Walter the cat has a big personality
Four years ago, Katy Sherry, 32, walked into the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Hampden, hoping to adopt a pet.
The moment she saw Walter, a 16-pound fluffy cat, she knew. “This one; this is the one,” said Sherry.
Her boyfriend, Max Glaessner, 30, was then a dog fan, but Walter unraveled his notions of what cats were like.
“I basically switched teams from dog to cat and never looked back,” said Glaessner. “He has that effect on people.”
Walter, 7, is a plus-size cat whose personality is as big as his body type. He loves food and has a taste for the things cats aren’t supposed to eat.
Once a year, Sherry and Glaessner indulge Walter, and they let him lick the inside of a jelly doughnut a a birthday gift.
In many ways, Walter defies stereotypes — he’s agile, known to jump and run around, and prone to leaping from the counter to the top of the refrigerator. He also has a habit of confidently approaching people.
“[There’s] a misconception of cats being very aloof and wanting to hide from people. He’s the opposite of that. He’s very gregarious — always wants to be in the room with people,” said Glaessner.
Pet people
Walter has brought Sherry and Glaessner happiness and many comical moments. His first Christmas with them was eventful affair — he tried to eat Christmas lights. Terrified that he’d swallowed a shard of glass, they rushed him to the veterinarian. After an X-ray, the vet told them that even if Walter had eaten glass, there was so much food in his stomach they couldn’t see it and he’d be fine either way. baltimoresun.com/unleashed. baltimoresunstore.com