Look! [whispers] a couch straddler...
Hefty kitteh "Buddy" is a [ahem] a couch straddler and paw dangler.
The sender-inner's sister was kind enough to have a local artist CAPTURE the REDONKULOUSNESS by making a miniature version of "Buddy" too. Hee!
Oooooof!
Kate V., somehow I suspect you're not the ONLY ONE with a couchstraddlerpawdangler. Nice work.
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Holy cow, that's a hefty kitty! Cute, though.
haha, imagine the work it took to get up there... way to go, mr. buddy! he looks comfy and proud.
although i do have to say that is an unhealthy weight, and if you cur-tail (pun?) the food, it will probably increase buddy's lifespan.
erm, i didn't mean starve him. just make sure he rolls around a little more, eh? :)
The furniture must be STEEL-FRAMED ones in order to not collapse from the poody's weight. Fat moggy has got to lay off the catnip fries!
*Squeeze* paw. *Squeeze* paw. *Squeeze* paw. *Squeeze* paw. Tug tail!
He's beautiful!
Holy cow, is the little statue a bobble head? I NEEEEEEEED a bobble headed statue that looks like my cat!
Buddy: "Does this couch make my butt look fat?"
YM: "Yes, dear, and all the more adorable".
GREAT pix, and I lurves the sculpture - watta cool thing.
Peg of Tilling I agree with you. There's only one thing to do in times & situations like these... Squeeze paw squeeze paw pull tail pull tail... and snorg side of tummy =D
Mmm, I think a chin-skritch is called for too...
Can't resist... gotta tickle da toes! *tickle, tickle, tickle.* He he.
OMG that kitteh looks just like my baby Steve, only Steve is about 1/4 the size...
Sad how overweight he is....I feel sorry for him.
Kowabunga !!!
That's a lotta cat ...
more to luv, tho
My boyfriend's cat Spooky is about that size and it's all due to the food he needs to eat to reduce crystals in his urine.
So there is the chance that he's on medicine that makes him so lovably Jabba the Hut like.
every cat gets to be a FLOPPYCAT!
why do people think its okay and cute to let their cats get that overweight?
Maybe he's not fat...maybe he's just all spread out, or maybe that's just a very tiny sofa...
So, this could be a new category, no?
Would you call it Sofa-Saddle? Cat-Saddle? Pet Saddle? Pet Straddle? Oh, the possibiliteeeeeessss.
Oh that cat is hilarious! I love it! It's so cute!!
Another poster suggested a legitimate medical reason, too. Why do people always assume the worst?
I think the cat is flabulous!
The little figurine, though, looks a little too much like a tick for my blood. (My blood...BWAH! I kill myself!)
Kate is definitely not the only one with a couch-straddling cat. I thought all cats did that! haha I guess not.. Mine does it all the time. He also drinks from the sink.
I sincerely hope that Buddy does NOT try to sleep on Kate's chest at night. But then again... What A Way to Die!! ;)
My male cat is a perfectly normal weight, but I once took a photo of him straddling a kitchen chair...and he looked absolutely huge. I think it has something to do with the camera angle. Okay, maybe not in Buddy's case, but he's definitely adorable.
Man, some people take issue with everything. My kitties are the same way, just kinda floomping and smooshing out when they do that. It's mostly fur.
Anyway, that art thing is just too cute for words!
I wanna give him a little kiss on the forehead.
As someone who has tried and failed to keep one of her kitties from getting fat, let me say his. Buddy's people may not like his weight, may be trying to slim him down, and may still find him cuter than cute through it all!!
I'd rather snorgle a healthy belly, but even while my kitty's fat she is snorg-worthy!
Ya know?
Fat cats rule.
I love the one peenk toe...
Our cat Fluffy was enormous, but it was all fur. She got wet once by falling into a water butt and got soaked, when she came running in I didn't recognise her!
Wow, that's an awful lot of gloriously relaxed comfy-cat!
Buddy says..."im NOT fat..Im fluffy...LOL!!!!!!!
Heeeeee fattyyyyyy
My one kitty is dependent on cortisone for an auto immune disease, and she gets a good workout every day to keep weight at bay, and she still looks feisty :-) But I lurve her a lot. My two kitties are like Steve and Laurel :-) even from the character.
Proof of floofines:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43126982@N00/431710728/
My kitty dangled like that all the time and, like Ronni's cat, both my kitties drank from the sink exclusively (yes they had a water bowl). They would sit lined up on the bathroom counter waiting for me to turn on the water! Cats rule!
Is it just me or is he a little... fat? He must be afwully soft thought.
Is there some unwritten rule that all fat black & white kitties are named buddy. My sister's cat buddy lived to be 17. Although she'll tell you he was just big boned. ;)He was such a sweety!
That is one gorgeous cat ! i got two of em, Bynx and Bandit. Bynx looks almost exactly the same as buddy, he's a bit on the podgy side too lol but he lovely, Bandit we call ninja coz he sleek n black, Bynx does the sofa-straddling thing too lol... Bandit licks soap n also loves to sit half in a sink full of water, dont ask lol. :P
i've heard of this species but i had never seen photographic evidence until now.
I ustahava black & white kitty named Oreo. After she was fixed she chubbed out. Her belly hung down like udders. My moo kitty.
Chill on the fat comments people - who cares????? He's gorgeous and yummy and HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY! I LOVE BUDDY!
My kitty is incredibly fat, and he's been on a (veterinarian-supervised)diet for years. Doesn't change his gi-normousness a bit, though.
i agree with Kat. enough with the fat comments. this kitty is healthy and happy, probably looks bigger than he really is because of the position and camera angles. i've seen unhealthy obese cats and this isnt one of them.
he's beautiful. look at the spot on the end of his tail! eeep!
the artists rendition is a riot.
Ugh - I wish this site wouldn't post pictures of overweight animals. I understand that sometimes there's a medical reason of whatever, but it's really not cute. It's sad. Way to glorify unhealthy cats and bad pet owners.
