'Big Boy' 35-Pound Cat Named Bazooka Finds New Home After Arriving at Animal Shelter

A lovable 35-pound cat named Bazooka has found a new forever home after he moved into an animal shelter earlier this week.

On Tuesday, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Wake County, North Carolina, introduced Bazooka on their social media channels, explaining that the “big boy” had arrived at the shelter that day for “his weight loss journey.”

“That’s one big boy! (35lbs big!),” the SPCA of Wake County’s Instagram caption reads, alongside the hashtag “bodypawsitive”. “Bazooka arrived at the SPCA today where he‘ll receive some much needed medical care. Let’s all send our well wishes to Bazooka as he begins his weight loss journey!”

On Facebook, the shelter added that Bazooka would soon be moving in with “a trained foster family.”

The SPCA of Wake County also posted a humorous video of Bazooka being carried down a hallway at the shelter by two staffers.

SPCA of Wake County communications director Darci VanderSlik told local outlet The News & Observer that Bazooka was originally taken in by a rescue group after his previous owner died. According to the outlet, Bazooka’s owner had dementia, and the shelter believes that the owner kept refilling the cat’s food dish after forgetting he had already been fed.

“He thought he was doing the best thing for his cat by feeding him,” VanderSlik told the newspaper. “We need to look on this with a compassionate view. He was loved.”

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Bazooka is now living with a foster mother named Michelle Barry and has been put on a new special diet. He moved in with his foster family on Tuesday, and Barry told the News & Observer that he has already become playful and comfortable.

“He wants to be around people,” Barry said. “He’s happiest lying right next to you. And he’s more active than I expected him to be.”

Bazooka | SPCA of Wake County
Bazooka | SPCA of Wake County
Bazooka | SPCA of Wake County
Bazooka | SPCA of Wake County

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Bazooka already has a forever home lined up after his time with the foster family, and is scheduled to move in on Monday, according to WABC.

“We don’t know a lot of the back stories of the animals we get, but we try not to judge people or make people feel bad about the circumstances that led to their surrender,” VanderSlik told the News & Observer. “We’re really lucky to have the resources to take him in and help him get a home he deserves.”