Concern for a neglected old puss- thoughts?

[BigWig78]

I know of a cat who is elderly and is neglected to the point that he is so matted and dirty. I don’t think he can manage to move well enough to clean himself whether through age or the matts stopping him. I want to report this to the SSPCA but the owner is an elderly lady who dotes on her animals and would be mortified to think this is abuse. I am hoping she would think it was a neighbour who reported her. My only concern is what if the poor cat ends up so distressed by outside involvement that it dies or needs put down rather than being able to be cleaned as I assume it might need a GA to even be cleaned up adequately now. Thoughts much appreciated. I only saw it for the first time yesterday but was shocked and upset at the state it is in.

Could you approach the lady with your concerns?

Has she got conditions that prevent her from ensuring her animals are properly cared for? If so, perhaps she needs interventions for her own wellbeing too.

I have very little time for decorum when I see animals in this state so I would just go over and say it straight. I’d also be equally happy to help her sort the issue if she was amenable to that.

If she wasn’t then I’d be contacting every cat/animal protection organisation and charity locally and beyond. I may even take the cat to the vet myself. If not chipped, they could do the necessary as a priority, poor thing.

That is just unacceptable to let the cat get into that state. It doesn’t happen overnight.

Get outside involvement today. If she cannot care for a living creature adequately then she shouldn't have it. If it's fur is that matted then it will be in agonising pain every single time it moves as the matts are ripping his skin apart. That is how serious this is.

Contact your local rescues too as they are more inclined to work with the owners to keep the cat but don't delay.

Thank you @NT2018 and @Pixiedust1234 just wanted to say I did contact both local rescue and the national helpline and reported it. They were happy to do a visit and offer support for the cat to be cleaned. I think they’d be sensitive and although they said they’d take me details they assured me the owner would not know who reported it.