Posted Nov. 8, 2008, 3 a.m. EST
Alice and her caretakers celebrated her newly svelte form at a recent party. She weighed 26 pounds when she was turned in to the shelter in Rhode Island. |
By the time the holiday season is in full swing, a female cat that had been surrendered to the Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals with a serious
weight problem will be ready to be adopted into a new home. Alice, who arrived at the shelter weighing a hefty 26 pounds, was put on a special diet to get her down to a target weight of 15 pounds.
Her caretakers say that when she first arrived more than six months ago, Alice was so heavy that she wasn’t able to groom herself, much less walk around without panting. As the months passed and the cat followed a special diet plan, she started to regain her “cat-itude” and mobility.
“This girl has transformed,” said Jacqueline Rose of the RISPCA in Riverside, R.I., adding that the cat is an “inspiration.”
At her most recent weigh-in, Alice was below her target weight – down to 14 pounds. The shelter staff had a celebration to mark the accomplishment, complete with cake, party hats and guests.
During her stay at the shelter, Alice has been around a dozen dogs, several rabbits and even some birds. “She takes all of them in stride but she really does not like other cats,” Rose said.
The cat is expected to be ready for adoption at 13 pounds, which should be sometime in December, according to Rose. Applications have not been accepted yet.
For more information on Alice, visit the animal shelter's staff blog.