A 44-pound cat needs a new home in New Jersey

[Earl]

Talk about New Jersey's fat cats. A 44-pound feline was found waddling around Saturday without a collar in Voorhees, and officials at the Camden County Animal Shelter hope she gets a nice — hopefully, diet-friendly — home.

"She's built like a quarterback," said Deborah Wright, a shelter volunteer and current foster owner of the kitty. "I mean, how do you lose a 44-pound cat?!"

Shelter officials are calling the porky cutie "Princess Chunk."

The largest tabby on record weighed 46 pounds, 15 ounces. That cat, who lived in Australia, died in the 1980s. The Guinness World Records has since dropped the category, fearing cat owners might harm their animals in an attempt to break the record.

Princess Chunk's owner has until Saturday to reclaim her. After that, the weighty pet will be eligible for adoption.

Wright plans to speak with a veterinarian to put Chunk on a diet. For now, Chunk's diet consists of dry and wet cat food.

"I'm about to put a leash on her and walk her," said Wright. "She could pass for a dog!"

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[Ck]

It would be difficult to imagine how a 44 pound cat could go missing but a large feline, weighing 20 kilos, was found strolling the streets of New Jersey without a collar.

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[Earl]

Fat, happy and no longer homeless.

That describes life for the 44-pound New Jersey cat who became an overnight sensation.

A vet has found "Prince Chunk" healthy aside from his weight. The big cat doesn't have a thyroid condition, after all.

The vet also has prescribed a high-protein, low-carb diet for the tubby tabby, who is within three pounds of the heaviest on record.

Some 400 people applied to adopt the 10-year-old cat who once was called "Powder." He was found lumbering around Voorhees after his owner lost her home to foreclosure.

New York's Daily News reports the Camden County Animal Shelter has selected a south Jersey family who already has two cats.

"Prince Chunk" is to move next week.

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