MECHANICSVILLE, Va. — Patches, the “viral” 40-pound Virginia cat that wound up at Richmond Animal Care and Control, is celebrating one other main milestone 5 months after transferring to Mechanicsville.
Kay Ford mentioned the 6-year-old white and grey Domestic Shorthair just lately began making journeys up the steps on his personal for the primary time.
“This is our new regular,” Ford posted Sunday. “He has been up and down and up and down. Unfortunately, he’s so stealthy that I’ve but to have the ability to seize his travels on video however that can occur immediately I really feel sure.”
The feline also can now lie comfortably on one stair tread, which is one thing he seems to be having fun with.
Ford clarified that Patches has been in a position to “simply go downstairs,” however that the feline had by no means tried to go upstairs.
“I consider for him that will be more durable… But actually, he surprises me at each flip! You by no means know. But for now he’s not going up solely taking place,” Ford wrote earlier this week.
The cat weighed in at 32.07-pounds final Wednesday. That is down roughly eight kilos from the 40.8-pounds he weighed when he was adopted. The animal was really 42 kilos when he was surrendered to the shelter, in accordance with Ford. So meaning Patches has misplaced a complete of 10 kilos over 5 months.
“After what was maybe the largest loss in a single week we have arrived at maybe the smallest loss in a single week,” Ford wrote in an update Wednesday a.m. “So it form of evens out. I’m unsure we have hit a plateau however we have undoubtedly hit a pause this week.”
Patches’ first weight-loss objective is to lose 20 kilos, which Ford acknowledged may take roughly a yr.
The common cat, in accordance with WebMD, is 10 kilos, relying on the breed.
Ford known as Patches “pure pleasure” and mentioned that she marvels at how he seems to be “increasingly similar to an everyday cat regardless that he’s nonetheless overweight.”
“He is so loving and accepting of individuals and different animals. It is an honor and a privilege to be the guardian of this particular cat,” Ford wrote.
MUST-SEE VIDEO: Watch the footage beneath to listen to Ford get Patches to meow!
Shelter staff described Patches as a “candy, huge boy, who has been neutered, examined and chipped.”
The Mechanicsville lady created a Facebook web page, Patches’ Journey, to doc his progress. That web page now has greater than 40,000 followers and 25,000 likes.
Richmond Animal Care and Control
Ford advised Bill Lohmann with the Richmond Times-Dispatch that when she noticed the shelter’s social media put up she knew Patches wanted assist.
“Sometimes you have to set aside thinking about the pros and cons of things and just jump into the deep end of the pool, and that’s exactly what I did. I just knew I wanted to do this,” she mentioned.
Ford posted on Facebook that she has been overwhelmed by the “help, kindness and encouragement” from of us who comply with Patches’ Journey.
“Please understand how a lot we get pleasure from bringing our world to you. The continuation of help, kindness and encouragement humble us and convey us such pleasure,” Ford wrote. “We are overwhelmed by the quantity of people that share with us each publicly on the web page and privately how a lot mild following Patches’ Journey brings to your lives. The web page continues to be a lot greater than a weight reduction journal.”
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