Cats are very independent and know how to take care of themselves. This usually involves self-grooming to ensure their fur stays shiny and beautiful.

But, unfortunately animal neglect does happen more often than we'd like to believe and it can have some severe consequences.

One Pennsylvania feline, Hidey, went through a rough time after her senior owner could no longer take care of her.

The poor kitty was brought to the Animal Rescue League/Western PA Humane Society with about 2 pounds of matted overgrown fur.

The rescuers were forced to shave off the octopus tentacle-like fur to save her life. "She suffered from severe matting (dreadlocks, really), the likes of which had been neglected for years," the shelter wrote on Facebook.

"Our Medical team shaved off the pounds of intertwined fur from her body &, needless to say, this cat is feeling so much better now!"

Thanks to the efforts of the shelter's staff, Hidey is doing better and is being taken care of by a relative of her previous owner. They've raised awareness about the importance of grooming cats especially the one's with older owners.

"Please remember to not only check on the elderly in your community, but also check on their animals to prevent instances like this from happening in the future." read the Facebook caption.