The late spongebob with his adopted parents.

“Goodbye Sweet Boy.”

Matt and Courtney Farrell announced on spongebobthecat.com that Sponge Bob, their recently adopted 33-turned-26 pound tabby, had to be put down this week.

He had fits of breathing trouble, the newlywed couple wrote, so they took him to an emergency veterinarian, who found a growing mass in the nine-year-old cat’s chest that pushed his heart to the wrong side and put pressure on his lungs. According to the blog, removing the mass would have required a biopsy, which likely would have killed him because of his weight.

“After asking lots of questions and weighing all of our options, we made the difficult yet informed decision to put him down,” the couple wrote. “Surgery was a very risky option for him, and we didn’t want to put him through the stress of that with such great chances that it would not work and he would be in a worse condition, or that he would die in surgery and we wouldn’t be there.”

Sponge Bob joined the Farrells in their Upper East Side home in June. He had been up for adoption at Soho’s Animal Haven, where he was delivered after his original owner went into hospice. Sponge Bob’s extraordinary size — that of a three year old child, or around three times that of the average cat — won him widespread media attention. At his heaviest, he was speculated to be the world’s largest living cat.

The Farrells were eager to help Sponge Bob trim down, but also careful to make sure he did so in the healthiest way possible. “Obese cats that lose weight at too rapid a pace are at risk for Fatty Liver Disease, which requires serious treatment and can be fatal,” they wrote on the blog after consulting with vets and Animal Havenc’s director, Kendra Miller. They planned to take one or two pounds of Sponge Bob per month.

“Sponge Bob is doing fantastic in his new home and we couldn’t have found a better family for him,” Miller told New York Press last week. “He continues to lose weight and his parents keep a very close eye on his health. He brings them so much happiness and I am sure Sponge Bob feels the same way about them.”

The growth in Sponge Bob’s chest was sudden and, according to the blog, not directly related to his weight.

“This has been one of the hardest things I have ever experienced, and certainly the most difficult thing Matt and I have had to endure as a couple,” wrote Courtney on the blog. “We loved this cat so tremendously and had so many plans for him as part of our family. We hadn’t had him for long, but we had already dreamed about him being around in the future.”

Matt put together a slideshow tribute to Sponge Bob on the site. “Until we meet again,” it concludes, “breathe easy little buddy, breathe easy.”

– by Paul Bisceglio

Spongebob in fatter times.

By Paul Bisceglio

New York’s favorite corpulent kitty has shed more than fur this summer. Spongebob, the nine year old tabby whose physique puts Garfield to shame, has lost some pounds since he was adopted from Animal Haven in June by Upper East Side newlyweds Courtney and Matthew Farrell.

The blog maintained by the couple on their portly new family member reports that Spongebob dropped four pounds in his first two weeks at home, down to 26 pounds from 30. His obesity — the result of overfeeding by his previous owner — puts him at risk of diabetes and arthritis, so Animal Haven and the Farrells created a diet and exercise routine to get him closer the feline average of 12 to 15 pounds.

Too much weight loss too soon can be bad for cats, however, so the Farrells note that Spongebob’s impressive progress is a cause for celebration as well as caution:

“Obese cats that lose weight at too rapid a pace are at risk for Fatty Liver Disease, which requires serious treatment and can be fatal,” they say on the blog. “When trying to help a cat lose weight, it’s important to monitor their weight and exercise levels regularly and look for any signs of discomfort, stress or illness.”

The couple had intended to help Spongebob drop only one to two pounds per month, but recognize that the stress of his sudden celebrity probably jolted things forward. To get him back on track, they have shelved the diet cat food and count play and general movement around their apartment as exercise.

Spongebob was a whopping 33 pounds when he arrived at Animal Shelter earlier in the year. Kendra Mara, the shelter’s Associate Director, has kept tabs on the tubby tabby’s progress, and is confident that he found the right home.

“Sponge Bob is doing fantastic in his new home and we couldn’t have found a better family for him,” she told New York Press. “He continues to lose weight and his parents keep a very close eye on his health. He brings them so much happiness and I am sure Sponge Bob feels the same way about them.”

Actress Edie Falco with Sponge Bob

By Paul Bisceglio

New York’s tubbiest tabby has a new home.

Sponge Bob, the 30 lb. feline media sensation, made his debut with his new owners last week on the purple carpet at Animal Haven’s second annual Performance for the Animals benefit concert and auction at City Winery in Tribeca.

Two months ago, Sponge Bob’s previous owner went into hospice and left the nine-year-old cat with Animal Haven, a non-profit cat and dog shelter on Centre Street in Soho. The shelter started a blog about Sponge Bob to aid his adoption that won him instant fame last week, including press coverage in the UK and an appearance on the Today Show. He is likely the world’s largest living cat.

