We often think that cats are capable of taking care of themselves. Most cats spend hours alone outside all day and only come home to eat and clean themselves, making them low-maintenance pets.
But some cats have the kind of fur that requires grooming, and if you don’t take care of it, it can become uncontrollable.
In the case of the cat Hidey, her owner was not able to take care of her properly, and she went without grooming for years.
When animal rescuers finally got hold of her, she had so many ‘dreadlocks’ that she looked like an octopus.
After the cat owner, who suffers from Alzheimer’s, was taken to a nursing home, she spotted Hidey and called the Animal Rescue League Shelter and Wildlife Center in Pittsburgh.
Animal experts estimated that Hidey had likely been neglected for almost two years. Some of the ‘dreadlocks’ measured between 15 and 20 cm long.
Jenn Levitzki, a veterinarian who helped free Hidey from her matted fur and documented it in a video she posted on Facebook, said, ‘(Hidey has) the worst matting I have ever seen; she has dreadlocks.’
Hidey was placed under sedation for the procedure to make her more comfortable.
She was suffering from a severe accumulation of hair (really, dreadlocks) whose appearance had been neglected for years,” says a post on the shelter’s Facebook page, according to People.
“Our medical team shaved off the pounds of matted fur on her body, and needless to say, this cat feels much better now!”
Hidey was rehomed with a distant relative of her former owner.
Hidey’s condition could have been avoided with proper care.
This story reminds us of the importance of looking out for our elderly neighbors and their pets.
We encourage you to share this message to remind us to keep an eye on our elderly neighbors and family.
If you have elderly neighbors, it’s good to drop by and say hello from time to time, not only to check in but also to ensure their pets are doing well.
You never know if they are in trouble if you don’t ask.
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