Tortoiseshell cat covered in matted dreadlocked fur — © Western PA Humane Society

Strange creature removed from elderly man's house, vets painstakingly get to work

By Zoë Monk Content Writer

Published on the 30/09/2023 20:00

At first glance, you could easily mistake the dreadlocked creature for a colossal, hairy spider. But this is no humongous spider. It’s a tortoiseshell cat.

Paul Russell discovered the cat after his 82-year-old relative, living with Alzheimer's, was relocated to a nursing home.

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Surprise discovery

Initially assuming his relative had just one cat, Paul was astounded to discover an additional feline, weighed down by a whopping two pounds of matted fur.

"It darted out from under a bed. Initially, I mistook it for a cat concealed beneath a blanket. The following day, I ventured into the eerie old cellar, and there it was, huddled in a corner. I thought, 'My goodness, this is a cat,'" explains Paul.

The cat's fur had grown so excessively that it had transformed into dreadlocks. The 14-year-old feline was taken to the Animal Rescue League Shelter & Wildlife Center in Pittsburgh, where the medical team painstakingly removed the pounds of tangled fur from the cat, giving her instant relief.

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New home for Hidey

Paul and his family adopted the cat, now affectionately named Hidey, alongside their relative's other feline companion. Hidey is still adapting to her new life with the family and their other pets, but the cat is gradually opening up.

While pet ownership can benefit older people immensely, it remains crucial to ensure that older relatives and friends can adequately care for their pets. If you know an older person who owns a pet, ensure they have an appropriate support system in place if they can no longer care for the animal.

kotka hidey — ©WESTERN PA HUMANE SOCIETY