When we think about cats, we often picture them as independent creatures who can take care of themselves. They wander outside for hours, only to return home for a quick meal and a grooming session. This makes them seem like pretty low-maintenance pets. However, some cats have special fur that needs regular grooming. If their owners don’t keep up with it, the fur can become a tangled mess.

Take Hidey, for example. This poor cat suffered for years because her owner, who had Alzheimer’s disease, couldn’t care for her properly. Hidey went without grooming for so long that her fur became a wild, tangled mass. By the time animal rescuers found her, she looked like an octopus with a coat full of dreadful ‘dreadlocks.’

It all started when the animal rescue team was alerted about Hidey after her owner was taken to a nursing home. The team from the Animal Rescue League Shelter and Wildlife Center in Pittsburgh quickly sprang into action. “We couldn’t believe how long she had been neglected,” one of the rescuers remarked. Experts estimated that Hidey had been in this unfortunate state for almost two years! Some of her dreadlocks measured between 6 to 8 inches long!

Jenn Levitzki, a vet who worked tirelessly to help Hidey, shared her experience in a heartfelt video on Facebook. “This is the worst matting I have ever seen. She has dreadlocks,” she exclaimed, clearly shocked by the condition of the cat. To make the process easier for Hidey, she was gently sedated, allowing the vet to work without causing her stress.

As the veterinary team carefully shaved off the heavy layers of intertwined fur, they could finally see Hidey for who she truly was beneath all that matted hair. “She suffered from severe matting,” the shelter wrote on their Facebook page. “The likes of which had been neglected for years. Our medical team shaved off the pounds of tangled fur from her body. Needless to say, this cat is feeling so much better now!”

Once Hidey was groomed and her spirit began to shine through again, she was re-homed with a distant relative of her former owner. The transformation was incredible, reminding everyone just how important it is to keep up with the pets of our elderly neighbors and family members.

This story serves as a powerful reminder: Let’s always check in on our elderly loved ones and their furry friends. After all, a little care can go a long way. What are your thoughts? Share them in the comments below!