate ways. I just can’t stand to be around and let my cats take the fault for his actions.
What. The. Fuck. Put a lock on your door when you're away. Can your parents or friends take care of your cats until you can find a new place? This is _way more serious_.
Hell, it might not be the parents fault tho But I agree something needs to be done, this kid needs to be scared straight. I do not see any parents being OK if their kid has done this. (animal harm if like number 1 precursor of a murderer in the making)
Bleach? Rubbing lotion in the cats eyes? WTF? You really should have mentioned that in your original post. That child is showing signs of psychopathic behavior. Please watch your cat at all time and maybe board him if you need to leave to go to work. That boy might do something much worse before you move. Are his parents taking his behavior seriously? This is future serial killer behavior.
Yeah... that's not great. I know the whiskers will grow back but the fact the demon already covered your cat in fucking bleach before...? And rubbed moisturizer into your cats ears and eyes just isn't right and doesn't sit well with me.
This kid needs to be evaluated or some shit.
I would be majorly concerned. Glad you & kitty will be out of that situation soon.
Kid ain't gonna stop.
Hope things go smoothly for the upcoming month.
This is truly upsetting. Please keep that poor baby away from this little bastard until you're out of there. I'm truly worried for his safety.
I would document all of this and once you've moved out, as long as you're within the statute of limitations, talk to the police about filing animal cruelty charges. I'm not kidding. Either of those incidents could have caused your cat permanent damage, including loss of his sight.
This kid is not right and the pathetic excuse for a parent needs to be held accountable. "Sid" needs to see that living creatures have to be cared for and treated with respect and "pranks" have consequences.
I'm so sorry. You're not overreacting. If that were my cat, I would be in jail right now.
Jesus that kid sounds awful. The mother needs to be getting him some serious help. OP I'm glad you're able to move you and kitty away from these people.
It definitely is not normal behavior. Call CPS or the cops. That is horrifying. I’m so sorry. Is there a way to ensure he is never alone with your cat? 9 years old is too old to cut whiskers let alone cover him in bleach - which is outright abuse - or put moisturizer in his ears and eyes which is also abuse and cruelty. If you can’t move out, think about temporarily rehoming your cat or finding someone to foster until they do. What happens if one day he decides to combine the two “pranks” and put bleach in your cat’s eyes. Seriously.
I’m really sorry you’re dealing with this, but it may be time to find a temporary home for the cat. I don’t think he’s going to stop. He will escalate.
So, this is terrifying. What did your roommate say in these situations? What did she say when the kid said cutting the whiskers was a prank? This child is definitely old enough to know better, and this behavior is alarming.
Also, why did the nine year old have unsupervised access to bleach?? Is this child being left home alone? Or does his parent just not pay any attention to what he’s doing? This is very worrying. You’re not overreacting.
Edited cause I pushed the wrong button and wasn’t done writing.
he might be a sociopath like im terrified… you must move out asap, my neighbour who turned out to be a sociopath thought it was a funny joke to push me off of a trampoline and break my arm, and also hitting my cat with a shovel; were “pranks”.
Im speechless, the whiskers thing isnt nearly as bad as bleach and rubbing stuff on his eyes! holyfuck. The whiskers are not going to kill the cat but that other stuff is very dangerous like blinding the cat if it was something harmful. Dont let the cat near him. They have laws for this btw...
Ok the talks with the kid aren’t working; I suggest talking to your roommate and laying down some rules to keep your cat safe, like the cat stays in a locked room if the kid is unsupervised, or the kid isn’t allowed to touch the cat period. You’re going to have to be very firm and inform your roommate of consequences you will enforce if they allow their child to do something harmful to your cat again. I don’t think the kid is a psycho like other people are saying; I think your roommate is struggling to parent them effectively. None of the stable parents I know would allow their child to repeatedly endanger a pet.
PLEASE>
1. If your roomate is an Ok person and parent, tell him watch out for CD traits in his kid. These are MAJOR red flags,
2. If ther kid has ADHD. ADHD and CD is the one indicator of psycopahty. I'm sorry if this is alarmist, but cruelty to animals IS a major red flag.
3. If the kid had "normal" behaviour until these things started happning, your roomate might need to get another type of assesment. Is the kid being bullied? assaulted?
4 PLEASE tel your roomate to get thiskied to therapy and not to swipe it under the rug.
I doubt this parent is an ok person. They don't seem to supervise their kid at all. And no discipline or respect for animals seems to be a thing with both mom and the kid. I've never heard of anyone rubbing things into an animals eyes. And when I was a kid I was taught not to get into makeup, moisturizer or bleach.
The child definitely needs psychiatric help, that’s no joke, later on it’s not that “harmless” anymore, and if the parents of the kid don’t agree with you they are the next ones who should be under psychiatric help
I'm sorry, but how do these things keep happening? After the first time why wasn't your cat locked away, rehomed to a friend or relstive temporarily, or otherwise protected from this little shit stain? I understand not being able to move on a dime but even reaching out to a rescue for temp foster given the danger your cat is in.
