A retiree from Virginia has adopted a chonky 40.3 pound feline after an advertisement about the enormous animal went viral.
Kay Ford told The Post that her daughter contacted her about the fat cat, named Patches, after Richmond Animal Care and Control posted an adoption ad on Wednesday morning.
“She sent me a text this morning, while I was watching the finale of ‘The Mandalorian,’” Ford explained. “I opened it up and I saw the picture of Patches and I just knew immediately I needed to go and get him.”
However, Ford faced stiff competition from other cat lovers who had also spotted the ad on Facebook.
“I knew that there were going to be nine billion people who were falling in love with him at the same time,” she told The Post, saying she was initially reluctant to get her hopes up.
Indeed, the RACC advertisement attracted interest from California to Maine due to its witty writing and an adorable image of the fat feline.
“Did you wake up today and say, ‘Let’s adopt the largest cat anyone has ever seen?’ If so, we have the cat for you,” the adoption ad read. “Meet Patches; all 40.3 POUNDS of him! He’s been regulated to a very special diet, is on an exercise plan and is very sweet.”
“He’s neutered, tested, chipped and ready to go today,” the ad continued. “Please email with your home info and your commitment to help Patches get to a safe and healthy weight. Until then, we will marvel at his gloriously gluttonous body.”
The post garnered more than 2,000 likes and more than 1,200 comments, including many from people who wanted to adopt the animal.
Feline-loving Ford, who already owns a kitty named Wellesley, quickly contacted the RACC to express her interest.
Fortunately, the retiree lives just a short drive from the shelter, which made her a front-runner for the adoption.
“I knew that I was in a position to help him,” she told The Post. “I’m retired, I’m home a lot. I just am completely motivated and just feel like I have the time to help him achieve to get to this point where he and Wellesley are just playing together and having a wonderful time and he’s happy and healthy.”
Just hours later, Ford arrived at the animal shelter for a meet-and-greet with Patches — and it was love at first sight.
“I immediately just sat down on the floor. I’m not going to be the right person if I’m just standing there or if I’m sitting in a chair,” she explained. “You want to get down with him. And I wanted to touch him and I wanted to hold him. I just rubbed him … and he started purring right away.”
Patches, who is a domestic short hair cat, was surrendered to the RACC on Apr. 4 by his former owner, but the organization didn’t disclose what the feline was fed that made him pile on the pounds.
Veterinarians say the normal weight for a cat of his breed usually falls between 8 and 10 pounds.
“Cats should have that hourglass figure when you’re looking down at them,” vet Melissa Mustillo told Fetch, the pet-focused section of WebMD. “They shouldn’t have a saggy belly hanging down, and you should be able to feel their ribs.”
Mustillo said that it takes about six months to a year for felines to lose weight.
However, despite his heft, Patches is not the heaviest cat on record.
In 1986, the Guinness World Record for “fattest cat” was given to 10-year-old Himmy, who weighed a whopping 46 pounds and 15.5 ounces before his death in the same year.
The record-keeping organization decided to retire the title in 1998 — leaving Himmy the reigning champ — in an effort to prevent owners from overfeeding their pets.
Meanwhile, Ford has taken the fat cat home after the RACC confirmed that she and Patches were an ideal pair.
“I don’t know, I think with animals, you can just tell,” she said of the moment she laid eyes on her new pet. “You just look at him and you go, ‘That’s my cat.’”
