Shelter looking for housing for 42-lb cat

RICHARDSON, Texas, Sept. 23 (UPI) -- Employees at an animal shelter in Texas say they are trying to find a good home for a 42-pound stray cat.

The cat, a female tabby named Skinny, was found in the backyard of a Richardson resident last week and was later picked up by animal services and brought to the Richardson Animal Shelter, The Dallas Morning News reported Friday.

Because of Skinny's size, veterinarians said she needs to spend some time at another shelter so she can safely lose weight.

"With cats you have to be more careful with dieting, as too-rapid weight loss can have adverse affects," said Yvette Pedroza, a veterinarian at the East Dallas Veterinary Clinic. "The cat can suffer from diseases such as hepatic lipidosis [fatty liver syndrome]. ... Usually we recommend a weight loss of 1 percent per week."

Skinny "can't even get into a normal litter box," said Dennis Wooten, manager at the shelter.

Wooten said his shelter has received hundreds of phone calls from people eager to adopt Skinny, but fears many of the callers wished to adopt her merely for the novelty of her size.

"The cat will be placed with an animal shelter so [she] gets proper care," Wooten said. "There are going to be some long-term expenses involved in taking care of this cat."

Until then, Skinny has been placed on a low-calorie diet and is getting some exercise, KDFW-TV, Dallas/Fort Worth reported.

"Be cognizant that you don't overfeed your pets," Wooten said.