The truth about what was found under the bed of a sick elderly gentleman who had left his old home to move to a nursing home. What was discovered left an indelible mark on his grandson's life.
The story begins when an unwitting Paul Russel went to visit an elderly relative. She knew that the old man's house would be full of personal effects, but she never expected it to be so dilapidated and messy. Paul was there to retrieve objects that the elderly man needed, but what he found seemed straight out of a horror movie: in the dark basement he came across the most absurd creature he had ever seen. ** Read on to find out the story. **
Paul was shocked by what he had seen. If someone asked him to explain what he had seen, he could only say that he had been in contact with a being who could not be of this planet. Paul was in shock after seeing this creature, which looked like it had multiple legs and was very dirty; he was a one of a kind being and he absolutely wanted to find out what he was. The smartest thing to do at that moment was to have him examined by a vet ...
But let's take a step back. This story began when Paul Russel learned that an 82-year-old relative had moved into a retirement home, leaving his home in Pennsylvania. The man lived alone, but his advanced age no longer allowed him to be self-sufficient and therefore he was taken to a place that could help him in his daily tasks. So he was having a hard time, so Paul decided he wanted to help him.
Alzheimer's had struck the elderly man and the family saw the only solution to this problem in the nursing home. Moving to a specialized center would help keep an eye on him. Unfortunately, however, the family was not well aware of the lord's life and had no idea that moving him would lead to a strange series of events.
The transfer to the nursing home required following very strict rules. Among these was also the ban on pets and this unfortunately meant for the elderly man to leave his beloved 17-year-old Siamese cat, Siam. Paul, seeing the dramatic situation, decided to help his relative by taking the situation in hand. In fact, he and his partner were animal lovers, they owned some servants, and the idea was to adopt poor Siam.
Studies carried out over the years have shown that older people who own pets benefit from health benefits, especially in terms of blood pressure and stress levels. However, there is also a negative side: with the advent of advanced age, it can be difficult to take care of a pet. This can lead to neglect of the animal, so much so as to become harmful to the latter, and lead to a dramatic situation. And this is where Paul comes to the rescue of his relative.
The first thing Paul noticed was the poor condition the house was in. From the outside, the house did not look unkempt, the lawn had been recently mowed and the driveway was clean, but what was inside it was unimaginable. Already from the dilapidated state in which the front door was located one could guess that the house had experienced better days. As soon as he opened it, Paul found himself a series of surprises ...
As soon as he entered the house, Paul tried to turn on the light switch but without success. The only thing he could do was turn on the main switch located in the cellar; so he took the flashlight and walked towards the stairs. Going down the first thing he noticed was the strong smell of spoiled fish that came from the cellar, without asking too many questions. While looking for the switch, Paul tripped over something and, shining the light around him, saw that the house was full of garbage: broken furniture, boxes and newspapers were piled up senselessly throughout the house. But what he discovered would have been even more absurd ...
Looking around with the flashlight, Paul saw that the windows had all been blacked out and that the wall had strange streaks. The situation became even more gruesome due to the feeling of being observed that Paul was experiencing, which he tried to get out of his head in all possible ways. He was convinced it could be a mouse, but it could also be something worse.
Paul focused on the streaks he saw on the wall. He walked over to get a better look and noticed that those marks were actually scratches that had torn off the wallpaper. He immediately hypothesized that these could be signs left by Siam, the Siamese cat of his elderly relative, but he had not yet seen any trace of him. Where had Siam gone?
This whole situation intimidated Paul, who began his search for Siam by walking down the corridor and whispering her name. Suddenly he felt something strange that chilled his blood and his instincts drove him to flee. But Paul didn't want to leave the house without the cat, so he kept looking: in the living room, kitchen, garden, bedrooms and bathroom - the cat was nowhere. However, Paul did not give up.
Paul came up with a plan: he went to the nearest store to buy cat food, so he could lure Siam back to the house. He went into the kitchen and took two bowls, one for food and one for water, and waited. A few hours passed and there was no trace of Siam. At that point Paul feared for the worst so he took desperate measures.
