Paul Russell did not know it, but there was a surprise waiting for him while he tried to carry out a good deed. Based in Pennsylvania, he felt worried about one of his distant relatives. This older man had recently been going through a hard time, but how did he plan to lend a hand? Let us find out!

Making A Decision

Already 82 years old, this distant relative of his had just moved out of his Pennsylvania house. This man had been living on his own until he was no longer able to take care of himself. He was already in his twilight years, but he had been suffering from a mysterious illness.

Left Behind

They did this because they wanted to look out for him.

Even though it was the best option for him, the family did not know him very well. When they took him out, it led to a strange turn of events.

His family decided to take him to a nursing home that was close to where they lived.

Entering The House

Sadly, pets were not allowed to be at the nursing home. Sadly, this meant that the man had to leave someone behind.

Siam was his 17-year-old Siamese cat. After hearing about this, Paul knew what he could do to help. Paul and his wife had pets of their own and were animal lovers.

Derelict

However, Paul eventually discovered that Siam was not the only “animal” there. Nothing happened when he did that.

Paul went over, walked through the front door, and flicked the light switch on and off. He needed to go to the cellar to access the breaker. Before that, however, he had to grab something first.

A Creeping Feeling

Paul went back to his car to retrieve his emergency spotlight. He nearly dropped it and then placed the flashlight in the hallway.

The smell got to him before he could even see anything, however. He stumbled and saw what was lying there. The entire house was full of garbage from the floor to the ceiling!

Scratches

The windows had been darkened, and there were strange marks on the walls.

Paul had a hard time shaking off the feeling that there was someone watching him as he made his way through the house. He tried to ignore the idea that there might be snakes and mice in there.

Hiding In The Dark

Chills ran down his spine as he brought up the flashlight to see what the walls looked like. Who could have done such a thing?

On top of that, where could Siam be? Paul looked at the wall markings and found a spot on the wallpaper. It looked like it had been gouged out.

Frozen

His heart was pounding hard against his chest as he walked the length of the hallway. Paul was calling out, “Kitty, kitty.

” All of a sudden, a strange feeling overtook him. His gut told him that he had to run away. However, there was no way he was going to do such a thing without first finding Siam.

Hiding Out

Paul entered the kitchen to look for the cat’s food bowl. Siam did not come up to him even then.

He poured in some of the cat food that he had with him. Scared but determined, he continued to call out.

Not Alone

Was the cat hiding? The house was full of hiding places.

He knew that the only thing he could do now was to head to the basement to flip the switch on. Before he even entered the dark stairway, he heard a shocking noise.

There was no chance that he was going to find Siam in the dark. What could it be?

A Huge Creature

Paul heard a loud cry that filled the room. He froze in his spot. After that, he heard a thump. He went up to the door cautiously.

This time, however, the noise seemed to come from a different room in the house. It sounded like it came from the bathroom at the end of the hall. What was he going to see there?

Going Back In

He kicked the door open and withdrew the shower curtain. He breathed a sigh of relief upon finding Siam there at last.

The cat had been there in the bathroom! The poor cat had been hungry and scared. He must not have had a proper meal in a long period of time.

Trapped

Paul started to think about the situation. Out of the blue, he heard another sound from the dark of the house.

It gave him goosebumps to hear such a thing. It was then that he heard a faint grumble that was heard across the length of the hall. Since Siam was there, what on earth was making such a sound?

At The Vet

Paul tried to stay calm by telling himself that it was likely nothing more than a scared raccoon.

It probably got into the abandoned house through a window. On top of that, this explains why Siam had been hiding out in the bath. As he went out the door, he saw something that he will never forget.

A Cat

0 Even though most people would have picked Siam up and ran out, Paul is different. What happened after this?

He narrated, “I started searching around, and suddenly this huge creature darts out from under the bed and runs down to the cellar, and I thought, ‘What was that?

Hidey

Understandably, he felt terrified after seeing that. He ran out of that place as soon as he could. Jill, his partner, decided to join him this time.

Before he returned to the cellar, he needed to gather all the bravery that he could muster. Paul felt more prepared to take on whatever that creature was.