I too have a big Kitty... We feed her the lite diet food, she gets lots of exercise with her sister and brother and I play with her with a feather duster... But she continues to stay around 17 pounds... BUT she's healthy, as per her Kitty Vet, so I'm happy...
I used to have a Russian Blue who sat like this big boy does... It was her favorite position and I have many pics of her that way... I love that pose!!!
I'd love that little art work too, wonder where I can get one??
An Antimacatsar! How useful. You could also drape him over a lamp to dim the light, or over the edge of the tub for a bathmat or the front of your car for a bug guard- The possibilities are endless. You could fling him around your shoulders in a jaunty way when it is chilleh...
I wanted to get some help from the folks of Cuteoverload...
My best friend lives in south central North Carolina and her kitty is missing... The kitty's name is Mia (ironically enough it stands for Missing in Action), she's a long hair and pure white... I'm asking for folks to send up a small prayer for Mia so that she can find her way home... Her Mommy misses her something awful and is very worried about her...
Thanks folks!!
Fat kitteh is adorable! I get the impression that once he gets settled he will not budge from that couch for love nor money (nor snorgles nor poking).
Is it just me, or were the sculptures inspired by that nude pregnant Britney statue? http://www.stereogum.com/archives/002424.html
I also use too have a black and white cat his name was donnie eugene, he was so wonderful ,and yet such a pain but I loved him so much, he did not live past 7 yrs old rip donnie e.
fat cats, fat cats. It is sad, b/c so unhealthy for them. I had my cat on a new diet w/ that m/d prescription diet food and she lost a whole pound! but I just found out that it was involved in the pet food recall, so we've had to shift her feed.
Here's my two cents, tho', in re photos of the cute cats: not only have I had my cat on lots of diets, but she's even doing well and lost significant weight...but a photo of her would still look fat. And I know it's my fault she got fat in the first place, but it happened while my other cat was seriously ill.
My point is: there can be a long complicated tale behind a fat cat photo!
actually my cat has a new problem: as she loses weight, she's developing a big flopping belly skin in place of her belly. If she was a Real Housewife of Orang County she'd be heading in for a little surgery to tuck it back in!
Poeples live and let live, quit b****ing about evry thing, these are here for us to enjoy. You don't like don't post.
Oops. I missed that last message.
:(
(sends love out to Mia)
And another thing...
I think this cat is super cute. He has awesome markings, all marbley.
I think he looks like vanilla ice cream with fudge sauce melting on top...
he just needs a maraschino cherry...
yeah, i'm crazy!
The mixed pink and black jellybeans are keeeling me!
Two of my three kitties have udder-bellies, even though they are not overweight. I think it must be genetic for many cats.
Buddy is a cutie! I love that they commissioned artwork in his honor- awwww.
Just want to add my two cents- some cats are pre-disposed to be overweight, and it's very difficult to do anything about it. My two cats are sisters, but one of them is naturally very thin and the other fat. The fat one is on a strict prescription diet, and it doesn't make much of a difference.
They're the same age, the same gender, but not the same size-take a look
here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bzms/397849239/in/set-72157594548631318/
Susannah says "Ugh - I wish this site wouldn't post pictures of overweight animals. I understand that sometimes there's a medical reason of whatever, but it's really not cute. It's sad. Way to glorify unhealthy cats and bad pet owners."
BAD pet owners? Are you serial? Unhealthy - how do you know? How DARE you, dude. You don't know this cat or this cat's owner so WTF is up with the judgement calls, here?
People need to stop putting their own screwed up, twisted and likely AMERICAN BS weight standards onto a CAT that they don't even know. God this pisses me off. This cat could live to 20 for all anyone knows.
OK. I feel better.
I think this cat is absolutely adorable! :)
And DKN, just out of curiousity, what does "AMERICAN" have to do with any of this?
Tygress22- I'm just mad and spouting off. But as an American who has lived in other cultures believe me when I say we are among the worst of those in the world when it comes to judging others simply by their weight. And when I see people put these sorts of standards on animals where it probably shouldn't even apply it makes me mental.
To everyone - I apologize for my generalization.
I've gotta' know who that artist is! I want a bobble-head of my cats! Or even just a replica of Buddy - he's sooooo cute! So what if he's big boned!
my cat Spooky (who is also overweight, and we've been working on it for years, but it's difficult with another cat in the house, etc.) used to do this a lot. We called it "humping the couch".
Buddy rocks. I rescued a black and white cat once, and named him Buddy, cause I would call him that while he was recovering from his various injuries. My cats didn't get along with him, so I had to take him to a shelter, but i found a good no-kill shelter. While he was there, he made friends with a black-and-white kitten named Archie, and they were adopted together! It still makes me happy to think about.
DKN - That's cool :) I wasn't offended or anything, like i said, i was just curious what you meant so i thought i would ask :)
I hate when people (*cough* Nuffs) automatically think the worst when they see a picture. It is just a split second, frozen in time and they feel the need to fill in the blanks with unfounded assumptions. Oh well, whatcanyado :) I guess i am just a glass-half-full kinda girl. I just ignore them and enjoy the cute! And as i've said before...cute is in the eye of the beholder! ;)
(sorry, i guess i just wanted to vent a little too..hehe)
A Cool Cat! Every home needs one. (OK, let's make it two.)
Tygress22 - I hear ya. I usually ignore them too but for some reason this AM seeing someone accused of being a bad pet owner pushed me over the edge. :)
Couch slouch.
My cats are overweight (not quite this much, but still) and I put them on a diet....they got fatter!!! It's hard to keep inside kitties in shape (other than round).
LOL, this kitty sleeps/dangles like my kitty, Peppercorn!!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zmustapha/215365351/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zmustapha/215365352/
DKN - I can tell that you're totally serial! XD
Cute kitters, too.
As far as the extra kitty skin on the belly after a kitty loses weight -- cats are supposed to have a fair amount of extra skin and stretch there, it's what allows them to jump so well and high, and what lets a foot-long cat streeeeeeeeetch to about three feet long, lol. Just think of cats as slinkies!
Those accusing a pet owner of being 'bad' because the pet in question is overweight...shut the hell up.
My girl is overweight in that you have to press in on her sides to feel her ribcage. She is also in perfect health. This as per the vet. *I* am *not* a 'bad pet owner' or an 'irresponsible pet owner'. I do not over feed her, do not feed her garbage food. I play with her every day in a manner that gets her running around. You think you can do better? Well come on over and 'cure' her then.
So shut the hell up.
And Buddy and his effegy is perfectly adorable!
Cutebabfix: you win for my big laugh of the morning. "An Antimacatsar!" Snort--been ages since I saw one of those.
It's okay, Buddy, don't listen to all those people hatin' on your fat. From one boombalatty to another, I'm saying, being skinny won't make you a better person, er, cat.
I have part-ownership of a (saved from shelter) ragdoll kitteh, and apparently that breed is prone to fattness. Add in an older kitteh who has hypothyroidism in the same house, and boom! Monster sized kitteh. He's adorable, though, fluffy and lovey!
That cat *is* a couch! Seriously, one cool kitty who probably makes for a very nice head rest ;-)
Good one!
nycat:
Peppercorn looks just like one of my cats, Willie! Their faces are a little differently shaped, but markings look all the same.
Buddy's a big boy, but he's got the sweetest face. Positively makes my three look like midgets, even my big tom tabby, who's about 14 pounds. Some animals, like some people, have a natural proclivity towards "largeness", whether they eat loads of food or not. However, IMPO, a little less weight would be a healthier option for this boy.
DKN - As I said, I realize that sometimes there's medical problems or whatever. I didn't mean that the owner of THIS cat is necessarily a bad pet owner, but in general I think that people who let their pets get obese are bad pet owners, much like I think parents who let their children get obese are bad parents.
And I wish that people would stop thinking obese animals are cute. Think about it - would you be happy if you were obese? Probably not.
ctotheatothet, the Britney statue is EXACTLY what I thought of when I saw the kitteh bobblehead. And while I think that having a statue of your kit is a great idea, bobbleheads totally creep me out (as does the Britney statue).
Susannah! OMG, you're SO right. What a valuable public service you're performing. I know now that everyone with an overweight pet was just BLIND to how bad they were being, and only needed your scolding to put them right.
Bless you!!!!!
Susannah, a lot of people are overweight and happy. I am perfectly comfortable with myself. As long as someone is healthy, then who cares if they are larger. The same goes for animals. I do know what you mean about people that disregard the health issue for children/pets though. They depend on us to take care of them so we need to do that to be best of our ability but also, things aren't always what they seem. That is why people shouldn't judge, especially without knowing all the facts. (this isn't accusatory
or anything, just making a statement)
Love the hanging gardens of cat feet. Don't all cats do this? All mine have. Once had a 16 pound kitteh, not an ounce of fat on him, just really big boned, double pawed cats really are!
by the way, my black and white was named Heinekin, got him from a beer lover, obs.
I can't believe this cute series of pictures sparked inflammatory comments about bad owners and unhealthy, overweight cats. Jeebus, a lot of people take themselves way too seriously.
I love Buddy's "What are *you* lookin' at" expression in the first picture! And love the muzzlepuff!
Buddy is soooooooooo like my kitteh (Louis)! Slightly larger but very same markings. Same slightly bored expression too - what's with that?
To Leah:
My room mate's name is Donie Eugene, and he's a "fat cat" as well. No black and white spots, just a mustache.
BWAH! BWAHAHAHAHAHA! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
And I'm spent.
lol - stop it - all of you - *stop bickering* - I *hate* bickering!
just go home and *luv* on your aminals... or go adopt another aminal... that should make you all happy
and Buddy rocks! I don't remember who said it, but my biggest snort came from "couch humper." :o)
SnorglePup, I know what you mean about draggy post-fixed kitties. Vets call that condition "spay sway." It's not necessarily fat, just flab, sort of like a woman who's had a C-section and doesn't gain back the muscle tone (yes, Nuffs, I know that some do, but some don't, okay?). My Gypsy, since gone to live with my ex-husband, nearly drags the floor, but she's not overweight. You pick her up and you can feel she's just floofy and selectively flabby.
Re: Buddy. GORGEOUS kitty, adorable pose, BEYOND adorable little bobblehead statue.
All this debate over fat and NOBODY NOTICED THE TOES? The mixed toes? The pink and black jellybean toes on the back feet? Shame, shame.
That's not cute, that's sad. Should be classified as animal abuse, actually. Any pet owner who lets their pet get that way is insane. No animal is naturally born like that. Imagine how much pain and discomfort it must be in, and, if it's not already, how much more pain it will be in once it becomes diabetic.
I have much respect for cuteoverload, but, c'mon, you put your ads up about the fight against seal-clubbing and that kind of thing, and then you find humor in this? This cat has a disease, people. Would you laugh at a cat who was diseased or crippled in some other way, or dying even?
Poor thing isn't a circus show, people. He's an animal.
That's not cute, that's sad. It should be in the Cute or Sad? category. Actually, it should be in the animal abuse category. Any pet owner who lets their pet get that way is insane. No animal is naturally born like that. Imagine how much pain and discomfort it must be in, and, if it's not already, how much more pain it will be in once it becomes diabetic and gets arthritis and other problems.
I have much respect for cuteoverload, but, c'mon, you put your ads up about the fight against seal-clubbing and that kind of thing, and then you find humor in this? This cat has a disease. Would you laugh at a cat who was diseased or crippled in some other way, or dying even?
Poor thing isn't a circus show, people. He's an animal. Think.
Noelegy -- I noticed! See above.
luckynumbers -
Have you somehow glossed over ALL of the posts ahead of yours? The ones stating Perfectly Reasonable reasons for a cat to be overweight?
I love bit fat kittehs!
Disregard the first comment. Tried to go back and edit but it had already posted.
