This is Hidey, so named because she has a habit of hiding. This poor cat had been severely neglected and was found with these weird fuzzy dreadlocks resembling an octopus.

Hidey was brought to the Wildlife Center and Animal Rescue Center after her elderly owner was taken to a nursing home, suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

This calico kitten’s coat was severely matted, she had been neglected for many years. According to the shelter, the filthy dreadlocks, some of which were 8 inches long, contained a mixture of feces and hair tangled together.

All the hair Hidey had lost over the years was just in the carpet. “The end of the carpet contains hair [that] has long since fallen out. That’s how they can achieve that length.”

It takes hours to cut away all the individual dreads to reach the matted hair which is then shaved away. “All the mats are pretty separate so it’s easy to get under them,” explains Jenn Levitzki, a veterinary technician at the center.

Hidey had to be anesthetized before the procedure to make her as comfortable as possible. “Our medical team shaved off pounds of interwoven hair from her body and, needless to say, this cat is feeling a lot better!”

“Hidey is adjusting to his new home. There are hopes she will warm up to her new owners now that she is feeling better,” said Caitlin Lasky of the Western PA Humane Society.

Without all the fuzzy hair and dreadlocks, Hidey is feeling a lot better (and lighter!) and she may finally have a chance at a happier and healthier life!

“If a family member, friend or neighbor owns a pet, please help them ensure there is a support system in place if/when psychiatric services begin to decline,” said Dan Rossi, Director said the executive director of the Western PA Animal Rescue Center and Humane Society.

Here’s Hidey with her new companion: