photo by Scott Mims

Big cat: Humane Society Director Paula Jo Mattingly allows Boo Boo to have some time outside of his cage yesterday. She has placed him on a special diet to help him lose weight.

In his own cat-egory

Chilton County Humane Society takes in 24-plus-pound feline

By Scott Mims (Contact) | Clanton Advertiser

Published Monday, August 25, 2008

Call him plump. Call him fluffy. But don’t you dare call him fat.

Boo Boo the cat has a lot of love to give – 24 and a half pounds, to be exact. Now he just needs a home to share it with.

“He’s actually lost weight,” said Chilton County Humane Society Director Paula Mattingly, who has placed Boo Boo on a special diet.

It’s rare to see a 5-year-old cat that weighs nearly 25 pounds, she said. The typical weight for a cat his age is between five and seven pounds.

Consequently, Boo Boo is now getting one meal per day, which consists of 1 cup Purina cat food.

“I would like to get him down to at least 15 pounds,” Mattingly said.

Boo Boo comes to Chilton County from Lawley, Ala., where his former owners were allergic to cats and decided to put him up for adoption. He arrived at the shelter yesterday.

“He’s real sweet,” Mattingly said.

The fee for adopting a normal cat at the shelter is $50, but Boo Boo will only be $35 because he has been neutered, de-clawed on his front paws, and is up-to-date on all his shots.

He appears to be in good health, other than the need to drop a few kitty pounds.

“He’s ready to walk out this door,” Mattingly said.

– Scott Mims can be reached at scott.mims@clantonadvertiser.com.