Extraordinarily flabby tabby found in Watervliet
Hey, I just have more to love.
Update: Don't miss The Secret Photostream of Flabby Tabby
The Mohawk and Hudson River Humane Society says someone turned in a 30-pound cat on Friday. From the org's email press release (emphasis added):
The Mohawk and Hudson River Humane Society receives thousands of stray cats every year, but on Friday afternoon they received a cat like no other. A brown tabby with a white belly is not unusual, but a cat weighing in at 30 pounds is almost unheard of. The Guinness Book of World Records no longer tracks heaviest animals because they do not want to encourage the overfeeding of pets, but their last recorded 'heaviest cat' was 46 pounds.
The cat currently being held at the Humane Society was brought in by a Good Samaritan who found her in Watervliet. It is doubtful that the cat wandered very far from home, but no one has come forward to claim her as of yet. Humane Society staff is certain that the cat belongs to someone, in part because it would be extremely difficult for a homeless cat to maintain such an unusually high weight. "We're sure someone is out looking for this cat, she is very friendly and obviously has a home" Brad Shear Executive Director said. "I just hope they think to check at the Humane Society."
The society has a page that lists found animals -- here's the entry for the flabby tabby.
(Pet obesity is apparently a growing problem. One org figures about half of all American pets are overweight. And the American Veterinary Medical Association reports that about 25 percent of dogs are obese.)
Shear recently wrote on his blog that the human society has an unusually large number of cats right now -- 330, compared to 200 this time last year. He guesses the feline abundance is the result of two factors:
I could theorize about a lots of things, but I think there are two primary reasons. First and foremost, its the economy. People are bringing us cats that they can't take care of for economic reasons while at the same time, people are not adopting cats because they are concerned about their future ability to care for an additional pet. The second factor is weather. Milder weather this year may have led to more cats breeding successfully and producing more offspring. Ultimately what we really need to do is work toward more people spaying or neutering their pets.
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Comments
My cat was around ~20lbs when I adopted him from the Humane Society in October (he also had a very serious URI that could have killed him). My vet (Sandcreek Animal Hos.) has him as 2nd in their hall of fame. We are trying to trim the flab. :)
... said Olivia on Jun 7, 2010 at 12:06 PM | link
Maybe this cat reads AOA and had to get a deep fried twinkie after doing the ice cream tour on the way to Shake Shack while eating fancy pants tarts covered with chocolate bacon. Just a theory.
... said Arielle on Jun 7, 2010 at 12:12 PM | link
I managed to get my tabby down to 15 lbs from 18.5 through a strict diet, but I don't think he's going to lose any more weight. Have you ever tried to make an overweight 10 year old cat exercise? Lets just say, if they don't want to, they won't.
... said Summer on Jun 7, 2010 at 1:18 PM | link
I have a soft spot for adopting cats with Issues. The more pathetic, the more likely they are to come home with me.
That said, my vet referred to my calico as "15 round pounds." And then admitted that his own cat topped the scales at over 20lbs. Pffft!
... said abby on Jun 7, 2010 at 2:33 PM | link
WOW, 30lbs! What a cutie, though. I hope her owners find her.
... said Meagan on Jun 7, 2010 at 3:27 PM | link