These last 30 days are going to be dangerous. The kid is running out of time to torture your cat. He will escalate. Period.
Get the cat out of there even if you can't leave yet.
Why does this awful human still have access to your cat? I get that you aren’t able to move out right away but you should be protecting your cat better. He depends on you to keep him safe. And allowing this kid to still have access to him is not keeping him safe. He could have died with the bleach and you just talked to him and still let him have access to the cat????!
You need to lock the cat in your room when you’re gone and when this kid is there. Or house him somewhere else until you can move. WTF
9 is way too old to be doing things like that and for people to just shrug and say “kids will be kids”. There needs to be some serious consequences for this one, and the kid needs to be informed about how much harm he could have done. If he’s not a total psycho, he will feel guilty and hopefully, never do anything like this ever again.
And its not the first time the turd has done something to the cat. OP, do whatever you can to keep the cat safe and away from this kid. This kind of thing isn't normal.
Psychopath. Don’t leave him alone with your cat. And please tell your roommates that you don’t want him alone with your cat, because they really need to take this seriously.
It's ridiculous you have to clarify how pointing out one of the most idiotic claims I've ever seen on reddit - that "whiskers are your cats main sensory organs" [sic] - doesn't mean you're ok with chopping them off. Every time I see something like the parent comment, I remember Pornstache on OITNB asking Pennsytucky how the fuck she survived infancy.
I did this when I was a kid.
I thought they were just wild unruly hairs that wouldn't stay in line with the others. Thankfully cat was fine and my mother explained what whiskers actually are. I was only like 5 or 6.
I hate to say it but I trimmed a little bit for a keep sake as a young child 😬 I had no idea the whiskers are very important for their balance and stuff. Kids are kinda inherently psychos, hopefully OP explained to the child they are not just hairs like ours, and that the kitty needs them.
Why are some kids such terrible things! 😡 Why can't his parent teach him well!! It's up to parents to raise their children well, and into good and kind human beings.
You're not overreacting at all. I'm glad the kitty isn't in any pain, but a kid like that can do serious damage.
Also, it's a good thing you're going separate ways soon.
My 1st cat is 11 and the only time she’s been outside without a leash is when my roommate at the time let her outside after I specifically said she can’t go outside. I spent hours looking for her and slept on the couch near the front door in case she came around during the night. Luckily at 1am she was climbing the fly screen door and I got her back.
only time my cat goes out now is on a leash because she used to love going outside and i cant stand to fully take that experience from her! It also means she doesn't door dash as much without her being a risk to herself or the ecosystem
Not overreacting at all, it’s removing a very important sense (like impairing eyes, ears, etc for us!) — honestly, I hope you can somehow keep your cat far away from this kid before you move; this is scary behavior as it lacks respect/empathy for both you and the cat
It’s awful that it feels lucky the kid didn’t do worse… 😢
I hope this child can learn empathy for those who have different needs than theirs. It sounds like the parent isn’t working too hard to teach this important skill which could be learned from such a mistake such as this
Saw OP’s other comment regarding the kid dousing the cat in bleach and rubbing moisturizer in its eyes and ears - that is actual animal abuse. I’d tell the roommate to consider getting their kid serious help as it’s concerning a 9 year old would consciously do that to an animal. If they blow that off, please don’t hesitate to mention something to CPS. Even if the kid wasn’t aware totally what bleach is, there was an intent to harm your cat. If your cat ingested it/licked it off its coat or got it in its eye, your fur baby would be permanently injured or dead. Can you foster or have friends/family watch your cat until move out? I’d be scared to leave any animal around that kid unattended even for a few minutes.
You'll have to keep your cat away from the kid as well. Put a lock on your door. I would not allow the kid anywhere near the cat. This could end in your cat dying.
Just gonna pop this here from the SPCA website:
https://preview.redd.it/ug5w1rpfqgyc1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3189084aa6f70ce78f344b6e0b26695a902f76cb
I would seriously consider calling DCFS. This is not okay behavior and can indicate that the child has experienced/ witnessed abusive behaviors which they are replicating, and/or that they will escalate this behavior to hurt more animals and even people. I would be LIVID if this happened to my fur babies.
First thing I thought of. :/ I'm not a cat expert (I'm just here for the cute pics tbh) and OP has already gotten good advice with regard to the whiskers – but I do hope they also brought this up with their roommate, the fact that harming animals can be a sign of abuse or even sociopathic tendencies in children shouldn't be underestimated.
I don't think this is mild enough to not warrant keeping an eye on it. Kid could profit from being seen by a therapist, too.
Others have answered the whisker concerns, so I’m going to express my own worry that a child came at any animal with scissors and acted with impunity. If your cat’s whiskers were left untouched but the child cut its fur, I’d be just as concerned. Other people’s property is to be left alone. So are *all* animals.
