Neglected Cat Freed After Having Two Pounds of Matted Fur Removed

A calico cat named Hidey spent years accumulating matted fur so severe that shelter staff described her as looking almost unrecognizable as a cat — until a distant relative’s routine check-in led to her rescue.

A Discovery in the Cellar

Paul Russel went to check on his 82-year-old relative’s home in Pittsburgh after the man, who has Alzheimer’s disease, was moved into a nursing home. Russel knew of one cat in the house, a Siamese named Siam, but hadn’t expected a second.

“At first I thought it was a cat that had a blanket on top of it,” Russel told People. “The next day I went into the creepy old cellar and it was hunkered in a corner. I thought, ‘My god this is a cat.'”

Years of Neglect, Hidden in Plain Sight

Russel brought the 14-year-old cat to the Animal Rescue League Shelter & Wildlife Center in Pittsburgh on December 15, 2016. Staff were stunned by what they found: matted fur that had formed into dreadlock-like clumps, some measuring 6 to 8 inches long, covering nearly her entire body.

The shelter estimated the matting had built up over years of neglect. Hidey was also overweight, which likely made it physically difficult for her to groom herself, compounding the problem over time.

The Procedure

Hidey was sedated to keep her comfortable during the process. Veterinary technician Jenn Levitzki, who documented the shave, said the individual mats were distinct enough to work with: “All the mats were pretty much individual so it was easy to get underneath them.”

Staff worked for roughly an hour, removing about two pounds of tangled, intertwined fur from her body. In a Facebook post, the shelter wrote: “She suffered from severe matting (dreadlocks, really), the likes of which had been neglected for years. Our Medical team shaved off the pounds of intertwined fur from her body & needless to say, this cat is feeling so much better now!”

A New Home

Hidey was placed with Russel and his family, who also took in Siam, her former housemate. She was initially shy and prone to hiding — a habit that earned her the name — but according to Western PA Humane Society, she began warming up in her new environment, eventually cuddling with Russel’s daughter and purring while being held.

A Reminder About Checking In

Dan Rossi, CEO of the Animal Rescue League Shelter and Western PA Humane Society, used Hidey’s case to highlight a broader issue: pets belonging to elderly or cognitively declining owners can be easily overlooked. “If a family member, friend or neighbor owns a pet, please help them to make sure there is a support system in place if/when mental faculties begin diminishing,” Rossi said.

The shelter echoed that message in its public post, urging people to check not just on elderly neighbors and relatives, but on their animals too — since a pet’s condition isn’t always obvious from the outside.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does a cat’s fur get matted to this degree?
Severe matting typically develops when a cat is physically unable to groom itself — due to obesity, mobility issues, long-haired coat type, or illness — combined with a lack of human intervention like regular brushing.

Is matting dangerous for a cat’s health?
Yes — severe mats can restrict movement, trap moisture and waste against the skin leading to infection, and in extreme cases cut off circulation to areas of skin, which is why sedation and professional removal are often necessary rather than home grooming.

What should you do if you suspect a pet is being neglected?
Contacting a local animal shelter, humane society, or animal control agency is the recommended first step; many organizations, like the one that treated Hidey, can intervene directly and help place the animal in proper care.

How can people help prevent situations like this?
Regularly checking in on elderly neighbors or family members — and specifically asking about the wellbeing of their pets, not just the person — can catch situations like Hidey’s before they become severe.

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Sources: LoveMeow, WFTV/Boston 25 News, and Humane Animal Rescue’s HumanePro publication, all citing the Animal Rescue League Shelter & Wildlife Center (now Humane Animal Rescue) in Pittsburgh.