axel @axel.biggiesmalls 4/15 12:00 pm
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00:00 It was just so shocking to see.
00:02 I was like, "Oh my goodness, he's 43 pounds."
00:04 He's the size of four cats.
00:07 I'm Christine and this is Axel's story for GeoBeats.
00:10 His owner, from what we were told, went into the hospital.
00:13 So the family surrendered him to the shelter.
00:15 I'm assuming they were not going to come out of the hospital.
00:17 I am the director of a non-profit animal rescue called Ferdinand & Friends.
00:21 I'm a foster also with the rescue, so he came to be fostered at my house.
00:27 It took two people to carry him from one car to the other car.
00:31 The bottom of the crate was falling out because his weight was so heavy.
00:34 The first few days, it was just weird.
00:36 There's this giant cat and he would just crawl over.
00:39 He looks at you with those eyes where he's just like, "I just want to be with you forever."
00:43 Sweetest boy, no aggression.
00:45 Usually when they're terrified, they retreat or they hide.
00:48 He's just like, "Hello, I'm here. What are we going to do now?"
00:51 But then you go to heartbreak because his breathing is so labored.
00:55 His heart is just going over time.
00:57 You can see it beating through his body and you're like, "This cat is really struggling right now."
01:01 And then you're kind of moved from sadness to fear.
01:05 What's going to happen now?
01:06 It's like, okay, at that size, there's got to be some medical concern.
01:10 We're a non-profit. Our funding is not very big. It's donation-based.
01:13 It was a lot of like, medically, can we afford this?
01:17 What is he going to need?
01:19 What if he passes away on us because of his heart?
01:21 The first day we took him to the vet, we took him in a laundry basket
01:25 because we couldn't find something that we could carry him in.
01:27 Surprisingly, his blood work was really good.
01:30 He does have arthritis, which is expected at that weight and I mean, his age as well.
01:34 He's seven years old.
01:35 But other than that, he was healthy.
01:37 I mean, on the x-rays and the scans, because of how many layers of fat he had,
01:42 it's very difficult to make out his organs.
01:44 So from what they could make out in the shadows, he was healthy there as well,
01:47 other than his heart working overtime to carry the load that he had.
01:51 We were very relieved at the end of that appointment
01:53 that it's just a matter of arthritis and a diet for now for him.
01:56 Axel needed a larger litter box.
01:58 They don't make litter boxes this size.
02:00 So we actually went to a mechanic shop and bought an oil pan,
02:03 like a drip pan for oil, that he can easily get into and get out of.
02:07 His bed was the size of a dog bed.
02:12 Sorry I disturbed you.
02:14 Are you liking this?
02:16 It's so comfy, isn't it?
02:20 Even for scales, we went through three different types of scales
02:23 to be able to find a scale that holds his weight.
02:25 So we bought a human baby scale.
02:27 Don't be ashamed. It's okay.
02:29 He needs to be cleaned because he can't clean himself.
02:31 He needs baths because he can't clean his fur.
02:34 We just went on a journey together.
02:35 You don't need to be ashamed.
02:37 I was like, "Okay, this is a lot more than I realized."
02:39 But he deserves an opportunity.
02:41 I've never had a 43-pound cat.
02:42 Now he is 36 pounds.
02:44 Axel, get your paw off the pillow.
02:48 Generally, your cat shouldn't lose 7 pounds in two months.
02:50 It's quite dangerous.
02:51 But in his case, we did everything we could to his diet.
02:55 Where are we going here?
02:56 He is monitored by two veterinarians.
02:58 We even had him on appetite stimulants
03:00 to increase his appetite at one point,
03:02 which is a little bit shocking for a cat his size.
03:04 But it's a lot of stress going from home to a shelter to a rescue.
03:08 And his appetite just wasn't the greatest.
03:10 I think he's making a run for it, but he can't go very far.
03:13 He needs enough calories just to exist that four cats would eat.
03:17 Our first goal right now is to get to 25 within a year
03:20 and then revisit and see what his body needs going forward.
03:23 Can you take a break?
03:24 He's just squishy, like a sumo wrestler meets a stress ball.
03:28 A lot of people say his previous family neglected him.
03:31 He was clearly loved by them.
03:34 He has such a great personality, such a great temperament.
03:36 Maybe they loved him a little too much in terms of his diet,
03:39 but he has the best personality.
03:41 Eclipse is coming, Axel!
03:44 Close your eyes and look away!
03:47 He can jump on the sofa now.
03:49 He thinks about it, he takes his time,
03:51 and then he just launches himself up like a potato,
03:53 and he gets on the couch.
03:55 We do a lot of play sessions with him.
03:57 Everything we do is based on movement.
03:58 He's just happier.
04:00 He seems to want to explore everything.
04:02 He wants to see everything.
04:03 He's got places to be. Do you like her?
04:05 We actually just bought him a life jacket
04:07 because we do a lot of kayaking.
04:09 I think he would really enjoy it.
04:10 Oh, he's going to get a kick in the face.
04:13 As of last week, we officially adopted him.
04:15 He is not leaving our home.
04:17 He's a piece of furniture here and a part of our family.
04:19 Axel.
04:21 I have four children, but he's my fifth.
04:23 I tell my kids, "You got a little brother you didn't ask for?"
04:26 [music]