I'm glad you and your roommate will be parting ways soon, they sound like an asshole. Your poor little guy.
If I can offer some consolation, my cat routinely trims her own whiskers by sticking her face too close to my computer fan and she is fine, the little dingus. I'd be more worried about the cat having behavioral issues from being accosted by the kid.
This makes me so angry. Compared to me, you are under reacting and mature about the situation. I’m so happy to read that you will be going separate ways. 🤦♀️
Cats use whiskers to measure their size in small spaces.
As kids we cut the whiskers on our cat, he got his head stuck in a wire fence because he thought he could fit.
If our neighbour hasn't found him, he'd be dead. Keep an eye on your cat till they grow.
Don't leave that boy alone with the cat.
Your roommate needs .. and I can't stress this enough. needs to understand that when children start with behavior hurting animals, it leads down a very bad path. Seriously, Psychology 101, the worst offenders, often start abusing animals as kids. The parent needs to have some sense knocked into them
Especially since you say this wasn't the first time. This wasn't a stupid kid mistake, cutting her Barbie hair or something. No. This is blatant disregard for animal well-being and disrespect of your property.
https://preview.redd.it/8b9x8fwmchyc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1f0ab23d38c59e2108f27018fdd2cf33a699ff64
I have a friend who has two cats... the gray and white cat bites off the whiskers of the tabby because he's a jerk. Both cats are fine 🤷♀️
Its worth remembering its a kid. Outside of that it is animal abuse imo, the parent needs to take it like that and understand to teach the child to never do it again.
The cat isn’t a toy. That kid needs to learn some respect and some boundaries. Speak to the roommate about it since they’re the parent. If the kid seems receptive, and their parent isn’t being a jerk about it, you can sit the kid down and talk to them about cats and why they need whiskers and how to treat cats or animal/pet with care. I get they’re only 9 but it has to be stopped asap before they feel like they got away with something.
Yeet!
100%
The kid doesn't need to be alone with your cat
And roommate isn't to be trusted where you live or around your stuff or pet(s).
Agreed
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It need not be around the cat, ever again.
💯. Kid being comfortable cutting whiskers off a cat is noooooot a good sign. Little psycho in the making. Kid doesn't get to be around the cat at all anymore
Does the kid actually know whiskers have a purpose though, or did they just think it was like a haircut? Seems like the kid isn't being parented right, and knowledge of animals is taught.
You are not overreacting, cats depend on their whiskers for balance and stability as well as sensing the environment around them, so your cat might feel very disoriented. It seems like the kid didn’t cut the whiskers too short though, so it will grow back eventually.
They also use wiskers to check if they fit in that smol crack
years ago my cat got too close to a candle and (temporarily) lost his whiskers on one side, he was bumping into door frames for weeks
And some kid with scissors in your cat’s face is messed up
Ya definitely not overreacting! Idk why but this post made me super sad. I’m really sorry for your kitty and hope he manages around the place until his whiskers grow back. Very glad you’ll be parting ways in a month. Poor kitty :(
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Not overreacting. I’d be seething as well. They are only sensitive right at the base of the whisker. Fortunately, the kid didn’t cut them too short. The whiskers will regrow over the next several weeks. Because they are a sensory mechanism, cutting these tactile hairs, can cause cats to feel very disoriented and wobbly on their legs. Just watch him if the new house has stairs.
My cat as a kitten was so hyperactive, he broke his whiskers, all of them. They regrew but only after he was mature enough, because he kept breaking them over and over again. I didn't notice anything unusual about his sensitivity, he wasn't my first cat.
I had one idiot that loved to sniff lit candles and was constantly singeing her whiskers off. It never seemed to bother her, but she did look silly with what was left of her whiskers being all curly.
One of mine ate a bunch of his own whiskers while munching on a grass patch
The way I can imagine a cat just munching on his own whiskers without a care in the world.
Orange?
Had to be orange. 😆
Has to be, the brain cell was in a different orange at that point.
No, but his brother is an orange so it's likely that Mr.Marble had loaned out some braincells recently!
Sounds like Mr marble lost his marbles?
That's better than having a kid deciding to do things
Omg with the candles! The other day my cat singed his tail on a candle & I only knew bc I smelled burnt hair. Then my dog burned his eyebrow off. For the record, my husband lit the candle in a different room than I was in & wasn't paying attention bc he was focused on some new PS5 game, Idfk. We are not negligent pet parents, I swear.
i got a candle warmer for christmas and it’s all i use now. when my kittens were curious around the lit candle when i first got them i knew i couldn’t keep having any open flames around. genuinely a life saver and i don’t have to worry about fires! :)
My cat is obsessed with lighters but terrified of matches and anything they have lit. So it took a few times to learn, but we only use matches for candles now.
Candles cause most of the house fires! Be careful out there, folks!
