Shelter Meets Giant Surprise On Four Tiny Legs, Then Realizes She Can’t Even Fit On The Scale

Sometimes, when an animal comes to a shelter, the staff can be left in shock. This was definitely a case when Big Bertha, a cat whose name perfectly matched her current physique, showed up at the Jefferson County Humane Society.

The staff, who are used to seeing cats of all kinds, were truly surprised by Bertha’s appearance. For a cat with such a small body and cute short legs, she was, to put it mildly, enormous. 

She weighed an incredible 21 pounds! Poor Bertha was carrying extra weight that was clearly causing her many problems, and the caring team at the shelter quickly made it their goal to help this gentle giant become healthy again.

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 quickly placed Bertha on a specially created weight management plan, which was essential for her long-term health. 

Along with this, they provided wound care to treat any skin problems that might have developed due to her size, and they introduced a gentle exercise routine. 

To help her move without putting too much pressure on her small body, they used a sling. Bertha had a long road ahead, like a weight-loss marathon, but the entire shelter staff was there to cheer her on, ready to support her every step of the way.

Bertha’s owner faced a tough choice and decided to bring her to the shelter, realizing they could no longer give her the care she needed, especially with the extensive veterinary attention she 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.”

Shortly after Bertha arrived, she had dental surgery, which was a big step towards easing her pain and helping her feel better. 

Before the surgery and the weight loss, Bertha struggled to breathe and move around, which were tough challenges because of her size. 

She was understandably quiet and scared, likely feeling overwhelmed by her discomfort and the new shelter surroundings. 

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.”

A few weeks later, Bertha hit an important goal by weighing a much healthier 16 pounds, which means she lost five pounds in just over a month! 

Although she still had some weight to shed on her path to being her healthiest self, she was finally ready to concentrate on the rest of her weight loss journey in her new forever home.

And the great news is that Bertha was adopted not long after that! She is now in a caring home where her new owner is dedicated to helping her keep working towards a healthy weight while also giving her lots of love and attention for the rest of her life. 

We all wish, along with Brandi, that with the help of her new adopter, she will continue to succeed. We also hope she can discover happiness in things beyond just food, and that her past won’t affect her future joy.