Anyway, I wanted to add to the above poster who said that they're comfortable being overweight. That is a lie. Ask anyone who has been overweight and has lost the weight and kept it off - they'll say something like they would rather lose an arm or an eye than go back to being overweight. You are lying to yourself, and you know it. You're just using that as a sugarcoated excuse not to do anything about it, or that you've tried and not succeeded, or that you haven't really tried and you've chosen to just give up and live with it. You know you would be happier being fit and healthy. And by the way, anyone who is overweight is automatically classified as unhealthy. Being overweight in itself is a symptom of being unhealthy. And people who say that the ones making a fuss over this are taking themselves too seriously... well, how serious is death? Anyone who comes to this site has a sense of humor and a desire to find light and cuteness in animals, but a post like this needs to be taken seriously. My grandmother's cat recently died from having been overweight for years and finally developing diabetes. What if it were your child? A lot of people think of their pets as their children. So, how serious is it if you're pet/child is in risk of getting all kinds of diseases and/or dying? Think, people. Anyone who's calling that too serious, is seriously f*cked in the head.
luckynumbers,
You don't know this cat. You don't know this cat's situation, medical history, vet history, or anything of the like. You have no knowledge of whether or not his vet has given him a clean bill of health. You also know nothing of his homelife, his diet, or his activity level. You have access to approximately 1/356,789,432th of this cat's life via these photos, and yet have the gall to call this animal abuse? Reserve your (kneejerk) judgment for a situation where you're clear on the facts, and find a more constructive way to put your obvious passionate love of animals to good use.
AliceTanzer -
That is bullsh*t. There is no Perfectly Reasonable reason for a cat or any animal to be overweight. Stop and think for a second... do you ever see any stray cats or other wild animals overweight? No, because they hunt for their own food and eat it the way that nature intended for them to. They aren't being fed contaminated pet food by a person. They aren't being given cow's milk which is designed for a 2000 lb. animal. They aren't being given medicines for diseases that they shouldn't have in the first place - medicines that are only making things worse for them by screwing with their metabolism and thyroid and other parts of their body.
Any of you who are saying that this is reasonable have no reasonable reasons to call yourselves animal rights activists or anything else to do with animal welfare.
llism -
I don't have to know any of those things. I already have a pretty good idea of them just by looking at this cat, and if this cat's vet gave him a clean bill of health then he shouldn't be a vet, should he?
I've stated my case, no need to argue any further. I'm just saying, you don't have to be a genius or veteranarian professional in order to see that this is not normal, and that it's nonsense to try to "gloss over" it by saying that it is.
Salut.
Hey anonymous underscore-character no-screen-name person above:
Oh and noes.
My calico, Toe, used to drape herself over the top of the tv set this way. She LOVED it there because of the tv's warmth. So, alot of the time when we would watch tv, there would be Toe's two legs hanging down in front of the picture. She would slep VERY SOUNDLY there, & eventually --- one minute you're watching tv just kind of ignoring the 2 legs hanging in front of the picture - then SUDDENLY an entire kitty BODY would DROP down past the picture! It always took her by surprise and she'd stand there, disoriented, for a couple of minutes, then lick herself off (like "what? ... I MEANT to do that ... what's everybody looking at...") and then she'd climb back up on top of the tv --- soon she'd be dangling & dozin' again...
&:o)
And also --- Buddy looks like a sweetheart! --- I'd LOVE to have a beefy kitty like heem to schmurgle! &:o)
Awwwwww, Buddy, you are A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E. (And the bigga the betta. Holy camera angles!)
And that replica of yours is FABULOUS! Awwwwww.
What do you mean by that, Theo?
I swear, right about now if I were face to face with any of these people claiming animal abuse over the weight, they'd have some very painful and bloody noses.
Way to f-ing judge perfect strangers.
And way to make me furious and reduce me to tears at my desk at work because some wanker at the other end of a computer screen is calling *me* a bad pet owner, when I am NOT.
Thanks ever so much you thoughtless little bastards.
Too bad cats can't talk. Maybe he could give us a perfectly reasonable reason as to why cats can be overweight.
Hurt 'em, Teho.
luckynumbers (now _),
Agreed. Stray cats and other wild animals aren't overweight because they have to hunt for their food. However, many stray cats and other wild animals that live in cities are hit by cars. They are also at risk for all kinds of diseases, exposure to toxic chemicals/waste, contaminated food, contaminated water, and the like. Outdoors would certainly be healthier if we all lived in the country, but that just isn't the case. I personally have indoor cats because I chose to rescue them from animal control rather than letting them be euthanized. So I should let them outside and run around when I live off of a busy road? I think not. So that means I "have no reasonable reason to call [myself an] animal rights activist or anything else to do with animal welfare"? Ridiculous. I would rather have a cat that's a little pudgy than have one that's roadkill or dying from kidney failure due to coolant ingestion.
Also, your statement about "anyone who is overweight is automatically classified as unhealthy" is preposterous. Weight is a number on a scale and doesn't measure bone density, body fat percentage, or frame. My personal trainer would be considered "overweight" if she stepped on a scale, but her body fat percentage is under 10%.
Your sweeping generalizations are most amusing.
He/she who judges yet posts anonymously-
How dare you presume to know what i think but that is all i am going to say about that. I don't need to defend myself and especially not here.
Also, you said something about not seeing fat wild animals and such? They also don't generally live to a nice, ripe old age.
Ok... No more feeding the Nuffs.
Teri -
So, you don't want to be called an abuser, but you'd be willing to give me a very painful and bloody nose?
Look, I didn't mean to be so harsh. But it is a serious matter. Most people are probably just unaware of the harm they're really doing in most cases like this, or are just oblivious or lying to themselves for whatever "perfectly reasonable reasons". Like I said, my grandmother's cat died from being overweight and diabetic, and I've seen other cases similar to that. It's not enough that it's become an epidemic among people and children these days, but it's starting to happen in pets too. It's just something that I feel very strongly about, and I wish people could understand what they're doing. If you're not overweight, then imagine if you had to walk around with 10 - 20 or more lbs. of pressure on your back, weighing down your stomach and legs, all the time? You wouldn't be happy, would you?
Sorry for upsetting you, but this upset me too.
Genetics for a bloody start you *&^*&^%*%^%
Or would you be happier if I took my cat, who has known nothing but love, affection, security and safety for 11 years, baring the 3 months before she came to me, and take her to the humane society because her size is, to you, a clear indication that I am a horrible, thoughtless, evil human being?
Wow, who let the Nuffs in? Geezum Crow peoples, Buddy is a GORGEOUS puddy tat and not everything in this world has to have 10% body fat.
Nana - LOVE your werkin'-on-the-comp-shoulder-protector. Yitzy likes to drape on my chest, wherein I get nosefuls of Tuxedo floof and can only post with one finger. And ya'll know which finger I'm usin' at the ree-diculous masses of Nuffs on here today.
"Ask anyone who has been overweight and has lost the weight and kept it off - they'll say something like they would rather lose an arm or an eye than go back to being overweight."
I wonder if the person who posted this would be willing to lose an arm or an eye to stop being a stupid jerk. Such a small price to pay.
An abuser and a person in a fit of fustration and hurt and anger over being accused of something they are not are not the same thing.
You did more than upset me, and your apology is not accepted.
_,
"I don't have to know any of those things. I already have a pretty good idea of them just by looking at this cat, and if this cat's vet gave him a clean bill of health then he shouldn't be a vet, should he?"
So you yourself are a vet? A vet tech? Anyone remotely qualified to make this kind of sweeping assumption based off just looking at a picture?
Or maybe you just work for Miss Cleo?
re: "What do you mean by that, Theo?" (nice, very nice, touché...)
OK, I'll answer because I don't think you're really a troll.
In general, whenever somebody climbs up onto their pet soapbox, especially in the context of a fluff/humor blog like Cute Overload, that somebody just ends up sounding foolish. Not always, but I'd say 99% of the time it's true. You *can* see that, right? You might as well be getting all shrill about marshmallow rights at a campfire.
Don't get me wrong, I'm NOT saying "shut up". By all means, rant all you like; it tends to drive readership here and I'm all for that. But dude. Right now I'm laughing at you, not with you.
Maybe, just MAYBE, the sky ISN'T falling on the big couch kitty, y'know?
llism (and any one else who's battling me against this):
What you're saying is half-true. We don't live in an ideal world, and if you live in a city, then it's fine to have indoor pets. I'm not against having indoor pets. What I am against is the food people feed to their pets. This whole contamination outbreak is bad, but the food was already bad anyway. I've researched this kind of thing quite a bit, and, in order to manufacture and distribute typical pet food as cheaply as possible, they use diseased animals and the worst possible quality vegetables and other things, fillers and chemicals, and none of this is good for your pet. Then if people feed their pet scraps from their own food, that makes it even worse. Cats are designed as carnivores who are supposed to kill and eat their food raw. That's not to say that you have to let your cats out and let them go kill their own food. But there is something called the BARF diet that advocates feeding pets in the way that they were most closely designed to eat. They sell raw pet food now I think that's already ground up with the right the amount of nutrients and everything. People who have put their pets on this food have seen really miraculous transformations - diseases gone, weight lost, their fur is healthier and shinier, and they don't smell as bad (that's always a plus).
The same thing that's going on with sick and overweight humans is happening with sick and overweight pets. The more processed and chemically altered the food is, the worse.
But I won't go any further into the whole debate over weight and health, as people have all kinds of different ideas about that. But I would suggest thinking about how it's naturally supposed to be, and try to get closer to that if you can.
And the other poster - the reason why some strays don't live to be very long is for the same reason - too much city life and traffic and polution and things caused by humans. If it were an ideal world, animals would be able to thrive, as would humans.
Of course, that's the real issue, isn't it? It's not fat or thin, tall or short, small noses or whatever--we want everything, including people and now pets, to be functionally optimal. Sick animal? You don't fit the shape we think is healthy right now? Well, what did you do WRONG?? And heaven forfend we should really think that living creatures have a right to exist in all shapes and sizes--if we do that, it'll just ENCOURAGE them!
Er...cute cat, though! You know, cute...like the website name?
Ok... Luckynumbers... you're wasting your breath. Having grown up in the country, I have seen more than my share of wild animals, and while I have not seen one that is overweight, I *have* seen many species where some are BIGGER than others. Sometimes, depending on fur and body flexibility, when they lie down, their torsos *squish* until they LOOK wide. Even squirrels straddling branches this way.
And by the way, all points bulletin to nuffs everywhere, but especially to you: when you swear, scold, and taunt people, they never listen. EVER. They defend themselves. If you want people to listen to you, BE KIND.
I had two cats, one that became very very thin as he aged. I was told to give him whatever he would eat. (no not junk food but well made pet food). While keeping his weight up, my other cat, who shared his meals, got kind of pudgy. So what? Should I have put them both on a diet and let my boy starve? I think not.
Such a stupid and thoughtless little troll.
hey peeps
can't we all just get along, puhhleez?
:)
oh and I almost forgot, love the kitteh, the bobblehead replica and the mixed jelly bean toes. YUM
...'scuse me... but... "BARF diet"!??? Sorry, I seem to be having a sudden attack of the WTFs.
I'm not a vet, but I've researched health for quite some time, and it ain't that different from animal health.
Genetics is not that relevant, especially to being overweight. People use that as an excuse all the time. My parents and grandparents were mostly all overweight, and I was as a child because I was fed the same things that they were eating, so of course I gained weight. But I became a vegan around the age of 14, and lost a considerable amount of weight. It wasn't until a little later that I swayed off of the vegan path and had some health problems and was put on medications that screwed with my hormones and thyroid that I gained weight again. I'm losing it again now because I'm not on any medications and because I'm eating right, the way nature intended. And I believe that would be the same case for animals, regardless of "genetics".
Ah... the nuff is a BARF salesman in disguise.
Okay, I will be kind. And I don't care if my apology is accepted or not. It's a situation that I feel very strongly about, and I know that not many people are going to back me up on it. I'm pretty sure that even if I was being kind, I would have still gotten attacked and called an idiot and jerk or whatever else I skimmed over up there.