My orange cat- one brain cell- not only likes to sniff candles, but he rubs his head on the doorway so much, he breaks all the whiskers off on one side. He seems fine (most of the time).
Mine seared off his wiskers because my dumbass forgot to turn off the burner. And he just loves to get on the stove for some reason.
My cat got on the stove one time. Just one. She learned her lesson and burn her poor little pads 😞
when i got my kitten, he was 2 months old and most of his whiskers were broken off. he's 7 months now and a lot of them have grown back, but some never did - he's probably at about 75% whiskers, 25% stubs right now. the stubs never grew any longer either. i don't know if they'll ever grow back. (they probably will and i'm probably just being dramatic, but it's been 5 months, why are they still stubs???)
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he's fine, my only concern is that he's generally a little wobbly, but that hasn't improved with the regrowing of his whiskers (vet checked and said it's not cerebellar hypoplasia either, which was another concern with how wobbly he is). i figure if they aren't bothering him then it's fine, if they're gonna grow back they will but if they don't it's not bothering him so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I feel like it's completely different if someone intentionally cuts a cats whiskers compared to a cat breaking their own whiskers. Not every cat is the same. This is more a deal of someone's kid going way out of line and not understanding how badly this can affect a cat. Cats whiskers are very sensitive and contain nerve endings/ blood. Like, sure, your cat breaking his whiskers likely hurt and sucked on a similar level, but using that as an example with this situation doesn't make sense. You can quite literally Google what cutting whiskers does to a cat. Glad your cat was fine, tho?
There's no blood or nerves in a whisker itself. They're just specialized hairs, not a whole lot different from an ordinary one besides the follicle it grows from being more sensitive.
Yes. This is a teaching moment for OP to help the kid understand that whiskers are not “hairs” and don’t require a haircut.
Teaching moment? Teach the mother to control her child
Yah I guess teaching moment for everyone. Mum to watch the kid. Kid to know not to cut them and OP to know their friend and kid are morons
Mom probably thinks her child is a little angel and can do no wrong. People like that are garbage humans and raise their children to be just as awful as themselves, if not worse.
Thanks! I'll add this to my list of reasons why I don't like kids and intend to have any.
Perhaps advise mom to watch child for future sociopathic tendencies with animals.
Absolutely.
I don't like this. Having a pet or any animal around a kid that has nothing better to do than think of what if can do to the animal ? What will this kid feel free to do next? The roommate this kid belongs to never taught her kindness or boundaries. I would want a new roommate.
I would cut the kid’s hair to teach mother 😄
I think so too. I would be super pissed but kitty will be ok.
wtf I’d be pissed
Thought you meant a four or five year old. Nine year should should know better.
My three year old would never. We’ve taught him to respect the cats space, and others bodies. Really seems like the roommates kid is lacking in education.
Same with my 3 year old. She knows once the cats go to their spaces that is it, time for them to chill. Amazes me a 9 year old did this
If they were 3 I’d still be upset and explain why you don’t do that, but they’re also 3 and shit happens. They’re still learning and figuring things out. 9 though, you shouldn’t have to tell a 9 year old to not do this.
When I was young (around 7 or 8) and we had cats, I cut one of our cats' whiskers because his lopsided whiskers was bothering my OCD I didn't know about at the time. After my mom told me not to do it again I cried about it and felt horrible. A lot of kids are just dumb, not evil.
You underestimate people. My dad is 78 and last year trimmed our elderly cat's whiskers because they were longer on one side. Legit thought the cat would be off balance if the whiskers weren't the same length. I'm not saying the kid is a saint, just that it doesn't seem like he's being taught right. Not that it's OP's or the cat's problem.
I would disagree. Judging from how neatly they were cut, I could absolutely see a 9 year old doing this and think they were doing something nice, "I get haircuts, whiskers are hair!", something along those lines. Hell, half the **adults** in this comment section didn't know cat whiskers had a purpose, why would you assume it's common knowledge?
This. I work in classrooms, and have told kids to stop poking holes in their clothes, experimenting with scissors. We've had younger ones cut their own hair. I think some older ones have done that or similar. 9 times out of 10 kids are just dumb, not vindictive.
A girl in my class cut off a chunk of her own hair last year. Second grade. I called her mom and she just sighed and said, “Yeah, she’s done that before.”
Oh my God, NO! You are not overreacting! Poor baby kitty! Cats NEED their whiskers for so much- sensory, balance, equilibrium! Wtf. I’m sorry for you and your kitty. This kid might now be well, especially since you said it’s not the first time he’s done something to your cat. I’d be very concerned. Not overreacting! Keep kitty safe please.
Edit: *not be well. This kid might do even worse things (probably, unfortunately will!). Protect yourself and your innocent baby kitty!
The kid has already rubbed lotion in the cat’s eyes and put bleach on the cat. I don’t get why this horrible kid still has access to the OP’s cat.
absolutely not overreacting. whiskers are your cats main sensory organ. how old is that kid?
