Cat With “Tentacles” Of Matted Fur Recovered From The Home Of An Elderly Alzheimer’s Patient

When did you last feel fear of a monster? We can all say with only a hint of exaggeration that we last felt it in our childhood. But it is not so for Paul Russel.

After a seemingly innocuous act of kindness to a distant relative, Paul Russel discovered the most extraordinary thing that had ever happened to him: a monster!

Leaving the house

Paul Russel encountered a distant relative who was 82 years old and had Alzheimer’s. Since the disease did not allow him to look after himself, the family thought of shifting him to a nearer place. Sadly, the old man had a pet to which he could not take along. Paul thought of going and picking up the pet. Paul’s heart was very big. He wished to ease the transition for his relative. Paul assisted his relative with getting settled and into a nursing home.

No pets allowed

The issue was that his pet friend, Siam, could not accompany his owner to the nursing home because the attendants informed them that pets were prohibited. Siam had nowhere to go. He could not stay with his owner in the nursing home. Siam was 17 years old and not as spry anymore. Paul and his wife Jill took it upon themselves to assist Siam once more. They had two cats already, an extra one would not be problematic. Paul was shocked by the mountains of trash that had been left when he went to retrieve his ill relative’s Siamese cat from the nursing home.

Found it

It wasn’t until sometime later that Paul and Jill were able to locate the cat. Because there was no power at the house, Paul had to go get a flashlight from his car. As he returned to the devastation, he was able to perceive more easily what the inside of the home was like. The boxes and trash were piled to the ceiling and he knew poor old Siam was hiding in there somewhere. He had dust in his eyes from the garbage and from crying, and he looked and looked until he found something that left him speechless.

What else

There were scratches every where on the walls, and he assumed that perhaps it was Siam redoenailing his nails. However, when he saw the scratches, he was left very perplexed. He was beginning to believe that some sort of wild animal had set up a nest or a den within the abandoned house. With no electricity and no light, and the curtains closed and the boxes piled on top of one another, he decided to continue looking.

Unfamiliar

He shouted out to Siam, but as any cat lover knows, calling a cat by name is not enough. After a few minutes of failed attempts to call Siam, Paul didn’t know what to do next. He then recalled that he could tempt Siam by bribing him with kibble, but prior to this, he would need to find a bowl and hope that there was some food at home. This was not an easy plan to carry out, as he did not know the inside of the house and the darkness of the house prevented him from seeing.

Poor illumination

The only light he had was the faint beam of his flashlight. He eventually found the bowl, discovered some food and tried to carry out the plan, but to no avail. Paul realized that he had no other option but to keep on searching, even if this meant passing through the dark and dirty cave that had been the Alzheimer’s patient’s home. Walking, he did not quite identify the weeping sounds at a distance.

The bathroom

And when he heard the screams, there he was at the bathroom door. There is usually nothing to discover inside a bathroom in an abandoned house, but he could not leave without something. So he attempted to kick the bathroom door open with his foot, his flashlight flashing in all directions until he spotted Siam, the cat, in the bathtub. He had no idea how long he’d been inside, but with relief, he pulled Siam out and made his way to the front door to retrieve his car.

Wild animals in the house

He was planning on taking the kitten into the vet to have it examined because it was so thin and dehydrated. Then another sound caught his attention from the bedroom. It dawned on him that perhaps a raccoon had entered the house, been injured, and made a nest in one of the bedrooms, which would be why Siam was in the bathroom.

Mission accomplished

But his curiosity overcame him, and he went to seek it out once more. He arrived at the bedroom, and as he flung open the door, there was a strange, flat-looking creature in front of her. Paul’s initial reaction was to run out and depart the house. With Siam clutched in his arms, he ran towards the front door and dashed directly for his automobile. Jill was taken aback by the expression on her husband’s face. They had completed their mission and were ready to head back home. Siam was slightly dehydrated and undernourished but would recover fully with proper treatment.

