We met Henry at a Best Friends adoption event in late 2005, when some people stopped by our booth and asked if we'd seen "the walrus." We hadn't, but we went looking. And there in the city shelter's tent lay a cat whose obesity blocked out the bottom of his cage. A cat whose green eyes were so sad, one would think he understood the children's taunts, the adults' laughter, the thoughtless name calling. "Chubby." "Lardo." "Jabba the Hutt." Ouch.

He was marked for euthanasia the following day. And the object of ridicule on this one.  

Yes, if Heaven on Earth's mission of taking in the unwanted... of caring for cats with special needs... spoke for anyone, it surely spoke for this grey tabby.

We took all 21 pounds of him back to our sanctuary and made an appointment with our veterinarian. And we called him Henry for the iconic portrait of Henry VIII--small head, large body. But a strong, kingly-sounding name.

Henry's previous owner undoubtedly contributed to his obesity, perhaps by overfeeding or giving him table scraps. And unfortunately, his weight placed him at the tip of a medical iceberg, at risk for everything from diabetes to joint problems to heart disease. After testing negative for hypothyroid, Henry was prescribed a costly prescription diet for weight control, which he eats exclusively--or at least as exclusively as is possible in a sanctuary environment.

Henry's no-longer-sad eyes and increasingly endearing habits (he loves lap time so much that he sucks his thumb) make him a sanctuary favorite and we remain hopeful that he'll some day find his forever home.

In the meantime, won't you consider sponsoring Henry? Help us erase his hurtful past and replace it with a healthy present.

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