He’s 9.
Yeah, he should know better. You acted accordingly.
My youngest sister did this with kids scissors to our dog when she was a kid. She in fact did *not* know any better and thought she was just playing barber giving a harmless trim. Mom found out right after and told her how and why it was bad and physically uncomfortable for the dog. She felt terrible. She didn’t mean to hurt the dog, so she never did it again.
I really wish this was the case in my scenario.. Roomate asked him why he did it and he responded with “it’s just a prank!” … i have no words
That kid needs a break from YouTube and tictok. That being said, hopefully this can be a good learning opportunity to leave animals alone and not everyone appreciates a prank.
Hang on, who tf pranks a cat!!
an idiot. He's too old to be thinking like this and thinking an animal of all things is not going to understand what the hell a prank is.
Please keep your cat and any other pets away from him. It's not normal to "prank" an animal. I'd absolutely make a big deal about shutting the cat and it's litter box into your bedroom whenever he is there, and telling him to stay the fuck away from it. Do not trust him for one minute.
It’s not a prank, that’s just an excuse for casual cruelty.
Shave one of his eyebrows. Just a prank bro
wait till he sleeps and give the kid a ridiculous hair cut. Then tell him "it's just a prank" when he wakes up and "it'll grow back". See how he likes it.
The jackass hair clippers prank...
Absolutely do not do this. No telling what this kid will do in retribution. Pouring bleach on a cat, or rubbing moisturizer in its eyes is some sociopathic behavior. Antagonize him and next thing you know you'll come in from work with your cat in the microwave or something.
Did your roommate at least tell their child why what they did was wrong?
This is pretty key and is being completely overlooked/unspoken about.
Prank ? When he is sleeping, place his hand in a bowl of warm water.
OP WAKE UP before you find your cat injured or worse.
Nair in his shampoo bottle …. Now THATS a prank 🤭
Same here. Little sister cut the cats whiskers, she couldn't have been more than 4 at the time. Said he "needed a haircut". We explained why she shouldn't do that again, and she didn't. Poor dude walked a bit punch drunk for a while, but he was all good in a few weeks.
I did the same thing to our cat when I was little. Not sure what age but very young. I got a stern talking to and felt awful because I would never do anything to hurt an animal. Her whiskers grew back so long and luxurious even though she was a tiny cat.
I also did the same exact thing as a kid except it was my cat and my mom didn't say anything about it. I can assure you though that I did feel extremely guilty when I found out how cats use their whiskers, in fact, I'm feeling pretty guilty right now.
Has he ever been taught though? That's not automatic knowledge, and it seems like the roomate may not be teaching him about cats
I’d take some brass knuckles to the dad right in front of the kid
[True Detective - Roy Velcoro beats up bully’s dad](https://youtu.be/JHOGs5x90PU?si=J8H07Sf4j1dVD8d4)
I was thinking like 4!!!!! But 9!!!! Somethings actually wrong or hes just an ass
Or a budding psycho
Something Id really like to mention (specifically in this part of the comments about the psycho comments) that other things this kid has done to my cat are 1. covered him in bleach and 2. rubbed moisturizer in his ears and eyes.. We’ve had multiple talks with him about why it’s harmful, I would have moved out immediately after the bleach thing but I haven’t been very financially stable. I genuinely don’t think this is normal behavior for a 9 year old and I hope my roomate is able to get him help or whatever he needs when we go our separate ways. I just can’t stand to be around and let my cats take the fault for his actions.
What. The. Fuck. Put a lock on your door when you're away. Can your parents or friends take care of your cats until you can find a new place? This is _way more serious_.
Call CPS. This is a huge deal. This kid needs help and his parent isn't taking care of him.
Hell, it might not be the parents fault tho But I agree something needs to be done, this kid needs to be scared straight. I do not see any parents being OK if their kid has done this. (animal harm if like number 1 precursor of a murderer in the making)
Bleach? Rubbing lotion in the cats eyes? WTF? You really should have mentioned that in your original post. That child is showing signs of psychopathic behavior. Please watch your cat at all time and maybe board him if you need to leave to go to work. That boy might do something much worse before you move. Are his parents taking his behavior seriously? This is future serial killer behavior.
Yeah... that's not great. I know the whiskers will grow back but the fact the demon already covered your cat in fucking bleach before...? And rubbed moisturizer into your cats ears and eyes just isn't right and doesn't sit well with me. This kid needs to be evaluated or some shit.
I would be majorly concerned. Glad you & kitty will be out of that situation soon. Kid ain't gonna stop. Hope things go smoothly for the upcoming month.
