Princess Chunk or Prince Chunk

Courier-Post photo by Al Schell via Associated Press

I've watched, like much of the country, the unraveling story of Princess Chunk or Prince Chunk this past week.

There’s more than one thing about this story that disturbs me. First of all, I wonder if people are questioning whether veterinarians are really as bright as they are reported to be. In defense of the vets who examined him, it can be difficult to determine the sex of a cat by looking at its’ rear end if there are no testicles. Then, to locate the area of the penis amongst all those fat folds could be trying. Extruding the penis can be a challenge in any size male cat. Also, male cats sometimes have to undergo surgical removal of their penis due to recurrent urinary obstructions. At least, it appears that we finally know the true sex of the cat and can refer to him appropriately as Prince Chunk, although we now know he was named Powder by the owner that abandoned him.

I’m more concerned about all the talk of checking Prince Chunk for hypothyroidism and diabetes to find out if there is an underlying medical reason for his obesity. This has been misleading to the world of cat owners. I could see how someone reading the news articles could easily think they were looking for diabetes as a cause of obesity. That's not how it goes. Obesity in cats makes them more at risk for acquiring diabetes, not the other way around.

Also, the reporting of the search for hypothyroidism has been a bit misleading. Naturally-occurring hypothyroidism is rare to non-existent in cats. Hyperthyroidism is common, not hypothyroidism.

This isn’t the only time I’ve seen confusion about thyroid disease in cats. Unfortunately, there's even an article on a prominent website written by their "pet editor" that talks on and on about "hypothyroidism" when the whole article is actually about the symptoms and treatment for hyperthyroidism.

Is it impossible for Prince Chunk to be hypothyroid? Nothing is impossible. However, it certainly isn’t anywhere near the top of the list of reasons for the Prince’s obesity. In fact, it would be last on my list if it even made it at all. Obesity in cats is caused either by overeating, not enough exercise, congenital low metabolic rate or any combination of those factors.

Many clients come in with overweight cats and say "but I only feed him 1/2 cup a day". That may be true, but that particular cat, if he's obese and is eating one/half cup daily may only need one/quarter cup or one/third cup. Maybe their cat was born with slow metabolism or maybe the cat never moves except to eat and use the litter box.

I hope the cat lover world doesn’t start a mob-like invasion of veterinary offices to see if their overweight cat is hypothyroid. It might be good for business, but who wants to make money off of a media-perpetuated myth?

Another thing that disturbs me about the Princess Chunk story is how so much attention was given to this cat, obviously because of his obesity. Just about everyone is willing to adopt him. He’s SO cute because he’s SO fat and he was lost. Why don't we make the same fuss over the starving, thin cats found on the street? Why doesn’t the media post pictures of them daily and make such a fuss?

It reminds me of all the attention a "celebrity" gets when they have an accident or illness or die or have a baby or do pretty much anything. What about all the wonderful people of our world that do those things every day? Against big odds. I wish we did more celebrating of the ordinary person and more caring for the needy just as I wish we could get more publicity and caring for starving, needy cats.

I’m also concerned about the publicity encouraging other cat owners to overfeed their cats in the hopes of creating another “celebrity”. Impressively, the Guinness Book of World Records discontinued their award for the fattest cat in order to squelch just that kind of action.

And last, but certainly not least, is how appalling the behavior of Powder’s owner was. I’m sorry anyone goes through foreclosure on their house. I know plenty of people that have. I’m sorry anytime an owner can’t keep their cat. It happens too often. But to just abandon him? That’s outrageous.

Not only would it be outrageous for that to happen to any cat, but Prince Chunk in particular had so many things against him when left outdoors to fend for himself. His size would make it almost impossible for him to escape injury from other animals. Likewise, if he were in the middle of a street with a car coming, I doubt he runs very fast. Also, overweight cats that suddenly don’t get enough food are very at risk for hepatic lipidosis, aka “fatty liver”. Detected early and treated aggressively, cats can still die from this disease. If Prince Chunk wasn’t found quickly, he could have easily died of it.

The story of Princess Chunk, first named Powder, and now called Prince Chunk is a sad story with a happy ending. There’s so many others that are not as fortunate. I hope for the day when they will get as much attention as the Prince has received.

Shelby Neely, VMD
www.AskTheCatDoctor.com

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