Skip to content
News
Link copied to clipboard

"Powder's" owner comes forward with her tale of 44-pound cat

The cat's out of the bag. And how. News organizations around the country broke from reports of politics, war and a lurching economy Thursday to lavish their love on 44-pound Powder, picked up by an animal-control officer on the patio of a Voorhees condominium on July 25.

The cat's out of the bag. And how.

News organizations around the country broke from reports of politics, war and a lurching economy Thursday to lavish their love on 44-pound Powder, picked up by an animal-control officer on the patio of a Voorhees condominium on July 25.

And the cat's previous owner has come forward, revealing that the news coverage had unknowingly addressed heavier matters than a weighty cat. Donna Oklatner, 65, said she lost her home in another Voorhees condo complex to foreclosure in June.

"I couldn't take care of my medication and the mortgage, so I let the mortgage go," she said yesterday.

She said Powder was the "runt of the litter" when he came to live with her seven or eight years ago. "As time went on, he became larger and larger," Oklatner said.

Oklatner's account of delivering the cat to an animal control officer differs from reports that Powder, known in foster care as Princess Chunky, had been called in as a stray.

But Jim McCleery, the animal control officer who responded to the call, said yesterday that a woman he believes was Oklatner made the call and was standing at the Ashley Run condo patio with Powder when he arrived.

"I have no doubt she's a loving pet owner, but times went sour," McCleery said. "What are you going to do?"

Oklatner said yesterday she moved in with Walter Anderson, a neighbor in the Victoriana condo complex, for a few weeks in June and again in July. Anderson, who has three cats of his own, continued to care for Powder in the interim, he and Oklatner said. Anderson even found a new home for Powder's brother, Puff, who he said weighs in at 30 pounds.

But Anderson had to leave town July 24 to take part in a Native American dance festival. He brought Powder, along with some fresh food and kitty litter, to the Ashley Run complex and handed the cat to Oklatner, who was staying there with a friend.

"I did not drop Powder off randomly," Anderson said. "I would never do that."

Oklatner said she then called a number of acquaintances but could not find anyone to take the cat. She then contacted animal control, she said.

"I did not dump it anywhere," she said. "That's not the truth, and that's not what happened."

Powder is now up for adoption, and officials at the Camden County Animal Shelter said they had received hundreds of applications.