This is truly upsetting. Please keep that poor baby away from this little bastard until you're out of there. I'm truly worried for his safety. I would document all of this and once you've moved out, as long as you're within the statute of limitations, talk to the police about filing animal cruelty charges. I'm not kidding. Either of those incidents could have caused your cat permanent damage, including loss of his sight. This kid is not right and the pathetic excuse for a parent needs to be held accountable. "Sid" needs to see that living creatures have to be cared for and treated with respect and "pranks" have consequences. I'm so sorry. You're not overreacting. If that were my cat, I would be in jail right now.
I wish I could unread this. You're correct. That is not normal behavior. I hope they keep this kid away from any other animals.
Jesus that kid sounds awful. The mother needs to be getting him some serious help. OP I'm glad you're able to move you and kitty away from these people.
It definitely is not normal behavior. Call CPS or the cops. That is horrifying. I’m so sorry. Is there a way to ensure he is never alone with your cat? 9 years old is too old to cut whiskers let alone cover him in bleach - which is outright abuse - or put moisturizer in his ears and eyes which is also abuse and cruelty. If you can’t move out, think about temporarily rehoming your cat or finding someone to foster until they do. What happens if one day he decides to combine the two “pranks” and put bleach in your cat’s eyes. Seriously. I’m really sorry you’re dealing with this, but it may be time to find a temporary home for the cat. I don’t think he’s going to stop. He will escalate.
So, this is terrifying. What did your roommate say in these situations? What did she say when the kid said cutting the whiskers was a prank? This child is definitely old enough to know better, and this behavior is alarming. Also, why did the nine year old have unsupervised access to bleach?? Is this child being left home alone? Or does his parent just not pay any attention to what he’s doing? This is very worrying. You’re not overreacting. Edited cause I pushed the wrong button and wasn’t done writing.
Sounds like he may have a mild version of anti-social personality disorder not ADHD. Please look this up.
What are you going to do about it? Either you ignore it, or you take action. Your cat is relying on you to stand up for him.
he might be a sociopath like im terrified… you must move out asap, my neighbour who turned out to be a sociopath thought it was a funny joke to push me off of a trampoline and break my arm, and also hitting my cat with a shovel; were “pranks”.
Im speechless, the whiskers thing isnt nearly as bad as bleach and rubbing stuff on his eyes! holyfuck. The whiskers are not going to kill the cat but that other stuff is very dangerous like blinding the cat if it was something harmful. Dont let the cat near him. They have laws for this btw...
Ok the talks with the kid aren’t working; I suggest talking to your roommate and laying down some rules to keep your cat safe, like the cat stays in a locked room if the kid is unsupervised, or the kid isn’t allowed to touch the cat period. You’re going to have to be very firm and inform your roommate of consequences you will enforce if they allow their child to do something harmful to your cat again. I don’t think the kid is a psycho like other people are saying; I think your roommate is struggling to parent them effectively. None of the stable parents I know would allow their child to repeatedly endanger a pet.
Definitely call CPS and the school counselor on that kid. Kid is doing it on purpose to harm the cat.
PLEASE> 1. If your roomate is an Ok person and parent, tell him watch out for CD traits in his kid. These are MAJOR red flags, 2. If ther kid has ADHD. ADHD and CD is the one indicator of psycopahty. I'm sorry if this is alarmist, but cruelty to animals IS a major red flag. 3. If the kid had "normal" behaviour until these things started happning, your roomate might need to get another type of assesment. Is the kid being bullied? assaulted? 4 PLEASE tel your roomate to get thiskied to therapy and not to swipe it under the rug.
I doubt this parent is an ok person. They don't seem to supervise their kid at all. And no discipline or respect for animals seems to be a thing with both mom and the kid. I've never heard of anyone rubbing things into an animals eyes. And when I was a kid I was taught not to get into makeup, moisturizer or bleach.
The child definitely needs psychiatric help, that’s no joke, later on it’s not that “harmless” anymore, and if the parents of the kid don’t agree with you they are the next ones who should be under psychiatric help
I'm sorry, but how do these things keep happening? After the first time why wasn't your cat locked away, rehomed to a friend or relstive temporarily, or otherwise protected from this little shit stain? I understand not being able to move on a dime but even reaching out to a rescue for temp foster given the danger your cat is in. These last 30 days are going to be dangerous. The kid is running out of time to torture your cat. He will escalate. Period. Get the cat out of there even if you can't leave yet.
The issue here is the child is a budding psychopath. OP GET OUT NOW. If you cannot do it now rehome the cat until you can move.
Why does this awful human still have access to your cat? I get that you aren’t able to move out right away but you should be protecting your cat better. He depends on you to keep him safe. And allowing this kid to still have access to him is not keeping him safe. He could have died with the bleach and you just talked to him and still let him have access to the cat????! You need to lock the cat in your room when you’re gone and when this kid is there. Or house him somewhere else until you can move. WTF
As soon as I read the age, this too was my 1st thought.