Paul was determined to find Siam, he couldn't think that a being as intelligent as the cat couldn't get away with that. So he started calling the name of the louder cat: “Siam! We are! Where are you! ”He cried unsuccessfully. At that point Paul began to dig through the boxes, full of objects of his relative, hoping to find Siam in one of them.
Darkness was an obstacle in the search for Siam, there were too many places where a cat could hide. So Paul decided to go back to the cellar and turn on the main switch, which he had not done previously because he fled in fear. He cautiously walked down the corridor until he reached the cellar, when suddenly he heard a sound that surprised him.
A loud cry echoed throughout the house, leaving Paul petrified: "Where the hell did this sound come from?" I think. As the sound repeated itself, Paul tried to reach it and finally, after climbing upstairs, he found that the sound was coming from the bathroom. At that point he crossed the corridor and headed for the door ...
Panicked, Paul kicked open the bathroom door! He went in and pulled the shower curtain. At that point he discovered what that strange sound made: it was Siam curled up in a corner of the tub calling for help! The cat was terrified and hungry, Paul had no idea when this poor creature had last eaten. So he took Siam in his arms and walked towards the corridor where, however, something happened that made his blood freeze in his veins.
The happiness of having found the cat of his elderly relative immediately gave way to the fear of what Paul had heard coming from the darkness. It sounded like a deep growl that came from another room and echoed in the corridor. Paul was very worried: Siam was with him and could not be the author of these strange noises, so what could it be? Paul had no doubts that it was another creature, but it didn't seem like a cat.
Paul speculated that the noise was caused by a raccoon or some other wild animal that had entered the abandoned house. This would also explain why poor Siam was frightened when he was found in the bathtub. Eventually he sensed that the noise was coming from the basement. Armed with a flashlight, Paul headed for the door and what he saw was a scene he will never forget.
What was supposed to be a simple help to an elderly relative was slowly turning into a horror movie. Paul could just take Siam and run away from home, but he didn't do that. Suddenly the fear disappeared and he looked around: a huge creature suddenly came out from under the bed and ran into the cellar. This frightened Paul very much who, astonished, wondered: "What the hell was that?".
At the sight of this frightening creature, Paul ran out of the house. But he felt compelled to go to the bottom of the matter, so with the help of his wife Jill he found the courage to return to the house of his elderly relative with the aim of capturing the mysterious being. Now that he had saved Siam, he wanted to see if he could help this other creature too. The next day the couple went down to the dark basement, equipped with everything necessary to be able to complete the mission.
Equipped with a trap and a flashlight, Paul and Jill cautiously walked down the stairs. Despite the darkness due to the absence of electricity, the couple did not take long to find the bizarre creature. Paul recalls: “The next day I went to the creepy old basement. I was there lighting up with my flashlight - it was like a horror movie. Then I found it in a corner ... ".
The couple cornered the huge creature so that Paul could capture it. Jill as soon as she saw her was speechless: she did not believe her husband when she told him what he had seen, but now he found her in front of him and it was real! He was a dusty being, with many legs and seemed to have bright eyes. Having reached their goal, the two rushed out of the house.
Jill and Paul were shocked by the experience: what was that creature? Where did it come from? Why was he in the home of his elderly relative? Paul hypothesized that it was a wild animal unknown to him that had snuck into the house. To remove any doubts they took him to the nearest vet, to whom they delivered the bizarre creature.
Even the vet was amazed when he was faced with this being reduced to those conditions. With great caution they tried to establish contact with this unknown creature; as they approached, it whirled around. They were amazed by what they found in front of them: a head protruded from the strange tentacles and everything was clearer ...
Maybe what they were facing was a strange mutation? Or maybe he was born with multiple legs? There were many questions but the veterinarian was not interested at the moment because he saw that the animal was suffering and had to intervene. Touching the strange limbs he realized that they weren't working and maybe they weren't at all. When the creature turned, all doubts vanished. And what they found was unexpected.
