Posted: August 2, 2008 2 a.m. EDT
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| At her latest weigh-in, Alice the cat weighed 18 pounds — down from 26 pounds in March. |
Obese cats in the news, most recently the 44-pound “Princess Chunk” surrendered outside of a New Jersey animal shelter, are no laughing matter to animal welfare groups such as the Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
The RISPCA in March took in 26-pound Alice when the cat’s owner no longer could care for her. The staff went to work to get the cat down to her ideal body weight of 12 pounds.
Slowly but surely, Alice has been shedding the extra pounds and acting more like a cat every day, according to her caretakers. As of her latest weigh-in July 29, the cat was down to 18 pounds.
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| Alice the cat weighed 26 pounds before beginning her weight-loss program. |
Her team, including Jacqueline Rose of the RISPCA, reported that the green-eyed cat continues to drop about half a pound per week, putting her right on target to reach her goal. Previously not able to groom herself, Alice now can jump like other cats and walk around to greet visitors without panting.
The cat’s weight-loss program includes a prescription diet plan created for her by Dr. Amy Karls, practice development veterinarian at Hill’s Pet Nutrition. The cat will remain at the shelter for a total of about six months before she is ready for adoption.
For more CatChannel coverage of Alice the cat's story, click here.