Anyway. I'm done. My opinions have been stated, and anyone who disagrees can continue to state theirs. But I choose to look to the light instead of the dark, and hopefully someone will eventually see that the things I've said might just make sense.
Thanks.
And I still love you, cuteoverload.
Nope, not a BARF salesman. Just an advocate. I don't even have pets of my own, I've just witnessed a lot of sad situations.
So yeah, again, I'm done.
Thanks.
Nicely said, Teho.
Howz the kitten snorgling business these days?
And yes, in the fray I also forgot to mention, I loooove the pink and black jellybean toesies, that kills me every time! Adorable cat, Teri. And seriously, thank you for sending in your pictures. Don't let this discourage you. I really seriously don't understand where all the commentroversy came from.
lol...one of the erins...that's not my baby up there and I didn't send in those pics.
I just took personal offence at the generalization that if a person's cat is overweight, then that person is automatically a bad pet owner and an animal abuser. And I continue to take personal offence at that. I'm still very upset, angry and hurt over it.
Because my cat is well loved, safe and *gasp* perfectly healthy. And I am not a bad or abusive pet owner, no matter the spewings of that person who thinks their ever so much smarter and better than the rest of us.
Teri-
I am truly sorry, whether you choose to accept it or not. You had a strong reaction to my comments - I had a strong reaction to this post. I don't think I'm smarter or better than anyone, I just get bothered by things like this. Despite any of it, though, I know that love is the most important thing about having a pet, and if you love your pet, then you're a good pet owner. So, I am sorry for my hurtful comments.
http://www.barfworld.com/
http://www.njboxers.com/faqs.htm
Unbelievable... it's for real. Worst acronym EVER.
"Hi, I'm Theo! Would you like to try my new exercise program? I call it Labor And Recreation Daily, or for short..."
My Jester did this all the time. I'll have to see if I have any pictures.
hehe...you crack me up, Theo :)
I'm a long time lurker and don't post much but i really love you guys! *sniffle* ;)
Aren't we all anonymous,
"I'm pretty sure that even if I was being kind, I would have still gotten attacked and called an idiot and jerk or whatever else I skimmed over up there."
Not true. If you had stated a well-formed, thoughtful opinion rather than acting dictatorial with your ideas, had actually listened to what other people said, and hadn't offended everyone by making sweeping generalizations and assuming that you knew everything about everyone else's situation, you would have found people much more receptive to your point of view. This community is all about constructive discussions; we're NOT about people breaking their soapboxes over our heads and bullying us just because they're discussing something they feel strongly about. We're ALL passionate about animals or else we wouln't frequent this site.
Argument is an art. If you want someone to come around to your way of thinking, it's best not to start by giving them the finger.
Plus --- in the midst of all the fat stupidity, I (and everyone else...ahem...) forgot to mention that they would think positive thoughts for fuzzy MIA to find her way safely home again. (Stormcat's earlier comment...)
I hope MIA's safely home by now.
Usually I just watch the sparks fly, but I have to get in on this one. Anyone who recommends BARF needs their head examined. Plenty of dogs and cats have died from bone shards ripping their insides. Plenty of nasty parasites are passed along through that unreliable food supply you describe (and yes, I know what "animal digest" is in processed pet food, and that so-called natural pet foods don't contain the remains of shelter animals -- just farmed animals. But the farmed animal supply is sufficiently problematic in this country as to render raw meat quite risky. Use your computer skills to Google "BARF diet" and read about people whose dear pets have died from it. Ask your vet why she doesn't recommend BARF (and no, it's no just because Hill's pays American vets a fortune). For someone who clearly wants to be an iconoclast, you've readily swallowed propaganda. And you don't even feed BARF? You're just relying on others' tales? Oh, my.
Look, I'm sure you mean well, but any time I see anyone touting BARF as a miracle solution, I get nervous that someone else will unwittingly harm their pooch or kitty.
Theo-
Good point. You're a funny guy. I probably shouldn't have used that term. Maybe just stated it as a raw, natural pet food diet, or something. It beats the hell out of contaminated food. And if anyone wants to say anything about raw animal food being contaminated, well, whatever brands were included in the contamination outbreak were processed and heated so high that anything contamination should have been destroyed... but it wasn't.
llism-
Yes, you're right. I did it the wrong way out of anger and getting upset. Still, I've been in situations before where I've stated a well-thought out opinion after having done years of research and been through my own personal battles with weight and illness and witnessed and read about countless other individual situations, all with a pretty common denominator. And even then, it seems to be something that people either don't want to hear or don't want to believe, so they either attack me or ridicule what I'm saying or just don't listen at all. I'm used to it by now. But yes, you're right.
So, I apologize to everyone for the way in which I presented my opinions, but I will continue to stand by them.
Check out the Oregon Humane Society about "Goliath", the very large cat that made headlines awhile back. They said that in spite of his size, he was only a little overweight, not obese (in a feline sort of way)!
My daughter has two black cats - brothers- one is slim and trim, the other looks like Buddy, and has the best purr in the world!
Perf-
I've read a lot on the diet, and I have yet to see any cases of pet deaths from it. If you can send me some links, I'd appreciate it.
I'm just backing up what has worked for me, and I think what could work for everyone, humans and pets. And that is getting as close as possible to the way we were all naturally designed to eat. We weren't naturally designed to eat chemicals and all the other shit that's put in our food and our pets' food. If a person tries to do that or tries to do that for their pet, and contamination still exists, then it lies in the fault of mankind. Pesticides and growth hormones and antibiotics in farm animals. Purity is a rare thing to find these days.
Well, I wasn't going to say anything, but as long as Theo brought it up, I think it's HIGH TIME we all discussed a sorely overlooked topic: marshmallow rights...
(Oh, and my cats seem to be on the BARF diet themselves, but it's usually the result of them gnawing the houseplants, or licking themselves... blehhhhhhh...)