Sponge Bob now belongs to Courtney and Matthew Farrell, a young newlywed couple living on the Upper East Side. They hoisted Sponge Bob up for the cameras on the red carpet – no easy task, for sure – and shared hugs and kisses with the cat and each other while expressing their enthusiasm for the new member of the family

Mrs. Farrell said that she and her husband started to play with the idea of getting a cat once they were married, but did not want to bother with a kitten or anything too out of control. When she first read about Sponge Bob, she sent Mr. Farrell a picture as a joke. A few conversations later, they knew they had found the perfect match. They were amazed that he had not yet been adopted.

“We’re gonna whip him into shape,” promised Mr. Farrell when asked about the cat’s health. He and his wife both exercise regularly and believe in promoting healthy lifestyles.

“He’s already on a no carb diet,” Mr. Farrell added with a smile. “Catkins.”

Courtney and Matthew Farrell, the proud new parents of Spongebob the cat, pose on the purple carpet.

Kendra Mara, Animal Haven’s Associate Director, said that blood work done on Sponge Bob showed that he has no current health complications beyond obesity. Dangers of diabetes and arthritis persist, though, so it is essential for Sponge Bob to maintain a healthy weight loss routine, with the target of shedding about one pound per month.

Ms. Mara noted that Animal Haven had been careful not to over-sensationalize Sponge Bob’s Garfield-esque physique, and believes that his sudden fame has helped raise much-needed awareness of feline and pet obesity, a serious issue in the city.

The Farrells enjoyed their moment in the spot light, but packed Sponge Bob into his baby stroller and hit the road before the evening’s concert and auction began.

“He’s been through a lot,” they agreed while scratching his portly chin. “We just want to get him home.”

Follow Sponge Bob’s progress on his blog, spongebobthecat.com, and learn more about Animal Haven, its mission and pet ownership in the city at animalhavenshelter.org.

Proper dental hygene is important for your pet's s health

Why do two-thirds of well-meaning pet owners often ignore their veterinarian’s recommendations for proper dental care? I suppose we all hate going to the dentist, so maybe there is a bit of anthropomorphizing going on. But the fact is the American Veterinary Dental Society reports that 80 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats show signs of oral disease by age 3. That’s nothing to smile about.

Fido’s and Fifi’s funky breath can be an early sign that something is afoul; halitosis is often a consequence of periodontal disease. Just as in humans, bacteria in the mouth helps form plaque. Left to accumulate, tartar forms and plaque and tartar can infect the gums and cause gingivitis. The gums appear red and swollen and can bleed easily. Once plaque takes hold below the gum line, the structure of the tooth can be affected. Infection can form around the root and spread into the surrounding bone. This can result in tooth and bone loss.

Sound painful? It is. However, dogs and cats often suffer silently and will continue to eat despite considerable discomfort. Pain isn’t the only issue. Bacteria that overcolonize in the mouth can enter the blood stream through the diseased and bleeding gum tissue. The bacteria are then free to lodge in the heart, liver and kidneys, resulting in damage to those organs and serious health problems. Signs of oral disease can include bad breath, red gums, drooling, difficulty chewing, food bowl avoidance, dropping of food and facial swelling.

In the wild, the canine and feline species rip and tear apart their prey, which actually helps keep their teeth and gums healthy. Domestication and manufactured diets have removed nature’s built-in dental care. Therefore, your pet needs human intervention to ensure proper oral health. Regular dental checkups should be part of your pet’s annual maintenance program. Routine dental cleanings may be suggested by your veterinarian as a prophylactic measure, or your pet may be in serious need of a deep cleaning that may include tooth extractions.

Owner reluctance often stems from the fact that animals need to be put under anesthesia in order to perform the dentistry properly and safely. When I think about it, I wish I had that option! I would probably visit the dentist more often.

As we all know, tooth cleaning is not a pleasant experience. If the gums are inflamed, it can be downright uncomfortable. Fortunately for our pets, they are happily asleep during the procedure. This allows for all sides of the tooth to be cleaned properly with the use of an ultrasonic scaler, as well as deep cleaning below the gum line. In addition, the teeth can be polished adequately and a thorough assessment of the oral cavity performed.

Your veterinarian can take many steps to ensure that the anesthetic procedure is as safe as possible. A pre-anesthetic exam and blood work can help assess risk and allow for the proper choice of anesthetic agents tailored to the individual pet’s health status. Intra-operative patient monitoring and fluid administration enhance the safety and pain medications are often prescribe to make the recovery and post-dental period more comfortable.

Dental care should begin at a young age. Home care is an important part of overall dental health. Daily brushing should be incorporated into your routine. There are many videos on YouTube on how to get your pet acclimated to brushing. Your veterinarian may also recommend a dental diet specially formulated to help remove plaque, if your pet is prone to periodontal disease. There are chew toys on the market that also help massage the gums and remove plaque.

Nothing beats in-home monitoring. Flip up a lip and take a peek inside your pet’s mouth. If you see something, say something! Don’t brush aside your pet’s oral health.

If you want to give your pet a dental health checkup, the animal hospitals at Bideawee have a variety of dental health care packages for dogs and cats.

Robin Brennen is chief of veterinary services & VP of operations at Bideawee.