The cat was too fat.
A Santa Cruz animal shelter officer was dispatched Monday to rescue a cat wedged between two fence posts. The cat, Midnight, was too fat to squeeze through the opening in the fence -- "her ample hips" needed massaging and squeezing before she could be freed, according to the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter.
The cat weighed in at a local shelter at 14.4 pounds. Average cat weight is between 8 and 10 pounds.
The cat's owners were identified via the microchip in the animal, but in the meantime, officials with the Animal Shelter are advising all cat owners to be cognizant of their animals' health.
Obese cats not only risk getting stuck in fences or other tight spots, but they have a greater chance of suffering from diabetes, arthritis, shortness of breath, heart disease and shortened life spans, the shelter said.
Owners of cats should always make sure not to allow their animals to eat too much, and they should always be provided high quality food to ensure the animals maintain a healthy weight.
The Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter offers low cost microchipping for $25 per pet for residents of Santa Cruz County. The Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter has two locations, one at 2200 7th Avenue in Santa Cruz and one at 580 Airport Boulevard in Watsonville. The phone number is 454-7303 and website is www.scanimalshelter.org.
