Cats are frequently thought to be self-sufficient. Most cats spend their days outside alone, only returning home to eat and clean themselves, making them relatively low maintenance.

However, some cats have the type of fur that demands grooming, and if you don’t keep up with it, it can grow out of hand.

In the instance of Hidey, her owner was unable to adequately care for her, and she went years without regular grooming.

When animal rescuers found her, she had so many ‘dreadlocks’ that she resembled an octopus.

After the cat’s owner, who suffers from Alzheimer’s, was taken to a nursing home, they spotted Hidey and called Animal Rescue League Shelter and Wildlife Center, in Pittsburgh.

Animal experts thought that Hidey had probably been neglected for up to two years. Some of the ‘dreadlocks’ were 6 to 8 inches long.

“She suffered from severe matting (dreadlocks, really), the likes of which had been neglected for years,” People said, citing a post on the shelter’s Facebook page.

“Our Medical team removed the pounds of interwoven fur from her body, and this kitty is feeling so much better now!”

Hidey was placed with a distant relative of her previous owner.

The condition Hidey had could have been prevented with proper care.

This story reminds us of the importance of keeping up with our elderly neighbors and their pets.

Please share as a reminder to keep a look out for our elderly neighbors and family.

If you have elderly neighbors, it is nice to pop in and say hello once and a while – not only to check on them but to see that their pets are okay too.

You never know if they’re struggling unless you ask.

Share away, people.