Cat up for adoption has can’t-miss feature. ‘There’s big cheeks, and then there’s this’
A cat rescued from hoarding is up for adoption — and has a can’t-miss feature.
Photos shared online show the North Carolina feline’s “legendary” cheeks, which take up much of his face.
“If we hadn’t seen him with our own eyes, we might call Photoshop,” the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) of Wake County wrote Aug. 22 on Facebook. “But nope. This is Earl — in all his thick-faced glory.”
The Raleigh-area shelter said Earl needs a home after going through a rough patch. He was one of dozens of pets rescued from a hoarding situation in June.
“Their caretaker started out with the best intentions, but suffers from dementia, which has worsened severely in the past 8 months,” the shelter wrote in a past Facebook post. “This left her husband in the impossible position of trying to care for his declining wife, his own medical issues, and 48 animals packed into their home.”
The shelter said Earl should be the only cat in his new home. He also will need a patient new owner.
“Earl is a sweet, friendly cat who loves attention — especially because he probably did not get much before being rescued — so now he soaks up all the affection he can,” SPCA spokesperson Samantha Ranlet told McClatchy News in an email. “If he’s not getting enough, he will give a little raspy meow at you to let you know that he would like to be your center of attention!”
The senior cat’s desire for affection extends to his super-sized cheeks.
“Thankfully, he loves having his cheeks rubbed, because it’s hard to resist giving them a squish,” Ranlet wrote.
The shelter said some male cats have big cheeks before they’re neutered. The cheek size, caused by testosterone, is a way to attract female cats.
“Earl, though, took it to another level,” the SPCA wrote. “There’s big cheeks, and then there’s this. Earl is neutered now, of course, but his cheeks are here to stay. On the plus side, his owners won’t have to worry about him escaping through any small holes.”
As of Aug. 26, the roughly 13-year-old cat was still in need of a new owner. More details about the shelter’s adoption process can be found at spcawake.org.
“Underneath my crotchety exterior, I’ve actually got a heart of gold,” the SPCA said in an online adoption profile written from Earl’s perspective. “In fact, the only thing bigger than my heart is my huge cheeks!”
This story was originally published August 26, 2024 at 10:59 AM with the headline "Cat up for adoption has can’t-miss feature. ‘There’s big cheeks, and then there’s this’."
