Woman Thinks Hair Shorter-Then Realizes What's Been Happening as She Sleeps
A woman kept waking up thinking her hair looked shorter, but how could it be if she’s been asleep? Then she discovered the culprit.
A small cluster of freshly snipped hair sat right in the middle of the bed. Not clumps from brushing. Not loose strands from shedding. These were cut clean, leaving her hair a bit uneven.
The woman, who is known on TikTok as @maymaymoonpieprincess, paused, trying to figure out how this could be happening in her sleep. Then, one morning, she looked up and found her orange cat perched next to her, looking entirely pleased with himself, paws stretched toward her hair like he had business to attend to.
The "mystery cut" wasn't random at all. It was a deliberate attack, finally caught on camera. She snapped a picture of her cat next to her newly chewed-off hair and shared it on a February 22 TikTok video, which has since been viewed over 709,000 times.
Meanwhile, the orange cat himself? Unbothered. In fact, he looks a bit annoyed that she moved while he was mid-chopping off her hair.
Newsweek reached out to @maymaymoonpieprincess via email for additional information and comment.
TikTok Users React
TikTok users were quick to defend the cat, claiming he was helping her get layers, while others weren’t surprised, as orange felines tend to have a reputation for not being the smartest cats.
One user wrote: “No split ends on his watch.”
Another added: “Ahh, the midnight barber. He does his best work while you're sleeping!”
Several shared similar haircut horrors, with one user commenting: “…I need to hide under the covers every morning, he does it when he's waiting for his breakfast. Even when the auto feeder is set to exactly 7:30 every morning.”
Why Do Cats Chew Human Hair?
While it may look like pure chaos, feline behavior experts say this kind of interaction isn't entirely unusual. Cats may lick, chew or play with human hair because it can resemble familiar grooming textures like fur or fine fibers, a vet-reviewed article from Catster states. The movement and feel of hair can mimic natural grooming behavior, which cats use for comfort, bonding and self-soothing.
The type of cat behavior may also stem from stress or underlying health-related issues. According to the article, conditions such as pica and, in some cases, hyperthyroidism have been associated with chewing or fidgeting behaviors in cats, including interactions with non-food items like human hair.
In short, what looks like an unlicensed midnight haircut may actually be your cat engaging in instinct-driven grooming behavior-just with slightly unexpected results.
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This story was originally published April 20, 2026 at 3:38 PM.