Butte County:  A breeder had a stroke and left her Persian cats in the care of a friend. The cats were turned outside and allowed to roam uncared for. Six months later, the fur on these cats was so horribly matted that it inhibited their ability to move and they had feces matted into the fur on their hind ends.  They were covered in fleas and their eyes were injured and infected.  They had several different internal parasites, some of which caused bloody diarrhea.
 
To avoid a charge of abuse and neglect, the owner made a deal with her local Animal Control to surrender all of her cats to a rescue and allow them to find new homes for them.  Purebreds Plus was contacted because we have the skill and experience to deal with neglect situations involving Persian cats. This is a delicate breed even in the best of conditions. These cats require daily face washing, combing, and come with breed specific health issues unknown to most people.
 
Purebreds Plus had all of the cats altered (spayed or neutered), tested for common feline diseases, treated for fleas, and wormed. One of these cats was a darling white Persian with ½ of his tail missing due to an old injury. He was so matted up he couldn’t move, and his feet and face were stained yellow. His eyes were sealed shut and infected. We began the process of dematting him, and he looked just like a little shorn lamb, so we named him Lambchop.

Please take a look at the pictures as he made his transition. The mats are so solid and heavy that they cannot be cut.  Shaving a cat that is so densely matted is a dangerous task.  It’s easy for the skin to be pulled into the shaver’s blade and cause serious injuries to the skin. Instead we slowly shave the cat as if its an orange getting peeled.  It’s a long and difficult process.  Unfortunately, these mats are not uncommon in neglected Persians.  We have kept a few of them and call them “mats of shame.”  Sometimes these mats seem to be larger than the cat itself.

 
Once Lambchop was shaved and cleaned up, he was put into a loving foster home. While in his new home, Lambchop lived as a family member with two other cats, two children and his gentle, kind foster parents.  They worked with him every day to help him overcome his fear of people and the world around him and to lose the bad habits he picked up while living “on the lam” in the great outdoors.

 
Today, Lambchop lives with his new adoptive family.  As you can see, he is a spoiled little boy, doted on by his family, and happy as any cat could possibly be.