What emerged from that cluster of pseudo tentacles was the head of a cat! Paul and Jill were amazed, what was around him was a pile of dirty fur. Due to his inability to hide, they decided to call the animal Hidey. The vets put him under anesthesia and began shearing the mass of fur that covered him. The clinic wrote on Facebook: "Our medical team has shaved off the kilos of tangled hair from his body and needless to say, he is now feeling much better!"
Caitlin Lasky, senior marketing communications manager for the Western PA Humane Society, said, "Hidey was overweight, which makes it harder for [cats] to groom themselves, and that's when you see felts forming." The mystery was solved: the bizarre creature was a cat that, unfortunately, the old owner had long forgotten.
The shearing of the hair showed that poor Hidey was a perfectly normal cat, but unfortunately he found himself in a paradoxical situation. Senior Marketing Communications Officer for the Western PA Humane Society, Caitlin Lasky, added to her previous comment: "They had never seen anything like it." He was referring to the cat's dreadlocks and how they were safely removed. Hidey made an extreme impression on the veterinary team.
Plus, Caitlyn added, “Even when I searched online, I had a hard time finding something like this, so it's a unique case. In this case, the only way to save the cat was to shave all its fur. The team couldn't make any mistakes ”. The situation in which Hidey found himself had strained him a lot, but despite this the cat was essentially healthy.
Caitlyn's last comment was "The fur weighed about 900 grams! Lots of fur. It must have been years of tangles to have it so long ”. Unfortunately due to Alzheimer's, the elderly relative had forgotten to tell Paul about Hidey’s existence, and perhaps he too had forgotten about it lately. Fortunately everything had gone well, but now the cat was left with no home to go to. What would his fate be?
Once his period of treatment at the vet was over, Hidey was ready to start a new adventure and the couple were determined to give him a home. This would mean that they would bring 2 more cats into their family, joining three more cats and two dogs. Despite this necessity of having to live with other animals, the two cats could be said to be lucky to have found a new home.
Now that the pile of fur was gone, Hidey needed some time to get used to this new situation. All that fur had prevented the cat from making the normal transition of life. Hidey had yet to come out of his shell, but Paul was convinced that he was comfortable in the new home. Now he had a chance to live a happy and healthy life, but perhaps he hadn't realized it yet.
After all he had been through, it was only natural that Hidey needed some time to adjust to his new home and new body. Unfortunately, she has spent years in which she has not been looked after at all and therefore it took time before she could trust people. Paul said, “She's been hiding under the bed a lot in the last few days. I pulled it out from underneath and held it in my arms, and now it's starting to purr more and more ".
Paul explained, "She's been coming out from under the bed on her own for the past few days, and I have a cat bed, so it's slowly starting to show itself to more people." Dan Rossi, chief executive officer of the Animal Rescue League Shelter and the Western PA Human Society, noted, "The company of a pet will provide many positive benefits to seniors, but it is a great responsibility to own a pet."
Dan also gave Paul and Jill some very useful advice on how to deal with Hidey given his situation. He said, "If a family member, friend, or neighbor has a pet, help them make sure there is a support system if or when mental faculties begin to decline." Hidey became the symbol of how important it is to give all the necessary attention to those in need, such as the elderly and their pets.
In conclusion, Dan said, "Even open-door shelters, such as the Animal Rescue League Shelter and the Western PA Humane Society, do not reject any animals unless there are other choices for the animal." It took a little longer than necessary for Hidey to get used to his new body without the dirty fur and contact with people, but in the end he succeeded.
"Apart from the fact that she is a bit detached, if you pick her up she starts purring," said Paul. Jill, on the other hand, was doting on Hidey, so much so that she declared: “He will run the house in six months”. Eventually the cat was able to slowly adjust to the new home and new life, much better than the outlook it had before. Now Hidey and Siam had a new family, consisting of cats, dogs and humans.
