News You Can Use: Fat Cat
Fat Cat
Poor Crumbs. The now-famous corpulent cat, named for his ability to eat, was found in early September in the basement of a hospital in Perm, Russia, the New York Post reported, where the staff had given him a steady diet of cookies and soup. When he was discovered, he weighed more than 37 pounds -- about three times the average size for a cat -- and was unable to support his weight to walk. Crumbs (or Kroshik, in Russian) was moved to the Matroskin Shelter, where workers put him on a strict diet and exercise regimen -- apparently not his cup of tea, as he tried to escape on Sept. 11. Rehab expert Ekaterina Bedakova said Crumbs was “extremely displeased” when, during his escape attempt, he got himself stuck in a shoe rack and couldn’t get out. But she was enthused about his effort because it demonstrated that he’s a “very active guy.”
Precocious
A family in Bedford, Ohio, reported their Nissan Rogue and their 8-year-old daughter missing around 9 a.m. on Sept. 15, the Associated Press reported. Police learned that witnesses had seen a small child driving nearby, but it wasn’t until they checked the parking lot at Target, about 13 miles away, that they discovered the car. The girl was inside the store; she told officers that she had hit a mailbox during her journey, but otherwise it went fine. Authorities were weighing whether any charges would be filed.
Inexplicable
Beaches along the Atlantic Ocean in Delaware, Maryland and Virginia were closed to swimmers by authorities on Sept. 15 after mysterious medical waste started washing up, The New York Times reported. The trash included syringes and needles, used feminine hygiene products and plastic cigar tips. “We currently have no idea where it came from and will not be speculating about a source,” said the National Park Service office at Assateague Island National Seashore. They were unsure how long beaches would remain closed. “We recommend wearing shoes on the beach and avoiding the ocean entirely,” warned Joe Theobald, director of Emergency Services in Ocean City, Maryland.
Least Competent Criminal
When 33-year-old Ravesh Rabindranauth attempted to steal a Corvette in a Miami Beach, Florida, parking garage on Sept. 17, he encountered a little trouble, Local10-TV reported. He got stuck inside the car, which is where its owner, Julio Solano, found him. “Can I get out?” Rabindranauth asked Solano as Solano recorded the incident on his phone. “No, you can’t get out. We’re calling the police.” Solano said the car’s security system wouldn’t allow the thief to start the car or escape. “He didn’t know about the manual door release under the seat,” Solano said. Rabindranauth was held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on $2,500 bond.