Barbershop

They went down the stairwell. Of course, they did not forget to bring their trusty flashlights with them.

He shared, “The next day, I went into the creepy old cellar… I’m down there with a flashlight looking— it was almost like a horror movie.

Makeover

This creature was hiding in a corner. Jill was shocked to see the creature.

When Paul first told her that he saw a dusty creature with a couple of legs, she did not really believe him. She was proven wrong by the sight in front of them.

New Family

Can you guess what this creature was? Paul and Jill were both terrified as they did so.

They had no clue what this thing was. He assumed that it was some kind of wild animal that he had never heard of before. If not that, maybe it was a common animal that had a blanket draped over it.

In their quest to get some answers, the couple brought this alien-looking animal to the vet.

Monster Under The Bed

It was the first time that the vets ever saw anything like that. The odd creature then turned around.

This strange animal had something that looked like tentacles all over its body. Everyone was at a loss for words when they saw it poke its head out of the tangles!

Working Slowly

They decided to cut off the mass of hair after they gave the animal some general anesthesia. The shelter took to Facebook to share the incredible story.

The post read, “Our Medical team shaved off the pounds of intertwined fur from her body, and, needless to say, she’s feeling so much better now!” What was it?!

Responsibility

The truth dawned on them after that. What kind of animal was it?

In the end, they decided that the only way for them to find out was to administer some anesthesia and get rid of all the fur. Are you ready to find out the truth?

And why did it end up looking like that? The vets argued about what to do next.

Looking Out For Each Other

They decided to call this animal Hidey in honor of its penchant for hiding.

The creature had been covered by pounds of matted fur. You see, Hidey had been completely forgotten by the 82-year-old who lived in the house.

Adjusting

She is the Senior Marketing Communications Manager of Western PA Humane Society. Yes, Hidey was actually a cat!

“Hidey was overweight, so that makes it harder for [cats] to groom themselves, and that’s when you see matting happen,” explained Caitlin Lasky.

A Happy Ending

But how did they go about getting rid of the dreadlocks?

The members of the veterinary team could not believe their eyes when they saw Hidey. Caitlin Lasky explained, “They hadn’t seen anything like that.

A Unique Case

“Even looking online, I had a hard time finding anything similar, so it’s a unique case,” she explained.

The next thing that they had to do was to shave off all the hair. It was the only way to save Hidey. However, the team had to be careful not to make mistakes as they did so.

Two Pounds

The fur weighed as much as two pounds: “Lots of furs.

” Not only was Hidey one of the hairiest cats on the planet, but she must have been one of the fattest ones as well. There was another problem they had to deal with.

It had to be years of matting for it to get that long. She had no place to call home!

Forever Home

Don’t worry. Paul and Jill decided to bring home both Siam and Hidey after the latter got released from the vet’s clinic.

These two cats now have a forever home in the form of the Russell residence. On top of that, they also got new siblings because there were two dogs and two more cats in the house.

Transitioning

It took some time for Hidey to get used to her new appearance. However, will she be able to trust people again?

After they got rid of all the overgrown fur, this cat has become more lifelike. Perhaps she does not know it yet, but things are going to be much better now.

Take Time

She had been neglected for years, so it is only natural that she needed some time before finally settling down.

“She’s been hiding under the bed for the last few days,” Paul explained. “I’ve been dragging her out and holding her, and she’s starting to purr a lot.

Little By Little

So she’s starting to work her way to see more people,” he said.

Dan Rossi, the CEO of the Western PA Humane Society and CEO of the Animal Rescue League Shelter, also explained, “The companionship of a pet will offer many positive benefits to the elderly, but it is a great responsibility to own a pet.

“For the last couple of days, she’s climbed from under the bed on her own, and I’ve got a cat’s bed.

Guidance

Rossi has also issued a word of advice to people who find themselves in a similar situation.” We need to look out for the animals as well!

He pleaded, “If a family member, friend, or neighbor owns a pet, please help them ensure that there is a support system in place if / when mental faculties begin to decline.