People seem to be accusing me of not knowing anything about certain situations and just generalizing my opinions and being an ass. Well, to those of you who are doing the same thing in terms of the raw natural diet for pets, and to Perf, here's some info that you might want to read:
http://www.workingdogs.com/vcbarf.htm
It discusses the pros and cons of it, and Dr. Billinghurst, the creater of the BARF diet, and a veterinary surgeon, by the way, gives a lot of information on it with scientific data to back it up.
I'm sorry, I have to chime in here and say I to have a "fat cat" and she has been that way ever since she was spayed. She eats ONE can (the little palm sized peel top kind) ONE time a day.
Ok so that being said, basiclly my cat has had a hystorectomy... have you ever seen a woman with one? 9 times out of 10 their stomachs protrude. THEY aren't fat, but they have a pooch. FOR THAT FACT, my cat has had a litter of kittens... have you ever seen a woman who has had more than one child??? Certainly you wouldn't have the NERVE to say a woman who has had more than one child, whose body is stretched out, and no matter what diet she tries the skin is still stretched, and who has also had her uterus removed, that SHE is fat? HUH?
Point here folks is that you don't know the whole story as to WHY this cat is bigger than YOU think he should be. You saying that his/her owner MUST be a bad pet owner, is the same as saying all jews are good with money or all mexicans are sleepy. *southpark pun intended* No people shouldn't over feed their animals, yes they should get exercise but you don't know that THIS cat gets overfed or under exercised so shut the hell up.
YAAAAAWWWWNNNNN....
These Nuffers are making me tired. I'm going to take a nap. Will somebody let me know when the cookies and pudding are passed? Nite-nite.
z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z
I haven't read the other comments but it appears there's another nuff war / commentroversy going on? Over THESE kitty photos? Please people..... gaze again at the floofilicious kitteh stradling the couch. My Pooh does the exact same thing and is about as "full-figured" as Buddy! heh heh
Well, after looking at the photo again, I think Buddy wins in the heavyweight cat-egory. Sorry I ever doubted ya' Bud!
Heather S.-
I agree, a hysterectomy can make a person (or an animal) gain weight. But I am personally not for hysterectomies in humans or animals unless you have a very particular situation where it is very necessary. When you have a hysterectomy, it completely throws your hormones off-balance and when that happens, especially with women (or female cats), it can make you gain weight. This happened to me when I had to be put on Prednisone - it did a lot of damange to my hormones and thyroid and I put on weight because of it. I never said that weight gain is purely the result of overfeeding your pet. But weight gain in pets is the result of some kind of human interference. Did you really NEED to spay your cat? Did she have a serious problem with her uterus, or did you just not want her to have anymore litters? Couldn't you have just gotten any male cats neutered? It's not as much of a dramatic thing with males.
My mom did the BARF diet for our golden for a few months and he loved it. But it petered off...I'm not sure why she stopped it so I won't comment on that. But anyway, yes, it's totally legit and is pretty much the only way to guarantee that no artificial anything is getting into your pet's food. It's best to use free range meat.
Anyway, I just think that when it comes to looking at a site like this, jumping to a conclusion on an animal's experience is always a mistake - I think that's what Theo was getting at earlier.
NUUUUUUUUU! My kitty beats it! He's a "healthy" 17 pounds, and I still insist he's not fat. He's always been a friggin' huge kitty.
He's a cuddler too. Nothing beats being woken up at 2 in the morning cause your Fluffmonger Bowling Ball decided to take a nap on your chest. :p
THANK YOU, Heather S., owner of Buddy. As any one with common sense can figure out, pregnancy stretches the abdominal muscles out of their original shape. Add a hysterectomy, which involves cutting through the abdominal muscles, and it's going to be hard to get that girlish figure back. Anyone who has had a hysterectomy or c-section should know this. Female cats almost always have floppy bellies after spaying. That said, these picture also involve foreshortening, and I think that Buddy is a very beautiful, content-looking cat. So please, no more gloom & doom.
On a side note....LOOK AT THAT LIL' DIPSTICK WHITE SPOT ON HIS TAIL! ROFFLE! I lurve it! <3
ebee - wait, there's cookies?? and PUDDING?
S. _ whoever - Yes you NEED to spay/neuter your cat. There is evidence that fixed cats and dogs live longer. Just like cats and dogs with good diets live longer. that being said - AGAIN - the issue here is that we should not assume anything about the situations the animals are in when they are posted on this site. Meg, surely, knows how to use discretion when it comes to submissions. Also - when it comes to humans getting hysterectomies as opposed to cats, you simply cannot compare the two.
No pudding. Just Mochi.
(see how I did that thar?)
Oh, yeah, and Heather S.:
I have known women who have had more than one child and have had that protruding stomach, but I have also known women who have had more than one child and have had a completely flat stomach - some even after a few days following birth. Those women with the flat stomachs ate healthy natural diets, without chemicals and processed foods and milk.
Oh. Deal's off if there's no pudding.
I've just got to say that I love the way cats are put together. They are like giant pillowcases with four tiny paws at the corners. They can be stretched out like kites (like Buddy here) or curled up into impossibly tiny balls, or stretch up at huge length to peek over a counter.
I love all animals and snuggle every dog I meet, but the cats - oh the CATS! - they are just the most fabulous fluffy sacks of purr on the whole planet.
Wups, forgot the link!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v254/pillowchii/MochiPants2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v254/pillowchii/Picture3.jpg
DKN-
I would appreciate it if you would give me a link or some kind of resource to the evidence that fixed cats and dogs live longer. I'm not saying that I don't believe you - I'd just like to see it backed up.
And yes, I think you can compare the two. No shit that humans and cats are different, but they are both mammals, and if the symptoms of having a hysterectomy are pretty much the same in both humans and cats, then why can't it be compared? And by the way, don't just tell me that - tell it to Heather S. who began the comparison in the first place.
Take any illness or condition - the symptoms are usually the same in humans and animals. So, I guess, given what you're telling me, then it's safe to say that if more women had hysterectomies and more men got snipped, we would all live longer? LOL.
