This abandoned cat had so much fur that it turned to dreadlocks
A cat who was left abandoned for years grew so much fur that it matted and became dreadlocks.
Hidey to moggy was left to fend for herself when her elderly owner, who was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, was taken to a nursing home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The man’s family left Hidey and another cat behind and it wasn’t until Paul Russell, a distant relative of the cat’s owner, realised that the animals were not being cared for that they were paid a visit.
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And he discovered Hidey in an awful state, covered in TWO POUNDS of fur.
He told The Dodo: “At first I thought it was a cat who had a blanket draped over her that she dragged down.
”But no – it turned out to be Hidey. She hid down in the corner of the cellar. I’m down there with a flashlight looking – it was almost like a horror movie.
“And I found her hunkering in the corner. Probably very scared. Probably in a lot of pain.”
Hidey was taken to the Animal Rescue League and Wildlife Shelter in Pittsburgh where she was placed under general anaesthesia so they could shave off the dreadlocks safely.
Caitlin Lasky, senior marketing communications manager for Western PA Humane Society, revealed: “It was two pounds of fur.
“Lots of fur. It had to be years of matting for it to get that long. She was overweight as well.”
Vets believe Hidey’s fur was particularly bad because she was overweight and unable to groom herself.
Fortunately her ordeal is over and she is now living with Mr Russell and getting used to be a normal cat again.
Top pic: Western PA Human Society
