Adèle on the scales: she weighs 9,130 kilos. — © Animal protection Mechelen
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At the Animal Protection of Mechelen, they are currently taking care of Adèle, a nine-kilo cat who is sickly overweight. “This is another form of animal abuse as we normally see it,” says manager Wendy Kerselaers.
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Overweight in animals is increasingly common. But when Adele came in, they didn’t know what they saw. “We have never seen this before. Our vets cannot believe their eyes, ”says Kerselaers. “Cats are usually slender, lithe animals, but Adèle looks more like a large sphere with a small head. In fact, she is so thick that she could no longer wash herself, so her fur also starts to clump together everywhere, ”says the manager.
It is a form of animal abuse that is also less likely to be noticed, according to the Mechelen Animal Protection. “A bone-thin animal is much more easily recognized as animal abuse. But an abnormally fat animal is actually also animal abuse, which can also be deadly. One is a lack of love, the other is actually too much love or love that is shown in the wrong way ”, Wendy Kerselaers explains.
After she receives thorough care of her coat from a groomer for cats, Adèle goes to a temporary foster home. That foster family will not only put Adèle on a strict diet, she will now have to work for her food. She will only get her dry food in food puzzles. Adèle will also have to exercise more. The reception family will therefore know what to do, ”says Kerselaers. (svh)
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