Phat Cat

Our government in action, ladies and gettlemen... Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue (center) lets Sam the 45lb feline take a cat nap on his desk.

I caught this story on the local news today. I guess it was a slow news day.

Fat Cat Meets Governor
POSTED: 11:42 am EDT May 11, 2006
ATLANTA -- Governor Sonny Perdue is perhaps risking his political image by allowing himself to be identified with a fat cat. At 45 pounds, Sam, the Smyrna house cat is reputed to be the fattest cat in the U.S. On Wednesday, Sam visited the state capitol for a photo op with veterinarian Governor Perdue. The bemused governor asked “Who does this cat own?” That would be realtor Paul Webster and his wife Susan. The Smyrna Moose Lodge Riders were also there to meet the governor, but Sam clearly was the main attraction.There was some confusion over Sam’s gender. A flustered Susan Webster told Governor Perdue that Sam is a female. He’s a male.“She was nervous meeting the governor,” explained Paul Webster.On the other hand, Sam stayed calm and smug during the meeting. “Sam got to meet a lot of people today, so yeah he's getting pretty puffed up,” said Paul Webster. Sam’s owners insist all he eats is one cup of dry cat food each day, but he still tips the scales at 45 pounds. “I think his ego is making him bigger,” added Webster.
Copyright 2006 by WSBTV.com


Oh, dear Lord.. someone has turned our governor into a gigantic cat!!!! Now that I mention it, Sam does have a strange resemblance to Sonny Perdue...

Wow! I thought my cat Fred was portly. He comes in at only a wimpy 17 lbs.- I guess he has a long way to go! I also don't know if I believe the owner's claim that Sam only eats one small cup of food a day. The news story added that it is really impossible to know if Sam is actually the fattest feline on the planet. The Guinness Book of World Records no longer keeps records for "fattest pets-" saying that it could encourage overfeeding-abuse just to get in the book.