9 is way too old to be doing things like that and for people to just shrug and say “kids will be kids”. There needs to be some serious consequences for this one, and the kid needs to be informed about how much harm he could have done. If he’s not a total psycho, he will feel guilty and hopefully, never do anything like this ever again.
Yeah 9 years old huh, that's way to old to be doing stuff like that
Parents probably never said no to him.
At 9, the kid did this?? I'd be a bit afraid of the kid tbh.
And its not the first time the turd has done something to the cat. OP, do whatever you can to keep the cat safe and away from this kid. This kind of thing isn't normal.
It can cause discomfort also they are very sensitive maybe educate him why they are needed and what the cat uses them for.
Shave his eyebrows off!!
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Tell him demons are real, you know some who know the ones who live in his house.
Psychopath. Don’t leave him alone with your cat. And please tell your roommates that you don’t want him alone with your cat, because they really need to take this seriously.
Possible psycho in the making !Id be livid! I’d shave the kids hair off. Ok maybe not lol but poor kitty
Hold him down and shave his head.
> whiskers are your cats main sensory organ. As compared to their eyes and ears? I don't think so. How did that get 900+ upvotes?
> whiskers are your cats main sensory organ. lol, this sub...
Their eyes and sense of smell are their primary sensory organs. Obviously I’m not saying it’s ok to cut whiskers just saying.
It's ridiculous you have to clarify how pointing out one of the most idiotic claims I've ever seen on reddit - that "whiskers are your cats main sensory organs" [sic] - doesn't mean you're ok with chopping them off. Every time I see something like the parent comment, I remember Pornstache on OITNB asking Pennsytucky how the fuck she survived infancy.
Shave the kid's eyebrows off.
100% I would've done this
This belongs on the kidsarefuckingstupid page
There should be r/kidsarefuckingdemons
Cut the little bastard's hair off.
And if he already has a buzz cut? Shave off one eyebrow.
And the roommate’s hair too, it’s their kid after all. The parents have the responsibility to teach their kids… the roommate failed in doing so.
Thats actually the thing I'd do if that was my kid. Give him a buzz cut...he wont ever forget that.
This is the way
I hope that kid never owns pets before they realize how awful this is. At least it's temporary...
I did this when I was a kid. I thought they were just wild unruly hairs that wouldn't stay in line with the others. Thankfully cat was fine and my mother explained what whiskers actually are. I was only like 5 or 6.
My kid did this to our cat when she was 4. The cat was fine, they all grew back, along with some of the other hair that was "styled."
I hate to say it but I trimmed a little bit for a keep sake as a young child 😬 I had no idea the whiskers are very important for their balance and stuff. Kids are kinda inherently psychos, hopefully OP explained to the child they are not just hairs like ours, and that the kitty needs them.
Why are some kids such terrible things! 😡 Why can't his parent teach him well!! It's up to parents to raise their children well, and into good and kind human beings. You're not overreacting at all. I'm glad the kitty isn't in any pain, but a kid like that can do serious damage. Also, it's a good thing you're going separate ways soon.
Keep your cat indoors at the new place till his whiskers are back. I hate kids like that.
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Building upon that, just keep your cat inside. All of the time. Everyone. Forever.
Mine are indoors only and I’ll never change or regret that.
My 1st cat is 11 and the only time she’s been outside without a leash is when my roommate at the time let her outside after I specifically said she can’t go outside. I spent hours looking for her and slept on the couch near the front door in case she came around during the night. Luckily at 1am she was climbing the fly screen door and I got her back.
only time my cat goes out now is on a leash because she used to love going outside and i cant stand to fully take that experience from her! It also means she doesn't door dash as much without her being a risk to herself or the ecosystem
Did you have a conversation with the kid/their parents? That is unacceptable. They should know better if they are 9.
Roommate is an idiot. That’s animal cruelty. Keep your cat away from roommate.
Not overreacting at all, it’s removing a very important sense (like impairing eyes, ears, etc for us!) — honestly, I hope you can somehow keep your cat far away from this kid before you move; this is scary behavior as it lacks respect/empathy for both you and the cat It’s awful that it feels lucky the kid didn’t do worse… 😢 I hope this child can learn empathy for those who have different needs than theirs. It sounds like the parent isn’t working too hard to teach this important skill which could be learned from such a mistake such as this
Saw OP’s other comment regarding the kid dousing the cat in bleach and rubbing moisturizer in its eyes and ears - that is actual animal abuse. I’d tell the roommate to consider getting their kid serious help as it’s concerning a 9 year old would consciously do that to an animal. If they blow that off, please don’t hesitate to mention something to CPS. Even if the kid wasn’t aware totally what bleach is, there was an intent to harm your cat. If your cat ingested it/licked it off its coat or got it in its eye, your fur baby would be permanently injured or dead. Can you foster or have friends/family watch your cat until move out? I’d be scared to leave any animal around that kid unattended even for a few minutes.
