The cat’s fur was such a mess they couldn’t see what animal was inside at first! The situation was bad – the cat couldn’t move because of the fur and was quite overweight because of it.

Liz took the cat to a vet right away, who immediately shaved a whopping 4.5 pounds of fur off him! The staff named the cat Bob Marley and once his hair was off, it started moving around freely.

After years of neglect, the cat has a loving home and is recovering well. He was adopted in only a few days and is quite handsome as you can see. Authorities are now looking for information on Bob’s previous owner and fortunately, the guy who dumped him was caught on a CCTV camera. “We’d really like to know what happened. We’d like to know if the man has other pets like Bob, who are suffering as well,” Liz says.

The truth should emerge soon. At the moment, Bob is doing great – here’s a gallery of his heartbreaking story.

An unidentified man was caught on CCTV leaving an animal carrier in front of an animal shelter recently

The shelter staff’s first guess was that it must be a dog, given that dogs are generally less fastidious about their grooming than cats

“We couldn’t turn him around because of the way he was shoved in the carrier”

“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 was a prisoner of its own fur, barely able to move under the tangled, matted layers.

“They shaved about 4.5 pounds of hair off of him. It filled a full-size kitchen trash bag”

It turned out the formerly dreadlocked cat, who the shelter cheekily named Bob Marley, was also severely overweight

The new dashingly handsome Bob was put up for adoption, and now has a loving home

Read these characteristics which almost all cat lovers have in common:

INTROVERTED AND SENSITIVE

It’s the nature of cats that they are not friends with everybody, and the same trait can be seen in their owners too. Usually, they live alone and are happy with their independent lifestyle. They are introverts but are comfortable hanging around with other people. However, they would need some me-time to relax and recharge.

CAT LOVERS LEAN TO LEFT

It has been observed that people with liberal political leanings prefer cats over dogs. You might be a liberal dog lover or a conservative cat owner; if you’re a liberal, you love cats and vice versa.

CAT OWNERS ARE OPEN-MINDED

Five traits – conscientiousness, neuroticism, extraversion, agreeableness, and openness are often seen in most cat lovers. As compared to dog owners, people who have cats as pets are more open and therefore, have greater artistic creativity.

ATTENTION SEEKERS

Just like their pets, cat lovers seek attention from people around them. They like to be the centre of all conversations. At times, cat owners rely on their pets for emotional support.

THEY RESPECT CATS MORE THAN ANYONE

Cat people respect cats more than humans, in general. The saddest sight for a cat lover is to see the animal on the streets without a home. Cat lovers are often seen making a special effort to rescue or rehabilitate homeless cats.

Cats are good at self-maintenance. But even your fastidious feline can't prevent some of these more common cat diseases and health issues.

1. Vomiting

Vomiting is a very common problem with cats with a multitude of causes. They range from eating something poisonous or inedible (like string), to infection, urinary tract disease, or diabetes to hairballs.

Symptoms are usually obvious, and include drooling and abdominal heaving. Vomiting can quickly leave your cat dehydrated, so if kitty continues vomiting or acts ill, call your vet right away. It may help to collect a sample of your cat's vomit and take it with you to the vet.

2. Feline Lower Urinary Tract Diseases (FLUTD)

Some estimates say as many as 3% of cats seen by vets have feline lower urinary tract disease ( FLUTD), which is actually a group of feline diseases with multiple causes.

Female and male cats can get FLUTD, and it often occurs in cats that are overweight or unfit or who eat dry food. Stress, a multi-cat household, and sudden changes can all raise a cat's risk of FLUTD, and treatment depends on the type of FLUTD your cat has.

FLUTD symptoms include:

• Straining to urinate
• Bloody urine
• Urinating in unusual places
• Crying when urinating
• Licking around the urinary area (often because of pain)
• Depression
• Dehydration
• Lack of appetite
• Vomiting

It's always an emergency if your cat can't urinate. Call your vet immediately if you suspect your cat has a urinary tract problem.

3. Fleas

Fleas are a very common external feline health problem. But it's one you can easily treat. Signs your cat has fleas include:

• Flea dirt on its skin (they look like tiny black dots)
• Constant scratching
• Frequent licking
• Red or irritated skin
• Hair loss
• Skin infections or hot spots

Fleas can live for more than a year, and your cat risks anemia if the problem becomes serious, so be sure to treat your cat's flea problem and prevent future infestations.

Talk to your vet about which flea control would be best for your cat. Treatments include oral medication, powders, foams, and topical medication. Fleas are uncommon in Utah. If you adopt a pet from a region outside of Utah or are housing a pet that recently came from another state, please be aware of fleas.

4. Tapeworms

One of the most common feline health problems inside your cat, tapeworms live in kitty's small intestine and sometimes grow as long as 2 feet.

Symptoms of a tapeworm infection can be subtle but may include vomiting and weight loss. The easiest way to tell if your cat has tapeworms is to look at its feces and around its anus. If you see small white worms or what look like grains of rice or sesame seeds, your cat likely has tapeworms.

Treatment options include injection, oral, or topical medication. But because cats almost always get tapeworms as a result of swallowing a flea, be sure to handle any flea problems your cat has before tackling tapeworms.

5. Diarrhea

Many things can cause diarrhea in cats, including spoiled food, allergies, infection, liver disease, cancer, and more.

Symptoms of diarrhea are loose, watery, or liquid stool. Depending on its cause, diarrhea can last for a day, a week, or months.

If your cat has diarrhea, offer kitty plenty of fresh, clean water to prevent  dehydration. Then remove kitty's food for no more than 12 to 24 hours. Take your cat to the vet if he or she still has diarrhea after a day or immediately if you notice vomiting, dark, or bloody stools, fever, lethargy, or loss of appetite or if your cat is straining to defecate.

6. Eye Problems

Eye problems in cats can be caused by a number of things, including  conjunctivitis, cataracts, glaucoma, trauma, viruses, inflammation, and retinal disease.

A few symptoms that may mean your cat has eye problems include watery eyes, tear-stained fur, cloudiness, red or white eyelid linings, gunk in the corners of the eye, squinting, pawing at the eye, or a visible third eyelid.

Unless you know what's causing your cat's eye problems, there isn't much you can do other than wipe away any gunk with a damp cotton ball. After that, call your vet.