A severely obese rescue cat taken in by a Cincinnati animal shelter has become an unexpected social media sensation, attracting millions of viewers and losing almost 3lb since finding a new home.
Pumpkin arrived at the shelter in March following the death of her owner, according to Chris Seelbach, chief executive and president of SPCA Cincinnati, who recounted the story for the Guardian. Seelbach said he normally braces for neglect or abuse when staff ask him to examine an animal. Pumpkin had neither — she was dirty and carried fleas, but the pressing problem was her weight.
Weighing 25lb (11.3kg), the cat could hardly walk. Her legs had bowed under the load and she moved with a waddle. Seelbach described the examination as difficult, with Pumpkin’s breathing growing so laboured that she turned blue.
Speaking with the daughter of the cat’s late owner helped shelter staff establish that Pumpkin was roughly five years old and had probably put on weight after two litters and well-meaning overfeeding.
Seelbach, who already keeps three cats, said he could not foster every animal that caught his attention. Pumpkin, however, held his gaze with large, expressive eyes. She does not miaow, he said, communicating instead through what he called her alien-like stare. Lying on her back on the exam table and unable to raise her head, she locked eyes with him, he recalled, as though asking for help.
He and his husband took Pumpkin home to meet their other cats: Jerry, a black cat Seelbach describes as enormously loud; Doe, who is sweet and shy; and Dottie, a hunter who collects his socks overnight. The resident cats soon worked out that Pumpkin posed no threat, he said. She was too slow to bother them, unable to leap onto the counter to reach their food or climb the spiral staircase in the couple’s condo. She spends most of her time asleep on her cat bed while adapting to a new diet.
Videos Seelbach posted of Pumpkin drew far more attention than he anticipated. Rather than a handful of views, the clips have reached millions. He said strangers now stop him on the street to ask whether he is “Pumpkin’s dad”, while commenters declare they would “die for her” and describe themselves as healed by her videos.
Seelbach said helping others foster animals is always rewarding, but that he has now experienced it himself. The couple have formally adopted Pumpkin and plan to mark what they consider her sixth birthday with a party on Halloween.
Pumpkin’s coat has become glossier and she moves around the house more confidently, according to Seelbach. She has lost nearly 3lb since joining the household and can now climb onto the couch to lie with the other cats. He attributes her progress to a better diet and the positive energy of her online following, and says she has made the family’s lives richer.
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