Lasagna The 30 Pound Feline Finds A New Home After Being Abandoned

Lasagna The 30 Pound Feline Finds A New Home After Being Abandoned
ACCT Philly shelter workers discovered an abandoned cat in a dog crate nearly two weeks ago, weighing an astonishing 29.5 pounds. She was quickly adopted and has been placed on a diet and exercise regimen to reduce her weight.

Many of us don't just love cats; we adore them. There's nothing more endearing than a fluffy kitty, tail waving, ready to lavish you with affection and cuddles.
Cats relish snuggling as it provides them with safety, warmth, and protection—feelings we all desire, right? But can you picture snuggling with an adorable, 30-pound cat?

Introducing Lasagna!

This charming cat was left in a dog crate overnight at Hunting Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and found by ACCT Philly shelter workers on Sunday, September 20.

This shelter is the region's largest animal care and control service provider, with their remarkable efforts resulting in over 3,200 animal fosters and 13,800 saved animal lives in 2019 alone.

The 30-pound "monster" cat was nearly four times the healthy weight for a cat, which is around 8 pounds, causing her difficulty in walking and grooming herself.

Lasagna, aptly named after Garfield's favorite dish, weighs as much as a three-year-old child and has been placed on a diet and exercise program to shed the "quarantine flab."

Shelter staff had to assist her with grooming, a task she could not perform herself due to her size. The precise cause of her excessive weight is unknown, but it may be attributed to overfeeding, lack of exercise, neutering, or genetics.

Upon posting photos of the five-year-old cat online, the shelter was inundated with adoption offers from people charmed by Lasagna's unique look.

She was quickly adopted by the Hammer family from Vineland, New Jersey, who vowed to shower her with love and aid her in losing the excess weight.

ACCT Philly shelter discovered Lasagna, a significantly overweight house cat from Philadelphia, confined in a dog crate. The hefty feline tips the scales at nearly 30 pounds (2 stone 1 pound), equivalent to the weight of a toddler.

Lasagna is a friendly and sociable cat who loves belly rubs, says Sarah Barnett, ACCT’s Director of Development and Communications. Sarah notes that the perfect adopter for such a cat would be someone who recognizes that her weight is dangerously unhealthy, despite its cuteness.

As a result, the adopting family must be prepared to collaborate with a veterinarian to ensure the cat's healthy weight loss.

Barnett mentions that obese cats can suffer from a variety of health problems, including diabetes, thyroid complications, joint pain, and heart conditions.

To avoid severe health complications, Lasagna has been placed on a strict diet to shed the excess weight.
Her weight has led to stiff joints, yet she is young enough to return to a healthy lifestyle.
She was adopted by a caring family who vowed to support her in losing weight healthily.
Lasagna's condition hinders her ability to groom herself, necessitating the shelter's assistance in bathing her.
Lasagna already suffers from stiff joints and is unable to groom herself.

She added:
“Right now she is fortunate in that she is a young five-year-old cat, so in a home that can help her lose the weight with the guidance of a vet, she will hopefully live a long happy and healthier life.”
She described the shelter as being inundated with support offers for Lasagna, expressing her hope that this will inspire people to assist other abandoned cats as well.

Sarah stated:
“We are always sad to see an animal abandoned as it means we don’t get that animal’s history, and we also miss the opportunity to talk to the owner surrendering a pet to see if we can help them keep the animal. We hope that everyone who was interested in Lasagna considers another cat who needs a home, there are so many and adult cats are often overlooked because they are stressed when in shelter environments.”
Sarah Barnett, ACCT's Director of Development and Communications, emphasized the importance of recognizing the dangers excessive weight poses to cats.
Lasagna enjoys belly rubs and is both sociable and friendly.
Many individuals reached out to the shelter to assist Lasagna, and the staff hopes this will encourage people to consider aiding other abandoned cats as well.

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