Is That A Cat Or A Seal?

Buddy does his best seal impression! Nearby, our local SPCA deals with a horrific hoarding case.

I snapped the photo below when Buddy heard the upstairs neighbors making noise. Little dude looks like a seal! (The animal, not the singer. Bud’s singing voice is terrible!) All he needs are some flippers:

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The acne spot I wrote about earlier is healed, but as you can see there’s still a tiny spot on his chin where his fur hasn’t completely grown back yet. Thankfully it’s no longer causing him any discomfort, and he’s back to asking for chin scratches while purring happily.

Of course he won’t be happy if I share an unflattering photo without a flattering one, so here he is looking cute:

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Note the huge meowscles and ripped physique!

In some sad news, there’s an ongoing hoarding case in White Plains, NY, just a few miles from Casa de Buddy.

Police responded to an apartment building in the city after neighbors began complaining of “horrific” smells coming from the unit and discovered an older woman living with at least 40 cats in appalling conditions.

The cats, who are all suffering from ailments including respiratory and eye infections, were everywhere — including inside furniture and atop the kitchen cabinets where a few of them were able to get away from the feces-packed floor.

White Plains cat hoarding case
Cats crowd the limited space above the kitchen cabinets to escape the feces-encrusted floor of the apartment. Credit: Westchester SPCA

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Staff from the SPCA of Westchester County have had to wear hazmat suits to operate inside the apartment. They’re in the process of removing the cats and have set up food and water stations for those they haven’t trapped yet while they try to clean some of the fecal matter and garbage, but they say the number of cats could rise as they find more hiding in the apartment. One cat was pregnant and gave birth to a single kitten on the feces-caked floor. The kitten was quickly removed and is under the close care of veterinary staff but is sickly and “clinging to life,” the SPCA said.

Incredibly, authorities have not charged the human occupant of the apartment. They say she meant well at first but the situation quickly spiraled out of control, as it often does when people who aren’t equipped to care for multiple cats take it upon themselves to “rescue” strays. No one sets out to become a hoarder. It usually happens when initial good intentions become unmoored from reality, but I do wonder how people who find these situations slipping from their control aren’t horrified by the suffering of the animals. Mental illness has to play a part.

Regardless, the situation is dire for the cats and the SPCA anticipates many thousands of dollars in veterinary costs on top of supplies and man hours involved in trapping the cats, getting them veterinary care, cleaning them up and working with them to help them overcome the trauma of their experience so they can become ready for adoption.

The SPCA of Westchester County was Buddy’s first veterinary office where he got his first shots and the snip as a kitten. They were very kind and gentle with the little guy, and at the time I’d just been laid off from my job so it really helped to have a place that provided quality veterinary care for significantly less than private vets. They do good work, and we wish them luck as they deal with a difficult task.

14 thoughts on “Is That A Cat Or A Seal?”

  1. buddy is so handsome you have greatly contributed to his fine condition. I’m sure the senior lady meant well my 2 kitties are part of my happiness as well as my kitty sitting business. I look forward to your anecdotes ❤️🐾❤️

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    1. Buddy rules the house with an iron paw so I merely accede to his many demands.

      Thanks for your kind words about his anecdotes. You’re right, our little friends make life much better.

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  2. Awww. Nice photos. Seal and the Buddy.And all too familiar with hoarders. Detest them. And no. She did not mean well. Feral cats in hoarding situations WILL BE KILLED. That is the reality of hoarding situations. I should know. Rescue group i volunteered with took friendlies from hoarder about 10 blocks from me. Ferals were fixed and they stayed outside of home where they were confined in house. I fed last 8 for 3 years or so. Ferals were not caught and killed ONLY because of private rescue group. I could give you horror stories where ALL CATS WERE KILLED IN HOARDING SITUATIONS.

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  3. Here is another reality of quote” terrified cats” in hoarding situations. And thank God for this foster person where i catsit free of charge for rescue groups fosters. She told me this am she had to bring cats for vet checkup. Her hands were shredded because they did not want to be picked up. Cosmo and Luna have been fostered for little over a year. Socializing cats from hoarding situations could take months if not years. Cosmo and Luna have known me for ever since they got there. I can touch Luna for quite a bit. Cosmo? I can pat him on the head but i can see him try to raise his paw wanting to strike me.People do not want to adopt cats that hide so it will take a very patient person to adopt these two cats.

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  4. I am glad the kitties are being rescued. But even happier to see funny little Buddy, oops, I meant meowscular Buddy shape shifting himself into a seal! That’s quite a talent he has. Love the photo of LB with his ripped physique. Really a handsome guy ❤😊😺 

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    1. The Budster’s been working out lol.

      More Buddy coming soon! I was able to film another clear clip of him “praying,” which is when he clasps his front paws together and fervently gestures as if in prayer or begging for something.

      I’m going to post the clip along with some input from cat experts about what the gesture might mean. It’s very rare. There are only a handful of similar clips online.

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  5. So glad that the cats were rescued, its an odd coincidence that I made donation to Shannon at westchester after reading another story where they rescued a huge number of cats. Yes I agree they are really really great people. His Budiness looks ripped and meowscular !!

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    1. Yes, I remember that! And thank you for donating to them. I can’t remember exactly what the situation was, but I do remember writing about it at the time and that you donated.

      More Buddy coming soon! It’s another short video, this time showing him doing his “praying” thing which is very difficult to capture because It’s so random. I was able to get a short clip once before, and i got my phone out and recording in time to capture another clip this week.

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      1. It was this story in may 2023

        When police went to a Yorktown, NY, home for a welfare check this week, the last thing they expected was to find an army of cats.

        The responding officers breached the home when no one answered, finding an elderly couple deceased inside, along with some 150 hungry, neglected cats.

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