Thanks to luck, poor Hidey was found and looked after by Paul and Jill, otherwise her fate, given the presence of that bulky overgrown fur, would have been much uglier. The goal of this article is to make people aware of these situations and try to entice them to help their elderly relatives in the care of their animal friends, so that there is no involuntary abandonment. But unfortunately this is not the only case. ** If you are interested, continue to read another story **.
Unfortunately Hidey's story is not unique in the world. Another cat, Sinbad, was found in the same condition. “Sinbad arrived at our shelter after an employee of an electric company saw him in the home of an elderly gentleman. The man was unable to take care of himself, and this was evident in Sinbad’s conditions, ”Elliott Serrano of The Anti-Cruelty Society of Chicago told Love Meow.
The cat had been unintentionally neglected for years by its elderly owner. The fur of this Persian cat had turned gray, matted and full of feces and worms. Fortunately, his rescuers noticed the situation in which the animal was and the elderly gentleman accepted that it was taken away, because it would certainly have been better with another owner. So the members of the association took Sinbad into custody, thinking about what they could do.
"He really looked like he was dragging a carpet behind him," said Colette Bradley, a spokesperson for the association. "He was tired, you could tell." The team of vets kept Sinbad still while he was being shorn, but fortunately the cat was cooperative during the operation to remove the overgrown and dull fur in which he was stuck, so it was easier to treat him.
Sinbad realized that collaborating with these people would make him feel better, in fact he remained calm the whole time. “He was so tolerant and sweet during the treatment, it was exhausting. It took hours, ”Elliott said. Slowly little Sinbad emerged from that pile of fur and dirt that had enveloped him.
Two sessions were needed to remove all the excess hair! When they concluded the operation, the vets realized that the amount of hair cut reached the weight of 2.5 kilos. At the end of it all, Sinbad was unrecognizable, he no longer looked like the same cat.
Now that the weight of the fur was off, Sinbad now had to learn to walk with his hind legs again. Because of all that hair he hadn't used them anymore and this led to their weakening. The new owner of Sinbad said in an interview: "He gets a lot of love and attention ... I'm amazed at how much you love people ... Even if people haven't always treated him well ... It's a lesson we can all learn".
Chicago Anti-Cruelty Society information officer Elliott Serrano said, “He wasn't getting much attention due to all the tangles on his body and with 2.5 pounds of hair, so he wasn't just in a neglected environment, but even in a neglected condition ". Now the excess hair was gone and Sinbad had also started therapy to resume walking with his hind legs, but there was still another problem to deal with.
Sinbad had also been found in a malnourished condition, so he had to gain weight as soon as possible. Dr Robyn Barbiers, president of the Chicago Anti-Cruelty Society, said, “We had a volunteer who is very good at feeding cats, who started making porridge, put it in his mouth and after six days he started to eat alone ".
As Sinbad was slowly recovering to full health, the vets immediately set out on a search for a potential foster care. But what happened while the cat was about to be welcomed into the new home is unbelievable. Sinbad's adoptive parent immediately felt a special bond with the cat and declared: "That first weekend when I brought him home, all he wanted to do was lie on my chest and purr and chirp and be with me. This convinced me that he wanted to stay ”.
The adoptive parent added, "We would never find out if someone didn't care enough about a pet in distress, took a picture, and sent it to us so our investigators could go and rescue this cat." .
Sinbad in the new family was finally enjoying life. He had come to weigh 3.5 kilos, what is expected of a cat of his size. The new owner described Sinbad as an exuberant animal with a strong personality. He also posted a photo of Sinbad who portrayed him on his shoulders after he suddenly jumped on top of them.
Fortunately, this story also has a happy ending. But this would not have been possible without the help of the employee of the electricity company who noticed Sinbad and had the clarity to pick him up and take him to the vet. This willingness to help him was fundamental to Sinbad's life and was not so obvious. The journey of the cat, from neglected to loved by all, has made him a symbol for rescued animals everywhere.