When was the last time you experienced fear of a monster? Most of us can only answer that it was during our childhood. However, this is not the case 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 met a distant relative who was 82 years old and suffering from Alzheimer’s. As the disease made it impossible for him to take care of himself, the family decided to relocate him to a closer location. Unfortunately, the elderly gentleman had a pet that he could not take with him. Paul decided to go and retrieve the pet. Paul’s compassion was immense. He wanted to make the transition easier for his relative. Paul helped his relative settle in and enter a nursing home.
The problem was that his animal friend, Siam, was not allowed to go to the nursing home because the attendants said pets were not allowed. Siam had no place to go. He could not live with his owner at the nursing home. At 17 years old, Siam was not as agile as he used to be. Paul and his wife Jill decided to help Siam again. They already had two cats, one more would not be a problem. When Paul went to pick up his sick relative’s Siamese cat from the nursing home, he was surprised by the piles of garbage that had been left.
Found it
It took Paul and Jill a while to find the cat. Since there was no electricity in the house, Paul ran back to his car to grab a flashlight. As he walked back into the shambles, he could see more clearly what the interior of the house looked like. The trash and boxes were stacked to the ceiling and he knew that poor old Siam was hiding in there somewhere. He had tears in his eyes from the dust and the smell of the garbage, and he searched and searched until he found something that took his breath away.
What else
There were scratches all over the walls, and he thought that maybe it was Siam redoing his nails. But the sight of the scratches made him very confused. He was starting to think that some kind of wild animal had built a nest or a den inside the deserted house. With no light and no electricity, and the curtains drawn and the boxes stacked on top of each other, he decided to keep searching.
Unfamiliar
He called out to Siam, but like any cat lover knows that calling out to a cat by name isn’t enough. After several minutes of unsuccessfully calling Siam, Paul was at a loss as to what to do next. He then remembered that he could entice Siam by offering him kibble, but first, he would have to locate a bowl and trust that there was some food in the house. This plan was not easy to execute, as he was unfamiliar with the interior of the house and the darkness of the house made it difficult to see.
Poor illumination
The only illumination he had was the small beam of his flashlight. He eventually located the bowl, found some food and attempted to execute the plan, but without success. Paul felt that he had no choice but to continue searching, even if this meant walking through the dark and unclean cave that had been the Alzheimer’s patient’s residence. As he walked, he did not immediately recognize the cries in the distance.
The bathroom
When he heard the screams, he found himself at the bathroom door. Normally, there’s nothing to find in a bathroom in a deserted house, but he couldn’t just walk away empty-handed. So he tried to open the bathroom door with his foot, shining his flashlight in every direction until he found Siam, the cat, in the tub. He didn’t know how long he’d been in there, but with a sigh of relief, he pulled Siam out and headed to the front door to get his car.
Wild animals in the house
He was going to take the kitten to the vet to get it checked out since it was so skinny and dehydrated. But then he heard another noise coming from the bedroom. It occurred to him that maybe a raccoon had gotten into the house, gotten hurt, and made a den in one of the bedrooms, which would explain why Siam was in the bathroom.
Mission accomplished
But his curiosity got the best of him, and he went looking again. He got to the bedroom, and when he opened the door, there was a strange, dull-looking creature before her. Paul’s first instinct was to run out and leave the house. Carrying Siam in his arms, he ran toward the front door and headed straight for his car. Jill was surprised at the look on her husband’s face. They had finished their mission and were ready to go home. Siam was a bit dehydrated and malnourished but would make a full recovery with proper care.
At the Vet
He and Jill got into the car and drove to the vet’s office. Paul decided he had enough for today, so he and Jill got into the car and drove to the vet to get Siam checked out. Siam was fine, just a bit underweight and dehydrated, but with proper care, he would make a full recovery, Paul thought. Although he was thankful for the good news, Paul still felt the urge to search for the creature he had seen in the house. To Jill’s chagrin, Paul kept circling back and forth.
Back again
Eventually, he decided to go back into the old house and Jill followed. This time Paul was prepared. He knew what he was getting into. He had a flashlight and a trap. He and Jill went into the house again. They headed straight for the cellar. They had the trap in hand. They hoped to catch the monster and get it out of the sick relative’s house.
Hidden in the corner
Paul recalls that the experience was akin to a “horror movie”. While using their flashlights to search the cellar, Paul spotted something in a corner that did not appear to be moving. Upon closer examination, he discovered that the creature had several distinct limbs protruding from the lower portion of its body, and Paul could not believe his eyes. Despite his disbelief, the couple did not want to leave the creature alone, so gradually the creature emerged from its hiding place, slowly approaching their hands, waiting for them to move.
A kitten
Not knowing what the animal was, the couple decided to take it to the veterinarian. The vet was not sure what the dishevelled furball was until they attempted to roll it over and found that one of its pairs of eyes was indeed a feline’s. After a brief shave, the fur was removed, revealing that the creature was a kitten.
A hard choice
Paul and Jill were at a loss as to what to do. They already had several cats at home and had just adopted Siam. They went to the vet and asked what their options were. The vet said the only humane way to deal with the newly adopted cat was to put it down. The chances of anyone adopting a dirty kitty, especially one that had dull fur “tentacles” hanging from its body were slim to none.
Well again
The poor kitty was in such bad shape. No one knew how long it had been hiding inside or when it had last eaten. Now they had no choice but to let the vet put it down. Paul said, “I don’t know what else to do. I just had to adopt a new cat.” He also knew the cat’s name: “HIDEY”. This was the perfect name for the cat, given its tendency to hide when Paul was near. After Hidey was treated well, Jill and Paul took him home.
Forgotten
The next day, Paul went to the nursing home to check on his relative, who had just been taken in. They chatted for a while about Siam and what to do about him, and then Paul mentioned Hidey. The relative didn’t know what Paul was talking about at first, but then it hit him – Hidey was his pet! He had forgotten about him because of the illness he was dealing with, so Hidey had slipped his memory. It turns out that Hidey had been living off the waste from the growing garbage pile, which had caused him to become fat and not be able to clean himself.
New additions
Paul laughs now when he remembers what it was like to find Siam in the same house as Hidey, with no lights, dark windows, and armed with a flashlight, searching for something in a strange building with no one around. It was like a horror movie! It all went off without a hitch! Paul’s family welcomed two new additions to the family within a few days. With the right medication and lots of affection, Hidey improved day by day. He lost a few pounds and started to clean up his messes. His black and orange patches of fur came back to their original color.
Obese
When Hidey was first rescued, he was already overweight. He was eating nothing but fatty foods, which caused him to become fat. Fat cats are great (except for Garfield), but obesity can make a cat dependent on their owner for food since they can’t hunt for themselves. Although Hidey wasn’t too keen on making friends with his new family, he eventually got used to it and settled in nicely.
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 just a few months of constant love and a healthy diet, he’s back to his former self, thanks to Paul Russell’s tireless support.
