Sinbad The Survivor Cat & The Five Pounds Of Matted Fur

Sinbad the Survivor voyaged from the land of neglect and matted fur to the paradise of a forever home with a dad he’s happy to call his best friend. Sinbad’s journey from neglect began when a utility worker spotted a cat who looked as if he were “dragging a carpet” in the basement of an elderly man’s Illinois home. He contacted The Anti-Cruelty Society of Chicago to get help for the cat.

When an investigator arrived, the situation became clear right away. As cat dad Elliot Serrano explained on Sinbad’s Instagram page, the elderly man Sinbad lived with couldn’t take care of himself, nor could he care for Sinbad, leaving the poor Persian cat in a sad state of matted fur and debris. Fortunately, the man realized Sinbad needed help he couldn’t give, so he surrendered the 9-year-old cat to the Society, where his voyage to “rescue and rehabilitation” set sail.

Discovering the Riches of Love Along the Way

Clearly, Sinbad hadn’t been groomed in a long while, which doesn’t work when it comes to Persian fur. They’re a cat breed requiring lots of coat care, and years without attention left Sinbad “dragging around over 5 lbs of matted fur, dirt, and feces.”

Careful hands worked for hours to remove the maelstrom of fur and filth, but Sinbad behaved like the purrfect gentleman during the entire ordeal. No fairy tale hero has ever acted so fine in the process of healing from his misadventures.

“The poor kitty was grateful for any affection he received as he had his cocoon of mats removed,” shared Elliott.

Once the process of shaving was done, Sinbad weighed in at only 7 lbs. He’d been carrying around almost as much mat mass as his actual body weight.

“Once free of the mats he just wanted to lie down on somebody’s lap or in his bed,” Elliot told Love Meow.

After such neglect, Sinbad had a little trouble with his appetite and needed a few days of special care. So, when a long holiday weekend arrived, Elliot took Sinbad home to foster for a few days. On day two, Sinbad perched himself on Elliot’s chest and proceeded to purr and chat away at his new best friend. Just like that, fostering turned into forever.

“Now he’s getting lots of TLC and attention.”

“I’m just astounded at how he just loves people, even though people haven’t always treated him very well. It’s a lesson we could all learn.”

Now, Sinbad’s voyage towards home is done, but the adventures in love and fun continue!

A Face for Memes

With such a sweet Persian smush going on, Sinbad gives good face for the meme-making. Inspired by Sinbad’s silly expressions, Elliot sometimes treats fans to some funny cat moments!