A white cat who lost his nose to cancer has taken the internet by storm as social media users can’t get enough of his resemblance to Voldemort from Harry Potter.
In April 2022, Angel Nicholson noticed a raised scab on her cat Smudge’s nose. At the time, Nicholson, 24, thought it might be from a fight, telling Newsweek that Smudge is “quite a tough boy.”
Unfortunately, when the vet looked at it, they suggested doing a biopsy because it could be more sinister. As it turned out, that was the case, as the results showed that Smudge had cancer on his nose.
“From there, the vet proposed that we get him booked in for surgery which would, in simple terms, cut away his nose,” U.K.-based Nicholson said. “Luckily, it wasn’t taken back as far as it could have been due to the cancer not spreading as much as the vet initially thought, so the procedure was just a cauterization.”
@angelllnicholsonnn / TikTok
Smudge had surgery in June 2022, leaving him with a flat, flesh-colored nose in the shape of a mushroom.
Previously Smudge always loved the outdoors, and would spend hours roaming around, chasing mice, birds, and other cats. However, he was housebound and had to wear a cone for a while after the surgery, which he wasn’t too happy about.
“He got really down and would spend more time sleeping and eating. We also had to be so careful because of the sensitivity of his nose, and the meticulous cleaning cats do, that he didn’t aggravate, infect, or touch his nose. It was a job in itself to watch over him, keep him stimulated with toys and plenty of fuss,” Nicholson continued.
Fortunately, now at the age of 12, Smudge is doing much better. He loves lounging around the house and sunbathing, as Nicholson joked that he’s “a pretty lazy boy” in his senior years.
Losing his nose hasn’t changed his temperament as such, but Smudge certainly doesn’t like anyone touching what’s left of his nose. It can also be quite runny, so Nicholson has to help manage that.
Nicholson couldn’t resist sharing a before and after comparison of Smudge on TikTok (@angelllnicholsonnn). Social media users are obsessed with his “little Voldemort” nose (or lack thereof) and the TikTok post has gone viral with over 613,500 views and 126,600 likes at the time of writing.
The online reaction has been incredible for Nicholson. She loves seeing so many people fall in love with Smudge, especially since he’s not considered “the cutest or prettiest cat” by conventional standards (although his owner thinks he’s perfect).
Nicholson said: “It’s been nice to see comments from people sharing their own cats, others making hilarious jokes about his nose—many of which I have made myself, including comparing his nose to a little mushroom, or Voldemort himself.
“It’s important to make sure cats who love the sun and are perhaps fairer in color have limited sunshine time. Or as difficult as it is, make sure animal-safe sun cream is used on their nose and ears. If anything looks unusual, even if it looks like a battle scar, get it checked at the vets. It’s better safe than sorry.”
In just a matter of days, the viral post has amassed over 400 comments on TikTok already.
One comment reads: “close enough, welcome back Voldemort.”
Another TikTok user wrote: “Now kitty looks like a little Tim Burton cat.”
Another person joked: “he looks like a vampire, so cute.”
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