At the Vet

He and Jill had gotten into the car and driven to the vet’s office. Paul decided he had had enough for the day, so he and Jill had driven to the vet to have Siam checked out. Siam was okay, just a little underweight and dehydrated, but with good care, he would be fine, Paul thought. Though he was relieved about the news, Paul could not resist the urge to look for the creature he had spotted in the house. To Jill’s dismay, Paul continued to go round and round.

Back again

Finally, he determined to return to the old house and Jill went along with him. Paul was prepared this time. He had an idea of what he was dealing with. He had a flashlight and a trap. He and Jill entered the house again. They went directly to the cellar. They had the trap. They were hoping to catch the monster and remove it from the ailing relative’s house.

Hidden in the corner

Paul remembers that the experience was like a “horror movie”. While sweeping their flashlights back and forth through the cellar, Paul caught sight of something in a corner that didn’t seem to be moving. After getting closer, he found out that the creature had multiple distinct limbs extending from the lower part of its body, and Paul couldn’t believe his eyes. Though he disbelieved, the couple was not willing to leave the animal alone, so slowly the animal slowly came out of its concealment, moving slowly toward their hands, awaiting their movement.

A kitten

Not knowing what the creature was, the couple opted to take it to see the veterinarian. The veterinarian had no idea what the messy furball was until they tried to roll it over and discovered one of its sets of eyes was actually that of a feline. With a quick shave, the fur was peeled away, which showed that the animal was actually a kitten.

A hard choice

Paul and Jill did not know what to do. They already had a few cats at home and had recently adopted Siam. They visited the vet and inquired about their choices. The vet informed them the only humane option they had concerning the newly adopted cat was to euthanize it. The likelihood of anyone taking home a dirty kitty, let alone one with dull fur “tentacles” protruding from its body, was none to slim.

Well again

The poor little kitty was in such poor condition. Nobody had any idea how long it had been living inside or when it had eaten last. Now they had no other option but to let the vet euthanize it. Paul stated, “I don’t know what to do. I just had to bring home a new cat.” He also knew that the name of the cat was: “HIDEY”. This was the ideal name for the cat, as it was prone to hiding when Paul was present. Once Hidey was treated nicely, Jill and Paul brought him home.

Forgotten

The following day, Paul visited the nursing home to see his relative, who had only just been admitted. They spent some time discussing Siam and what should be done with him, and then Paul brought up Hidey. The relative did not have a clue what Paul was referring to, but it dawned on him – Hidey was his pet! He had forgotten him due to the disease he was suffering from, so Hidey had faded from his memory. It happened that Hidey was surviving on the scrounge of the mounting garbage heap, which had made him fat and unable to groom himself.

New additions

Paul laughs today when he recollects how it was to discover Siam in the same house as Hidey, with no lights, dark windows, and equipped with a flashlight, hunting for something in an unfamiliar building with nobody in sight. It felt like a horror movie! Everything went without a glitch! Paul’s family gained two new members into the family within a matter of days. With proper medication and plenty of affection, Hidey got better day by day. He shed a couple of pounds and began to clean up his messes. His black and orange blotches of fur returned to their natural color.

Obese

When Hidey was initially rescued, he was already obese. He was consuming only fatty foods, and as a result, he got fat. Fat cats are wonderful (apart from Garfield), but it makes the cat rely on its owner for food as they cannot hunt for themselves. Even though Hidey was not very fond of befriending his new family, he soon adapted to it and settled quite well.

Loved

He was a bit shy at first, and wouldn’t want to eat when people were around, but eventually, he got used to his new surroundings and started napping most of the day. It’s amazing how a cat’s life can turn around when they’re loved unconditionally. Before Paul Russell adopted Hidey, he was as dirty as the house he lived in. But after a few months of constant love and a healthy diet, he is back to being himself, thanks to Paul Russell’s tireless support.