Giant Cat Arrives At Ohio Shelter And Staff Quickly Realize She Needs Urgent Help

Every now and then, a shelter takes in an animal that leaves the staff completely stunned. 

That was exactly the case when Big Bertha arrived at the Jefferson County Humane Society, her name suiting her size all too well.

The team, who had seen countless cats over the years, couldn’t help but be taken aback by her appearance. 

With her petite frame and short little legs, her size was striking – Bertha tipped the scales at an astonishing 21 pounds. 

The extra weight was clearly making life difficult for her, so the compassionate staff set out with one mission in mind: to help this sweet, oversized girl get back on the path to good health.

Brandi DeNoon-Damewood, the development manager at the Jefferson County Humane Society, shared about her first meeting with Bertha in an interview:

“When she first arrived, we had to use our dog scale to weigh her because she was too large for the kitty scale. I have been working with shelter animals for over 10 years, and she is, by far, the most overweight kitty I have encountered. Don’t get me wrong, we have had obese kitties come into the shelter before AND some even weighed more than Bertha – but the difference is that NONE of them were as tiny as her. Bertha has a very dainty frame that simply can’t support the weight.”

The veterinary team wasted no time in creating a tailored weight management plan to support Bertha’s long-term health. 

In addition, they treated her for skin issues that had developed as a result of her size and slowly introduced her to a light exercise routine to help her body adjust and strengthen.

To make it easier for Bertha to move around without straining her tiny frame, the team used a supportive sling. 

Her journey was going to be more of a marathon than a sprint, but the shelter staff stood firmly behind her, cheering her on and giving her the encouragement she needed along the way.

Her former owner had faced a heartbreaking decision, ultimately surrendering Bertha to the shelter after realizing they could no longer provide the level of care and veterinary support her condition required.

While the shelter staff may not know the complete story of how Bertha became so large, they have a good understanding of what might have caused her weight gain. Brandi mentioned:

“Her mouth was full of infected, loose, broken teeth. Most kitties with teeth this bad are very thin from lack of appetite and pain with chewing. However, Bertha only ate soft/canned food that she could easily slurp down, and as her pain increased, she ate more and more – just like humans, kitties can become addicted to the happy feeling we get with a full belly. It is believed that she was a street kitty prior to her owner, which also helps shed a little light onto her food guarding and overeating. She may have gone days without any food whatsoever, and those days are forever carried with her throughout the rest of her life.”

Not long after her arrival, Bertha underwent dental surgery, a much-needed procedure that brought her relief and helped improve her overall comfort. 

Before the surgery and the start of her weight-loss plan, she had difficulty breathing and even simple movement was a challenge due to her size. 

It was no surprise that she remained quiet and timid during those early days, likely overwhelmed by both her pain and the unfamiliar shelter environment.

But as she started to lose weight, something amazing happened. Her fears began to fade, and her bright, unique personality started to show. As Brandi added:

“She LOVES to ‘talk,’ and when she wants attention, she will call out for you to come over to her – I’m guessing this was a learned habit since she wasn’t very mobile.”

Just a few weeks later, Bertha reached an incredible milestone – she weighed in at a much healthier 16 pounds, meaning she had shed five pounds in just over a month. 

While she still had a bit more to lose before reaching her ideal weight, she was finally strong enough to continue the journey in a forever home of her own.

The best part of her story came soon after: Bertha was adopted! She is now living with a loving owner who is committed to supporting her ongoing weight loss while showering her with affection and care for the rest of her days. 

Everyone at the shelter, including Brandi, hopes that with her adopter’s dedication, Bertha will continue to thrive, finding joy not just in food but in the happy, healthy life that now lies ahead of her.