Unkempt Cat Dumped at Shelter Overnight, Has 4.5 Pounds of Matted Fur & Dirt Removed
When you decide to add an animal into your life, there are many things you have to consider. What kind of animal will best work with your lifestyle?
How much time are you able to give it? How much disposable income do you have? Once you’ve got the basics figured out, then there are more specifics.
There are grooming considerations, too. Most shorthaired animals are easy enough to care for, but critters with long or dense coats are another matter altogether.
This poor kitty was the victim of someone who was not prepared to put in the time and effort required to keep him healthy and happy, and he almost paid the ultimate price for it.
When Douglas County Animal Care & Services opened their doors one morning, they were greeted by the sight of an animal carrier on their stoop.
“We saw a carrier outside our door,” said the shelter supervisor, Liz Begovich, in an interview with The Dodo. “Being an animal shelter, that usually means one thing: somebody has dumped their animal on the front porch. So we brought the carrier in and looked inside.”
They were perplexed when they opened the carrier and saw nothing but wads of hair. Based on the photos, it would be hard to even tell what they were looking at.
“We couldn’t turn him around because of the way he was shoved in the carrier,” Begovich said. “So we took the top off and thought, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s a cat!’ I’ve never seen a cat in that sort of condition.”
The cat had literally grown himself into his own hairy prison. He couldn’t move, he couldn’t walk, but he was clearly eating well so he must have just been stationed next to his food and water.
For obvious reasons, the cat became known as Bob Marley. The shelter had to sedate him before giving him a much-needed haircut, and when they were done he was 4.5 pounds lighter.
When they reviewed the security footage, they caught a glimpse of the man who dropped him off during the wee hours of the morning, and are now looking for more information.
“Normally, when someone leaves an animal after hours, there’s usually more to the story,” Begovich said. “It’s typically not a Good Samaritan who found an animal on the side of the road.”
“We would really like to know the backstory. There could be other animals in this house, wherever this cat came from, who are in the same condition.”
Even though the cat was clearly neglected, at least the man who dropped him off knew where he would be taken care of. Thanks to the shelter, this kitty can move again — which is good, because he needs to lose some weight and find a home!
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