Claims roll in for abandoned, 26-pound cat

Thomas Burcosky and his childhood cat Zeke, who he believes is Jabba the cat. Submitted Photo.

By Kim Kalunian, WPRO News

Claims of ownership and requests for adoption of Jabba the cat have been pouring in to the East Greenwich Animal Protection League, some from as far away as Alabama and Europe.

News of the 26-pound cat’s abandonment in an East Greenwich park quickly went international after WPRO reported the news, catching the attention of People.com and the Daily Mail.

Now folks are taking to social media to express their desire to adopt Jabba, or to say they think the cat is theirs.

Thomas Burcosky is one such person. The 18-year-old says the cat resembles his childhood pet Zeke, who came bumbling into Burcosky’s life when he was just 4 years old.

Jabba the cat at the East Greenwich Animal Protection League.

Burcosky remembers the day: his grandfather, someone Burcosky describes as a large man, had just passed away. Enter the cat now called Jabba, weighing in at more than 30 pounds at the time. Burcosky said he and his family took in the stray cat that appeared at their back door and were able to help him lose some (but not much) weight.

Burcosky said Jabba resembles the cat they originally named Princess, mistaking the large feline for a girl. When they took him to the vet for his first check-up, they realized their mistake and changed the animal’s name to Zeke. He said the tiger cat even has the same cauliflower ear that Jabba has, claiming the distinct marking was caused by an ear infection.

But it was when Burcosky was 16 that he had to give the beloved pet away. The teenage boy was being sent into foster care and he couldn’t take his cat with him. He tells WPRO that he gave the cat to his biological brother’s girlfriend at the time. Just months later, the pair split. She took the cat, and Zeke was never to be seen again.

Thomas Burcosky's childhood cat, Zeke. Submitted photo. — Thomas Burcosky’s childhood cat, Zeke. Submitted photo.

Now Burcosky is on a mission to figure out if Jabba really is Zeke.

“I loved that cat to death,” said Burcosky, who plans to visit the animal shelter. “And the fact that I see him like that…I can’t believe that happened to him.”

Veterinary staff from the North Kingstown Animal Hospital say the cat was brought to them with feces-matted fur. The cat needed to be shaved and, on Friday, was still at the hospital receiving medical care.

Those at the East Greenwich Animal Protection League hope to show the cat this weekend but say the cat’s recovery is the primary concern.

While Burcosky hopes to get the cat back, he said he just wants to ensure Jabba is loved.

“I want make sure he gets a good home,” he said.