For animal lovers

[buglover]

There was a story about a 40lb cat somewhere in California that was found roaming around last week. The animal shelter has the cat right now but if the owners don't claim it, it will be put up for adoption....... 40lbs!! what the heck were those people feeding that thing?

[Google]

 

[Unklescott]

Originally Posted by buglover

There was a story about a 40lb cat somewhere in California that was found roaming around last week. The animal shelter has the cat right now but if the owners don't claim it, it will be put up for adoption....... 40lbs!! what the heck were those people feeding that thing?

Is this the one you are talking about? It's a 44 lb cat in N.J. that was dumped by someone who's home was foreclosed.
Here kitty, kitty..S.J. officials seek owner of 44-pound cat | Philadelphia Inquirer | 07/29/2008

Here kitty, kitty..S.J. officials seek owner of 44-pound cat

By Dan Lieberman

INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
There are fat cats and then there are fat cats.

South Jersey, to be sure, has seen its fair share of the indictable variety, but never before has it seen the likes of the portly pussycat found waddling in Voorhees.

Meet Princess Chunky -- all 44 pounds of her and just two pounds shy of the 1987 Guiness World Record for overweight cats.

Camden County Animal Control Officer Jim McCleery got the call Friday. There was a a stray cat prowling on a patio in the Ashley Run condominium development.

"We picked him up and I knew from the get-go it wouldn't fit in the regular cat carrier, so we had to put him in a dog carrier. . . it was a big cat, the biggest one this year," said McCleery of the Camden County Joint Municipal Animal Control Program.

Employees at Camden County Animal Shelter called the feline "Captain Chunk." Realizing she was female, the name was quickly changed to "Princess Chunk." Her "foster mom" -- shelter volunteer Deborah Wright -- calls her "Princess Chunky."

As the shelter seeks to find the feline's owner, Princess Chunky is now in "foster care" at Wright's Sicklerville home. She is fed only wet and dry cat food.

Wright is trying to develop an exercise routine for the orange-white, short-haired domestic cat, estimated to be about 4 years-old.

"I won't feed her table scraps because I have a funny feeling that's what it's been fed. The cat doesn't seem unhealthy at all. You can tell she is carrying weight, but I am going to start taking her out on walks but have to get a dog harness first," said Wright, who works as a driver assistant for the Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Cherry Hill.

"She's bigger than my Yorkie dog," added Wright who is also currently caring for six other shelter animals - including a 40-pound cat named "Yanni" and feline named Bullseye who was injured by a b-b from an airgun.

Because of the media attention, Princess Chunky has preferred Wright's bathroom to roaming the home with the six other pets.

Wright and others speculate Princess Chunky may suffer from diabetes or a thyroid condition.

Weighing the cat on Saturday turned out to be quite an adventure, as shelter workers realized that the cat scale couldn't hold Chunky.

"Our cat scale only goes up to 25 pounds; the needle bounced off the machine, so they put her on the dog scale instead. I have been doing rescue for ten years and I've never seen anything like this in person," said Jennifer Anderch, the shelter's executive director.

Dennis Green, a librarian at the central branch of the Philadelphia Free Library, researched records on the fattest cat in the world. Green said the record is held by 46 pound, 15.25 ounce Himmy of Australia who was entered into the 1987 Guinness Book of World Records, the last year the organization had the weight category for cats. Himmy died of respiratory failure.

Veterinarians at the Camden County Animal Shelter will perform tests this weekend to see whether Princess Chunky's weight is due to a thyroid condition or diabetes. Tests have not been performed yet because of a seven-day holding period required by state law, where owners are given the opportunity to claim their pets.

"She is in good shape, she didn't have fleas, her coat is nice and soft, and is apparently well fed, so there is no cruelty in those terms, but I would assume a 44-lb cat has some kind of medical issue," said Anderch.

With the question looming as to where Princess Chunky came from, Wright offered a few theories.

"A lot of times people move and they just can't take their dogs or cats with them, or the cat got out, but I find that hard to believe. Maybe it was an elderly person who died. There are all kinds of reasons for what people do to their animals," she said.

Shelter staff is hoping that the owner of Princess Chunky comes forward soon. If no one claims her by Saturday, Anderch is confident that she will be adopted quickly.

