When rescuers first saw the cat, they thought she was wrapped in a blanket—because of nearly 1kg of tangled fur covering her body.
Photos of Hidey the cat recently went viral on Facebook, with thick, twisted mats of fur resembling the tails of a mythical nine-tailed fox. Her elderly owner, a man suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, was no longer able to care for her.
A post read: “This poor cat came into the rescue center yesterday (December 19). Her owner is now in a nursing home.” According to the Daily Mail, the photo was taken in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Once Hidey arrived at the shelter, she was carefully groomed and freed from the matted fur, quickly beginning to regain her comfort and beauty. After a few days of medical care and observation, she will be added to an adoption list and prepared for a new forever home.
Rescue staff found Hidey when they entered her owner’s home following his move to a care facility. The elderly man had mentioned owning a cat, and what they discovered shocked them.
Hidey’s fur was so severely matted that it had twisted into thick cords—making her look like an octopus or a nine-tailed fox. At first glance, rescuers genuinely believed she was under a blanket.
The removed fur weighed nearly 1 kilogram. Hidey, who is 14 years old, also suffers from obesity, making it even harder for her to move around. She lived with another cat and two dogs under the same roof before being rescued.