Open Door Shelters

” It will take a little more time before the Russells would get to know Hidey better. However, she is slowly adjusting to her new life without the heavy fur. We are happy to say that she is now coming out of her shell.

He added, “Also, open door shelters such as the Animal Rescue League Shelter and the Western PA Humane Society do not turn any animal away unless there are other choices for the pet.

Run The House

“Other than being standoff, in which you are keeping her, and she’s going to purr,” explained Russell.

However, Jill thinks that there is going to be more in store for this poor cat in the future. She said, “She’s going to run the house in six months.

A Little Trimmer

“And now she’s going to be a little trimmer. It is a good thing that Jill and Paul are there to give her the TLC she needs.

” We are relieved to hear that someone finally found Hidey, who was probably suffering beneath the heavy matt of fur. We hope that the story will stop instances of animal neglect in the future!

Another One

What do you know? Hidey is not the only cat who went through this sort of thing.

As a matter of fact, there was one more cat called Sinbad who went through the same thing. He was rescued in Chicago when his elderly owner was no longer able to look after him.

Neglected For A While

It would seem like Sinbad had been neglected for some time already. He also had very matted fur.

Fortunately, the rescuers arrived before things got worse. The owner also agreed that it would be better if the cat lived somewhere else. The society members then had to plan the future of this cat.

Keeping Calm

They must have been relieved to see how cooperative he was! He did not act scared or hesitant.

The workers wondered how they were going to keep this poor cat calm as they shaved off the matted fur.

Realizing

It felt like Sinbad eventually realized what was going on.

After that, he did not refuse the help of the rescuers and allowed them to clean him up. When they were done, they found an adorable little cat!

Two Sittings

The rescuers had to take two sittings before they could finish shaving off all the excess fur. Each time took them about two hours. Isn’t that insane?!

In case you were wondering, they also sedated Sinbad. When they were finally done, the rescuers shaved off a jaw-dropping five pounds of matted fur.

Unrecognizable

By the time they were done shaving him, Sinbad looked like a totally different animal. He ended up losing five pounds of extra weight.

It must have been a huge change for him, so his small body felt sensitive to the cold. The rescuers gave him a t-shirt to help him stay warm.

Such A Relief

You see, those limbs became atrophied because it had not been in use for a while.

While it was a relief to have the excess weight off of him, Sinbad needed to learn how to walk on his hind legs once again.

Getting A Lot Of Attention

His new owner said, “Now he’s getting lots of TLC and attention… I’m just astounded at how he just loves people… Even though people haven’t always treated him very well… It’s a lesson we could all learn.

Five Pounds

He is a Chicago Anti-Cruelty Society education manager.

“He didn’t get a lot of attention because of all the matting on his body and carrying five pounds worth of mats so he was not just in a neglective environment but a neglective condition as well,” said Elliott Serrano.

Gaining Weight

After that, they had to deal with his weight problem. Sinbad had been very malnourished when the rescuers found him. Robyn Barbiers.

“We had a volunteer step up who is very good at getting cats to eat, started making a grool, putting it in his mouth and after six days of that he started eating on his own,” explained Dr. She is the president of the Chicago Anti-Cruelty Society.

Healthy Again

When he was healthy once more, he was put up for adoption.

“That first weekend when I took him home when he just wanted to lay on my chest and purr and chirp and be with me,” the new owner explained.

Something odd happened when Sinbad was being fostered, however. This cat formed a special bond with his foster parent!

Caring

“We would never have known if somebody hadn’t cared enough to see an animal in need, take a photo, get it to us so that our investigators could go out and rescue this cat,” the foster parent narrated.

Then Vs. Now

Sinbad is now happy in the comfort of his new home. He has an owner who loves him and now weighs more than eight pounds.

This is a healthy weight for a cat his size. The owner has described Sinbad as a feisty cat that has a great attitude. He took to Instagram to post a photo of Sinbad on his shoulders!

Taking Action

We are so glad to hear that this stranger did not ignore the problem and helped the poor cat have a better future!

Even though this story came with a happy ending, none of this would have happened if a utility worker did not find Sinbad.