Cat neglected for years found covered in matted fur 'dreadlocks'

Neglected: Hidey was brought into the centre in Pittsburgh with matted fur dreadlocks
Animal Rescue League Shelter & Wildlife Center/Facebook
Jamie Bullen22 December 2016

Shocking pictures have emerged of a cat which was neglected for so long that matted fur “dreadlocks” formed on her body.

Stunned animal rescue workers said Hidey, a calico cat, had been forgotten for “years” before she was brought in to a centre in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, when her owner was moved to a nursing home.

Workers from the Animal Rescue League Shelter and Wildlife Center said on Facebook they shaved off “pounds” of matted fur from her body before she was handed back to a relative of the owner, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s

The post read: “This poor cat was brought to our clinic yesterday after her elderly had to move to a nursing home.

"She suffered from severe matting (dreadlocks, really), the likes of which had been neglected for years.

Abandoned: Hidey's owner suffered from Alzheimer's and was taken into a nursing home (Animal Rescue League Shelter & Wildlife Center/Facebook)
Animal Rescue League Shelter & Wildlife Center/Facebook

“Our medical team shaved off the pounds of intertwined fur from her body &, needless to say, this cat is feeling so much better now!

“She will be cared for by a distant relative of her previous owner & finally have a chance at a happy & healthy life.

“Please remember to not only check on the elderly in your community, but also check on their animals to prevent instances like this from happening in the future.”

Hundreds of social media users posted comments on the photographs with some expressing doubts the images were real.

Trimmed down: Staff shaved off pounds of matted fur before the cat was rehomed (Animal Rescue League Shelter & Wildlife Center/Facebook)
Animal Rescue League Shelter & Wildlife Center/Facebook

But others responded to say the pictures were genuine while an animal rights group also reported the cat’s condition was accurate.

Emily Peretti posted: “To the commenters claiming that the photos are fake and photoshopped, I saw this cat first hand through the clinic.

“If you're a professional groomer calling this fake, it's probably because people who neglect their animals don't take them to groomers.

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“They end up at animal shelters. Our technicians deal with enough extreme cases on a constant basis, we don't need to fabricate abuse.”

Paul Russel, the owner’s relative who is now looking after Hidey, said the cat’s condition has started to improve since she was rehomed.

He told The Dodo: “She's been hiding under the bed for the last couple of days. I've been dragging her out, and holding her, and she purrs a lot.

“The last couple of days, she's climbed out from under the bed on her own and into a cat bed I have. So she's starting to work her way to see people more."

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