Big Cat!!

[Hestia]

I got this in my email, it's pretty amazing! :eek:

Read the story, then look at the picture attached! Wow.


Rodger Degagne, a former employee with AECL in Chalk River,
may be embarking on a new career as Feline Breeder. Relaxing in
his spacious home on the shores of the Ottawa River, Mr. Degagne
recalls how 15 years ago he befriended two stray young cats on
the old AECL research facility at Chalk River. The kittens had
appeared in late summer and apparently had gotten under a
security fence around the old labs abandoned since the late
50's.

With the help of his tuna sandwich, Mr. Degagne was able to
coax the kitties close enough so that he could pick them up. A self
described animal lover, he did not want to place thekittens in
the local Humane Society. In this largely rural area, cats of
all stripes and ages largely go unwanted and are humanely
disposed of after a few days.

Later that evening his wife Louise and their two children,
Nicole and Kelly came to a family decision to keep the kittens which
they named Lost and Found. Lost turned out to be female and
Found a male. When nature finally took it's course, a litter
of kittens was born 6 years later. One of the litter was a big
white female with a unique black markings on her side and tail.
Something about the kitten captured the hearts of the family
and while her siblings eventually found homes elsewhere, Snowball
stayed with the Degagne's.

While Lost and Found are no longer with us, their progeny
live on. In her 9 years Snowball's size has seemed to snowball.
Put simply, Snowball is no ordinary cat, she measures 69 inches
from nose to tail and weighs in at 87 Ibs.

She started out a big kitty and she just seemed to keep
growing. She always meowed for more food and would climb up on the
counter to eat food which I forgot to cover. Chicken is her favorite.

"Once I left a cooked chicken on the table that I was going to
use for a boat picnic, an hour later the chicken was gone",
Louise said. We knew that snowball wasn't your average cat when the
neighbor's German Shepherd ran yelping away from his first encounter
with
her. She just isn't afraid of any animals. After we found a
half eaten raccoon out by the garage, we decided that maybe
Snowball should be kept fenced in. We soon discovered that
while we can keep snowball in the yard, we couldn't keep raccoons
from Snowball. At least it kept the food bills down.
Rodger laughed "Like all female cats she is very
territorial, but with us she is just a big ole kitten" he said.

So what does an 87 pound cat eat? Snowball goes through a
about 3 lbs. of cat food a day, along with cooked chicken, supplemented
with deer and moose that Rodger hunts in the fall. She likes
Pike a lot, so I don't throw them back any more. Snowball
often accompanies Rodger fishing on the Ottawa, eagerly peering over
the side of the boat as soon as his line goes tight.

So what do the Degagne's attribute Snowball's size to?
Rodger says "Well, the vet thinks it could be her thyroid,
but she isn't fat, she's just a real big cat. I think maybe her
parents got into something at Chalk River that they shouldn't
have."

[Yvonne Belisle]

That is a big cat!!! Pretty too. He may be right the parents may have gotten into something they shouldn't have because it shouldn't have been there. Good thing that seems to be all it affected. I would like to know what the littermates look like.

[Earth Walker]

Does Rodger have an address? We would love to have a cat
like that. Oy vay!


For those who love, time is eternity....

[Mariposa De La Luna]

OH my Goddess!!! thats like the great dane of cats!!!! WOW I'm speechless!

[MammaStar]

Wow. What a big Kitty Cat! How'd you like that big guy to jump up on your lap and cuddle! :D

[loopy]

Wow! My biggest kitty is a mouse by comparison. :) Pretty kitty.

[Hestia]

Originally posted by Mystique
Does Rodger have an address? We would love to have a cat
like that. Oy vay!


For those who love, time is eternity....

Hi Mystique! The email was one of those that's probably been forwarded a hundred times so I have no idea where or when it started. My guess is probably from a local paper in Chalk River. :)

[dragondancer]

My question is whether or not the picture is real or if it has been graphically enhanced (ahhh the magic of computers) it seems to me if that cat was actually that large being held that way, his back would be boeing a little and not quite so straight.
Sorry to ruin everyone's fun, I've just been wondering about that since I first saw the picture ...

Thoughts, comments .......

[Hestia]

Actually, I first thought it might be a stuffed kitty because he looked so stiff. So who knows....

[Yvonne Belisle]

Who knows but it's definitely interesting.

[loopy]

It's possible it was doctored.... the edges are "buttonized" (can do it in Paint Shop Pro program) Certain things make it seem real though....the right front paw is bent a little, the left shoulder blade is pushed up a little where it seems the owner has his hand.

::shrug:: If it is fake it's a cute joke... :)

[Elaine]

I have to agree with dragondancer on this one....I find the picture very hard to believe .....if it was real it would definately be in Guiness....besides the fact of the size being so huge and it's back being so straight.....if I tried to hold my kitty like that she'd try to claw my eyes out!! I would think that would be a very uncomfortable position for any kitty and usually kitty's are very quick to let you know how they feel about things....he is looking straight ahead....and doesn't seem to be trying to move at all....how can you hold any animal of that size like that.....my dog is smaller than the size of that kitty and I don't think we could ever hold him that way!!! and it looks like he's comfortable holding kitty that way....the only thing that is realistic to me is that shoulder blade....it'd be kinda hard to make it look like that if it was stuffed!! I don't know....I would need more proof than a picture to believe this one.....sorry everyone...:D

[Elaine]

I keep studying it trying to make sense of it....looking at it, it looks like a dogs body with the kitty head and legs morphed into place....I printed it out to show my husband when I see him in the morning....for some reason I can't stop thinking about this picture!! it's so odd!!!

