If you think you're having a bad hair day today, spare a thought for Nikki Kaye's cat Charlie.
The National MP shared of photo of her pet to social media on Tuesday, showing her "beautiful fur baby" looking a little worse for wear after what appeared to be a construction site mishap.
"Been a tough time as my beautiful fur baby Charlie came home literally covered in what we think is plaster from a building site," Kaye wrote.
"I was not home but after several showers later mum took him to the vet who knocked him out and gave him a pretty full shave.
"My little lion man is ok but it has been very scary."
The photo shows Charlie looking fully furred from the neck up, but quite scantily clad on the rest of his body.
He looked so different from his usual self, in fact, that Kaye said her other cat, Lily, didn't realise he was the same animal.
"I sense Lily is actually quite freaked out that I have bought home a new cat," Kaye wrote online. "Initially I thought she was being mean and rejecting him but now I realise she doesn’t recognise him."
Kaye said Charlie wasn't allowed to go outside for the time being, and that she would bring the pet to her electorate office tomorrow "because I can't trust Lily to be home alone with him and he needs to be looked after".
Charlie's photo elicited sympathy from other social media users.
"Poor little fur baby. Big hugs for a speedy recovery," wrote one person on Facebook.
"That's surely one of his nine lives gone," wrote another. "Best wishes for a full recovery."
Kaye told Newshub Charlie was still getting used to his new look.
"I think it is fair to say he is not very happy about his new cut," she said.
"I have been trying to keep him warm and snug as I don’t want him to catch a cold."
