Tôi thường nghĩ rằng hỗn hợp Maine Coon của tôi, Mr. Purple, là một con mèo lớn, nhưng tất cả bộ lông xù hùng vĩ của nó là khá lừa dối. Anh ta chắc chắn có xương to hơn và lớn hơn những con mèo nhà trung bình nhờ giống của anh ta. Nhưng anh ta mờ nhạt so với một con mèo sống ở New York tên là Barsik. Cậu bé đáng yêu này nặng tới 41 pound! Hiện tại….
Anh ấy và người bạn mèo nhà của anh ấy đã được giao nộp vào tuần trước cho Trung tâm Chăm sóc Động vật của Thành phố New York.
Sadly, their family moved and were no longer able to keep their two felines. The shelter received the 41 pound cat Barsik and his sister, Sukie. Thankfully, she only weighed in at 13 pounds.
“When Barsik was in the shelter, they couldn’t put him in one of the kennels because he was too big. He’s so large that he can’t do a whole lot about people touching him in ways he does not want,” said Angelique Iuzzolino, Barsik’s current foster mom.
From there, the two were taken into care by the Anjellicle Cats Rescue, a local no-kill, all-volunteer, non-profit 503(c) rescue.
Iuzzolino specializes in finding her foster cats furever homes.
But first on Barsik’s list of to-do things is slimming down so that he can have a better quality of life.
“He’s probably one of the biggest cats alive right now, as far as we know,” Barsik’s foster mom, Angelique Iuzzolino, told TODAY. “I was posting about him on my personal account, but then he started to get a lot of attention.”
Barsik still has his former housemate, Sukie, by his side. Together, he learns to navigate his new life in his temporary home.
“When I first let Barsik out into our bedroom, he immediately tried to hide,” Iuzzolino said. “We let him decompress for a few hours. When we got back, we started petting him a bit and he relaxed.”
Although many have come forward looking to provide Big Barsik with a forever home, it’s best for him to find eventually find a home where his best cat friend, Sukie, can come along. Also, the ideal living situation for him would be in New York, New Jersey or Connecticut, with a family that understands his need to shed much of that extra weight he’s been carrying around for good.
“There are a lot of people who like the way he looks. They like fat cats,” says Iuzzolino. “He needs to live with someone who wants to help make sure he is doing OK and is losing (weight) at a safe pace.”
As Barsik adjusts to his new life, he’s been reportedly sweet and calm.
But one thing that Barsik’s potential owners might want to know? This is not a cat that enjoys being held: “We tried to pick him up once,” Iuzzolino said. “And that was a big no!”
“The biggest cat I’ve personally seen was 27 pounds. I was a bit shocked when I first saw Barsik in person. He’s not just an average-sized cat who is overweight, he is large all over as well, from head-to-tail. This makes for some other challenges. Like how to transport him safely for both him and I. And a proper litter box that can accommodate his size and mobility limitations…” says Iuzzolino.
Thankfully Barsik is in good hands until he finds that special someone to call his human. Iuzzolino has been caring for him as if he were her own. His most recent trip to the vet required some special accommodations, as your average cat carrier would be a no-go for this plump feline. That’s when Barsik got his very own set of wheels–a stroller!
Despite Barsik’s obvious obesity, it’s reported that he is a “picky eater” when it comes to mealtime.
Typical cat for you, right? Well, actually there is much more to it. If you’re curious how a picky-eating cat found himself at such a weight, it is speculated that this comes as a result of an endocrine or congenital disease, according to Veterinarian Jeanne Klafin.
Since being surrendered on April 6th, Barsik is down one pound, but up nearly 9k Instagram followers!
His foster mom started him his own account so his fans can track his weight loss journey. Then everyone can be purrpared once he’s ready to go to his new home–with whoever could be so lucky to have him.
If you want to keep up with Barsik, you can find him on Instagram @BigBarsik.
Chúng tôi chúc Barsik thành công tốt đẹp nhất trong hành trình giảm cân và tìm một ngôi nhà vĩnh viễn, đồng thời chúng tôi rất biết ơn người mẹ nuôi tận tụy của anh ấy đã giúp đưa anh ấy đến đó.
HÃY NHỚ: HÃY THAM GIA, ĐỪNG MUA SẮM; BỒI DƯỠNG TIẾT KIỆM SỐNG & SPAY VÀ NEUTER!
Chuyện Liên Quan: (Cập Nhật Mới!) Mèo Béo Ăn Kiêng Giảm Cân Thành Công Nhưng Không Tìm Được Cô Ấy Về Nhà; Trở Lại Nơi Trú Ẩn Lần Thứ 4!
Câu chuyện liên quan: Bronson, chú mèo Polydactyl nặng 33 pound, tìm được những người nhận nuôi phù hợp để giúp ghi lại quá trình giảm cân của anh ấy!
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