[moonmagick4]

I am speechless!!!!!!!!

[loopy]

I don't see a back right leg--does anyone else? Perhaps the kitty is pushing against the owner with that leg and we can't see from our angle? With the left shoulder blade pushing up, perhaps the camera caught the head still as the kitty was trying to scramble out of its owner's arms? Or maybe it's a very docile kitty?

I don't know why I want to believe that this cat is real, lol. Definitely could be a doggie body.

[Dria El]

I WANT ONE!!! Real or not, I want one!

Dria El

[Hestia]

What's the verdict on the big kitty? I just did a search on Chalk River and came up with some interesting articles on that place. Maybe kitty did get into the water, or maybe someone thought of it as a prank because of what's in the water....

http://www.ccnr.org/paulson_legacy.html

[Armitage]

My mom sent this to me last week, and I must've spent a good half hour staring at it, wondering if it were real.
Someone should email him to find out if it's a hoax, and, if not, get him to scan a paw with a quarter beside it to prove it. ^_^

[gunner]

sorry, but as near as i can find out it's a hoax, i saw the whole story and an analysis of the photo in "about.com's" "urban legends" forum. it makes a good story but chalk river is still operational not "abandoned" and "radiation induced mutation" of the level to produce a cat of that size would more likely be lethal, as would chemical contamination. but it's fun anyway, though i'd not want to feed a cat that size. "diva" has a healthy enough appetite.
"gunner"

[bluecat]

That pic has been floating around the net for years. If that cat was actually that big it would take more than ONE person to pick it up. :eek:

Sorry folks, it's cool but not the real deal.

Blue

[eaglewolf]

Originally posted by bluecat

Sorry folks, it's cool but not the real deal.

Blue

I have to agree...

There are far too many pixel discrepencies when enlarged, in addition to physical impossibilities.

This is the only picture of this cat I have seen... very unusual for something so incredible (how many pictures would you take of this cat if it were yours?). Plus, there is no television footage available, also highly unusual in this case.

I second... or third... or fourth... or .... neat pic, but fake.

~ew

[Celtic_Angel]

Originally posted by Dria El

I WANT ONE!!! Real or not, I want one!

Dria El



Even though the cat's not real, I have to agree with Dria El. I want one!!! There is a breed of cats that does get huge though. They're called Maine Coons. I'm not sure how big they get, not that big for certain, but small opposums, skunks, and racoons have been known to be caught by them. Anyways, cute pic!

[eaglewolf]

http://www.breedlist.com/maine-coon-breeders.html

One of my favorite breeds...

...and favorite sites for feline information.

~ew

[gunner]

as i remember it, subject to anyones better information, maine coon cats run about the size of a small bobcat and the speculation is that they are a cross between bobcats and feral "housecats" "felis domesticus" any other opinions feel free to speak up.
"gunner"

[eaglewolf]

For those of you who may miss this link...

http://www.fanciers.com/breed-faqs/maine-coon-faq.html

Great faq on Maine Coon kitties...

...other faq's can be found at this site as well.

~ew

[bluecat]

Well, my fav is still the Russian Blue. The males can get quite large and the ones I have had were very agressive. My last male got his ticket punched after attacking the wrong large dog. :(

Blue

[gunner]

sorry to hear your "russian blue" bought it bluecat, but i'll bet that mutt paid the price before it was done.
"gunner"

[bluecat]

Originally posted by gunner
sorry to hear your "russian blue" bought it bluecat, but i'll bet that mutt paid the price before it was done.
"gunner"

It was a glorious battle and he represented himself quite well. It was a good day to die. The dog lost most of his nose and one eye, not to mention the B.C.'s favorite target ;) ...

Let's just say there will be no more puppies. The owner complained and I told him too bad, his dog was a violation of the complex covenant. The owner was evicted and taken to court after the managers saw the inside of his condo. The dog had trashed it.

BC (the cat's name) did good.

Blue

[gunner]

"your status in hell is determined by the size of the honor guard you take with you".

[cydira]

Sorry to hear about BC, Blue. Well, sounds like you're cat was as fiesty as mine is. I have a feeling however that a cyote will be sending my tabby off to the other world, not a mutt. But I'm not sure. That cat had a big chunk of her neck torn out once and she came back just as cranky and strange as ever.

I love her, but I really think that Sandy (my crazy, marginally domesticated barn cat) is insane. It's not healthy to attack things 3 to 4 times your size. I think she makes up for size with attitude though. :D Most cats do that, they've got moxy to spare. ;)

Hey, Gunner can I use that quote? I really like it. :D

[gunner]

"the size of your honor guard..."
no problem, it's not "mine", it's a very old saying in the warrior's trade.

[mol]

Originally posted by bluecat
That pic has been floating around the net for years. If that cat was actually that big it would take more than ONE person to pick it up. :eek:

Sorry folks, it's cool but not the real deal.

Blue

HEY! I curl 180 lbs. I can pick up a 90 lb cat!

:p

[bluecat]

Originally posted by mol


HEY! I curl 180 lbs. I can pick up a 90 lb cat!

:p

Not the way he was holding it, besides, look at the position of the cat's feet. ;)

Blue

[mol]

LOL!

Pagans are so hard to convince! I love it. Hehe.

:p

[bluecat]

Originally posted by mol
LOL!

Pagans are so hard to convince! I love it. Hehe.

:p

;)

[cydira]

but can you drink the ocean dry too??? :D

. o O (hmm... how many will recognize that one??)

:D

. o O (woohoo!! I've got something cool to use in a sig file... finally.)8O