I'm not ashamed to admit I'm totally addicted to the Municipal Animal Care and Control "puppy cam." It's a dangerous hobby; I can't tell you how many times I've nearly rushed out and rescued whatever adorable animal is prancing in front of the animal shelter webcam on a given day. But I've never seen anything like Puppy Cam's current star: A 32-pound house cat.

Muni.org screen shot

Aslan, a cat available for adoption at Anchorage Animal Care and Control, weighs in at a whopping 32 pounds.

I pulled up the webcam when Medred arrived at the office today. He stood in front of the monitor and gaped.

"Oh my god," he said. "Oh my god. Oh my god."

This is the reaction of a man who has actually been attacked by a bear.

I called up Animal Care and Control to learn more. The cat's name is Aslan, according to public relations coordinator Brooke Taylor, and he was left at the shelter's night drop, where Anchorage residents can deliver stray animals during evening hours. Aslan arrived not only very overweight, but also terribly matted, Taylor said; the manicured, lion-maned beast you see on the webcam is a post-haircut Aslan, thanks to the donated services of a local animal groomer. He's 8 years old, and yes, he actually weighs 32 pounds.

"Huge. Biggest cat I've ever seen," Taylor said.

For some context, Taylor said, a petite cat weighs five to seven pounds. Medium is 12 to 15 pounds. Aslan sounds closer in size to, say, my dog, who weighs about 50 pounds:

Maia Nolan photo

This cat is a monster.

His personality, however, is anything but monstrous, according to Taylor.

"He is incredibly sweet," she said. "Just a total cuddler." He also likes to chase a laser pointer, which Taylor says would be one great way for Aslan's new owner to slim down -- about 15 minutes a day of chasing that little red light, coupled with a veterinarian-dictated diet plan, and he should drop some of that mass. He'll never be a small cat, she cautioned -- even underneath the extra flesh, he's built like a linebacker. But he will need to work off some of the surplus pounds to avoid the same kinds of health problems that afflict overweight humans. (The $62 adoption fee posted on puppy cam includes a certificate for a veterinarian's examination.)

You can see Aslan for yourself on the Animal Care and Control website. Unless the shelter sees a huge influx of puppies and needs the kennel space, he'll be hogging the limelight until a new owner comes along and snaps him up.

(In case you were wondering, I already called Seth and asked. He says I absolutely may not bring home a 32-pound cat.)

UPDATE, Aug. 31:

Looks like our feline friend has found a new home:

Muni.org screen shot

Good luck, big buddy.

Contact Maia Nolan at maia(at)alaskadispatch.com.