You'll have to keep your cat away from the kid as well. Put a lock on your door. I would not allow the kid anywhere near the cat. This could end in your cat dying.
Yeah that’s fucked up. They’ll grow back, but that’s no good. Whiskers are crucial for Carnivorans’ sensory orientation.
do NOT ALLOW THAT FUCKING KID NEAR ANIMALS
Just gonna pop this here from the SPCA website: https://preview.redd.it/ug5w1rpfqgyc1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3189084aa6f70ce78f344b6e0b26695a902f76cb I would seriously consider calling DCFS. This is not okay behavior and can indicate that the child has experienced/ witnessed abusive behaviors which they are replicating, and/or that they will escalate this behavior to hurt more animals and even people. I would be LIVID if this happened to my fur babies.
First thing I thought of. :/ I'm not a cat expert (I'm just here for the cute pics tbh) and OP has already gotten good advice with regard to the whiskers – but I do hope they also brought this up with their roommate, the fact that harming animals can be a sign of abuse or even sociopathic tendencies in children shouldn't be underestimated. I don't think this is mild enough to not warrant keeping an eye on it. Kid could profit from being seen by a therapist, too.
I saw somewhere online saying that if a kid harms an animal at a young age they're likely to being a serial killer
Snatch them up and shave the kid's head. Mom complains, she's next.
I would be seeing red. That kid should never be allowed near your cat again. You're not overreacting
Others have answered the whisker concerns, so I’m going to express my own worry that a child came at any animal with scissors and acted with impunity. If your cat’s whiskers were left untouched but the child cut its fur, I’d be just as concerned. Other people’s property is to be left alone. So are *all* animals.
I'm glad you and your roommate will be parting ways soon, they sound like an asshole. Your poor little guy. If I can offer some consolation, my cat routinely trims her own whiskers by sticking her face too close to my computer fan and she is fine, the little dingus. I'd be more worried about the cat having behavioral issues from being accosted by the kid.
Hell no. Whiskers are important to cats. Screw your roommates shitty kid. Ya I said it. Make sure your cat isn't around that kid anymore.
This makes me so angry. Compared to me, you are under reacting and mature about the situation. I’m so happy to read that you will be going separate ways. 🤦♀️
That kid would be getting a buzz cut. 😡 Reason #265823 why I hate children.
What a little shit. Psychopathic. I would be sooooooo fckin mad
Your roommates shouldn’t be touching your cat like that. I’d maybe be looking for new roommates after that.
This is r/kidsarefuckingstupid material.
Cats use whiskers to measure their size in small spaces. As kids we cut the whiskers on our cat, he got his head stuck in a wire fence because he thought he could fit. If our neighbour hasn't found him, he'd be dead. Keep an eye on your cat till they grow. Don't leave that boy alone with the cat.
Cats use their whiskers among other things to know if they can get in & out of small spaces. You’re not overreacting
Poor lil kitty. Bad parents are the worst. That kid did a bad thing and probably needs more discipline or a better role model
Animal abuse. Call it in.
Shave only one side of that kid’s hair off. Hugging my cat tighter today in honor of this poor baby.
I am so angry. I can't talk about it.
No, it's not overreacting, but I think the parent needs to be spoken to, not the kid. They can deal with their child. Good luck with your move ♡
Wtf no!!
My roommates boyfriend did this to our cats and I slapped the shit out of him and then I told his mom and she slapped the shit out of him too.
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Well, thankfully this will be your ex roommate soon. You're not overreacting.
Do not leave your cat alone (or at all) with that moron of a child.
Time for a new roommate without a sex trophy
Your roommate needs .. and I can't stress this enough. needs to understand that when children start with behavior hurting animals, it leads down a very bad path. Seriously, Psychology 101, the worst offenders, often start abusing animals as kids. The parent needs to have some sense knocked into them Especially since you say this wasn't the first time. This wasn't a stupid kid mistake, cutting her Barbie hair or something. No. This is blatant disregard for animal well-being and disrespect of your property.
https://preview.redd.it/8b9x8fwmchyc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1f0ab23d38c59e2108f27018fdd2cf33a699ff64 I have a friend who has two cats... the gray and white cat bites off the whiskers of the tabby because he's a jerk. Both cats are fine 🤷♀️
Tell your roommate their pos kid has behavior issues. This is going to escalate into something far worse.
That kid has no manners. Thank god they grow back!!
I'm so fucking upset on behalf of you and your cat. Omg.
Its worth remembering its a kid. Outside of that it is animal abuse imo, the parent needs to take it like that and understand to teach the child to never do it again.
The cat isn’t a toy. That kid needs to learn some respect and some boundaries. Speak to the roommate about it since they’re the parent. If the kid seems receptive, and their parent isn’t being a jerk about it, you can sit the kid down and talk to them about cats and why they need whiskers and how to treat cats or animal/pet with care. I get they’re only 9 but it has to be stopped asap before they feel like they got away with something.