"We have gotten several adoption applications, from five or six people already, and we are going through them now. We will choose the one that appears to be the best for her," said Anderch.

Anderch said the shelter does euthanize unclaimed pets -- 26.4 percent of the 10,500 brought to the shelter last year -- but in Princess Chunky's case, however, Anderch is sure that she will survive and have a good home.

"Chunky will get adopted, period. There is no other option for her. She is extra special," she said

Update
44-lb Cat Still Up For Adoption in NJ Shelter

Officials at the Camden County Animal Shelter in New Jersey are trying to figure out how someone lost a 44 pound cat.

The cat was found outside, without a collar, in Voorhees, New Jersey. The largest tabby on record weighed 46 pounds, 15 ounces. That cat, who lived in Australia, died in the 1980s.

Shelter officials are calling the kitty "Princess Chunk."

Shelter volunteer Deborah Wright says the cat is built like a quarterback.

The cat's owner has come forward to say that she had to give her up when her home was foreclosed, and her real name is “Powder”.

"Chunk" will be eligible for adoption on Saturday, and the shelter said there are already five or six applications fo her.

Wright said the publicity the fat cat has gotten has helped the shelter adopt out more cats.

[Uncle David]

Gabe: This looks like a match made in heaven for Joey.

[buglover]

That is the story! See what happens when I half listen to the news! I completely thought it was in California!

[Ellen]

I'm allergic to cats, never lived with one, nor do I know a lot about them. I apologize in advance for my ignorance. To remedy a portion of that, I have a question about that big fat Jersey cat and others like it: are they supposed to be that big, as in a particular breed? Or are they just spoiled by owners who feed them too much and don't exercise them enough?

[prhoshay]

I'd bring "Fat Boy" home to live with me in a New York minute! I've got lots of steps here!! What a doll!!

[doxie]

Originally Posted by Ellen

I'm allergic to cats, never lived with one, nor do I know a lot about them. I apologize in advance for my ignorance. To remedy a portion of that, I have a question about that big fat Jersey cat and others like it: are they supposed to be that big, as in a particular breed? Or are they just spoiled by owners who feed them too much and don't exercise them enough?

I've never had a cat either, but I'm pretty sure that 44 pounds is not the norm. The article said that the "cat scale" only went up to 25 pounds so they had to weigh Chunky on a dog scale. I guess that means that the "average" cat is well below 25 pounds.

Our two dogs don't even weigh 44 pounds together! We keep a fairly close eye on Henry's weight because he is mostly Dachshund and extra weight can cause back problems in that breed because they are so long. Our vet said 22 pounds (half of that cat!) should be his max weight and he usually is very close to that. It is difficult because Henry is famous for snatching food away from innocent bystanders and he also will eat just about anything that he can get his paws on.

[queenb]

Originally Posted by doxie

I've never had a cat either, but I'm pretty sure that 44 pounds is not the norm. The article said that the "cat scale" only went up to 25 pounds so they had to weigh Chunky on a dog scale. I guess that means that the "average" cat is well below 25 pounds.

Even a 20 pound kitty is a monster! I found this information on a website...
The smallest cat breeds weigh about 2 to 3 kg (about 5 to 7 lb) when full grown; the largest weigh about 7 to 9 kg (about 15 to 20 lb). So far, attempts to develop miniature or giant domestic cat breeds have been unsuccessful.
I hope this big fat baby will be adopted by someone who will not think it's cute, but will help him lose weight. I've managed to get about 2-3 pounds off of Boo Boo, and can tell she's much happier at 14.5 pounds than 17+! Rocky is a nice medium sized kitty of 11 lb. , and I think is about the average of all cat sizes.

[gabriel]

Originally Posted by Uncle David

Gabe: This looks like a match made in heaven for Joey.

You are too much! Funny man. NYUK NYUK NYUK Not unless I find out Joey is gay. Next to this one Joey looks svelte at 16 pounds

[myrosiedog]

Originally Posted by gabriel

That would be hilarious! WALDO cat!

Gabriel, I am SURE you remember the movie from the 60's about Clarence the Cross Eyed Lion? That would be Waldo. He looks lion like now, but certainly acts more like a goofy lion.

Man on many, that is one big Kitty. I can see the endorsements pouring in for Jenny Craig. The new spokeskitty for the dieting masses.