Aww, Moonie, why would ya need pudding? Ya already got pie!
OH my goodness that is sooo funny. And cute, in his/her own way. ;)
That's a really big cat... also beautiful! How much does he weight?
S, humans are NOT cats. to compare the two is laughable.
Anyone who argues that cats should not be spayed is just...RAWR! Words can't even describe!
Oh, by the way you want your proof, here's your proof:
http://www.kittenrescue.org/spayneuter.htm
It doesn't say they're GUARANTEED to live longer, but it DOES reduce the chance of getting ovarian cancer, which has known to be a problem in female kitties, especially pure breeds. So THAR. Yarrr.
Gee, then I guess we've been lied too all these years about getting out pets spayed/netured and therefore we are all being evil when we do it.
I have also read a lot about BARF. Most of the pro-BARF things I have seen are individual testimonials..."my cat loved it," "my dog looks great," and so on. Now I'm all for that kind of thing. But there are also testimonials about the situations that don't work out so well. And there are plenty of them, too.
But these are all anecdotes. We can string together anecdotes all day and not find out much that helps us make decisions. I mean, there are plenty of people who could testify that they've been using cocaine for years without it interfering with their lives...but that doesn't make them good predictors of what cocaine addiction does to the average person, right?
I'm a social scientist, and I want evidence, not anecdotes. So I look for controlled studies, and this is what I find:
From the Journal of the American Veterinary Association:
http://www.avma.org/onlnews/javma/jan05/050115ww.asp
From the University of Guelph (In case you're not Canadian -- it's a reliable source!) Veterinary School newsletter:
http://www.uoguelph.ca/News6-2/ANwsl6-2.pdf
From the journal Better Nutrition:
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_mOFKA/is_6_67/ai_n13788104
Yes, some meat is cleaner than other meat...and you're right that the worst meat of all (are tumors "meat"?) go into most commercial pet food. But one study I read (sorry, I couldn't find it online quickly...I'll keep looking) found that 8 of 10 samples from raw meat diets contained Salmonella. I've also seen reports of E. coli, as you'll see in the links above.
Some people may have success with BARF. Some people also have great success with regular commercial diets. But the risks of BARF are too high for me to trust my beloved kitties with deadly diseases. BARF is contaminated to the same degree as traditional foods, it's just contaminated with different things. My cats eat meat that may have hideous hormones. BARF kitties eat meat that may have live parasites, and bones that may rip their intestines.
I've seen cats live healthily to nearly 20 on high-quality conventional food, and that's the way I'm betting.
By the way, if you want testimonials about dogs dying from BARF, I'm pretty sure you can find one at
http://www.secondchanceranch.org/training/raw_meat/index.html
but I haven't checked that link for sure.
I'm a long-time lurker and first-time commenter -- just finally couldn't help myself. I love Buddy -- he reminds me so much of Simon, my tuxedo kitty. He weighs 27 pounds and is diabetic and he was that way when came to live with me. I took him off the tuna and he eats weight maintenance dry cat food along with my other four cats. But like a lot of big guys, he has a heart of gold. He's just big ole Uncle Simon to all the other smaller cats, and he spends lots of time cuddling and licking them. They like to lie around kneading each other and purring. To get him to lose more weight, I'd have to lock him away from all the others. What kind of life would that be? Maybe he won't live as long as most kitties, but he's happy. He's a great cat and we have a happy household. So yes, I'm sad about Simon's health, but ya know, we're doing the best we can.
We have a really fat kitty, everything we have tried to unfat her doesn't work.
Before we got her she was actually found by the humane society, starving to death because her little old lady owner had died. Even now, after years of plumpitude, if the food (yes, diet food) bowl is even half empty she freaks out and sits next to it and stares at it until we put food in. Or, if its actually empty she'll start barfing up spit, as though she hasn't eaten in so long that she has stomach acid (even though her last meal might have been 2 hours ago).
I do worry for her health, but food is her life, and I'm not going to make her miserable just so she can lose weight. We have tried food restriction and it just makes her terribly chronically anxious and unhappy.
Every creature is unique, and sometimes you just have to do the best you can to give them a happy life. Things can't always be perfect. I'm sure anyone who posts or reads this site loves their creatures as much as I do. We all just do our best.
Ironically our other non-fat kitteh is the one with diabetes...
1. So Bob Barker really IS the antichrist... "Spay and neuter your pets! BWA-HA-HAAAaaaaaaaaa!"
2. Show me the rule that says I can't have pudding AND pie... I want proof! (Totally unintentional pun, thar, with proof being in the pudding, and all.)
3. Dude. It is SO naptime. For everyone.
I'm very happy. ^-^ In CA, there's a bill in Sacramento that would make it mandatory to spay and neuter all pets before they hit 6 months old, with exceptions to specific screened cat breeders, I think. The law would apply to anyone who owned a cat, if you let it romp around outside unneutered (dunno how on earth the authorities would kep track), you can get fined. I think this is a spectacular idea.
And p.s. -- I truly love Cute Overload -- you're exactly the right antidote for the too-serious world these days! Keep it up!
When I said proof, I meant like scientific data. Thanks.
And it's not laughable to compare the basic body parts and functions of mammals or all animals. There are a lot of things that are different, but when it comes to what I was talking about - hysterectomies - they can be looked at as similar. It's still a uterus and a reproductive system, human or animal. And by the way, the reproductive system is the very thing that links all mammals - so if you're going to compare something, that's the thing to compare. So, THAR.
And, actually, Teri, yes, we probably have been lied to. We've been lied to by a lot of things. Take for example, the pet food that was supposedly safe has now had contamination. And the government used to lie to us that tobacco wasn't harmful, when they knew damned well that it was. We've been lied to about medicines and the whole medical industry and charities and foundations really using our money for a good purpose. You're not evil, but you are naive if you think that you haven't been lied to.
HI MOM!
S. - http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/why_you_should_spay_or_neuter_your_pet.html
http://www.sniksnak.com/benefits.html
http://www.spotsociety.org/health.htm