Fat cat becomes media darling as former owner laments decision to give him up

How many guests get this affectionate treatment on 'Regis and Kelly'?
Schell/AP
Powder has become a feline media darling.
It's the economy, cat lovers.
The owner of a 44-pound feline who wound up in a New Jersey animal shelter said she was forced to give up the titanic tabby when the bank foreclosed on her home.
Donna Oklatner, 65, denied reports she just dumped the big ball of fluff she called Powder - who's become a paws célèbre.
"I would never abandon an animal," she said as Powder appeared on "Live with Regis and Kelly" and prepared for "Good Morning America" Friday.
"I gave it to a friend to give to a shelter. It's like giving babies to a hospital."
Oklatner, who fell behind on mortgage payments at her Voorhees, N.J., home because of credit card debt and medical bills, said she was "heartbroken" about losing the kitty.
She hopes he finds a good home, which seems likely with the Camden County Animal Shelter already fielding more than 100 adoption offers.
"We will look at the applications and decide which is the best home," said Jennifer Andersch, shelter director and "press agent" for the cat, who has been renamed Chunk.
The 10-year-old male - the shelter's belief that it was a female was wrong - has generated national attention because he's just 2 pounds shy of the world record for a tabby.
Oklatner said she never understood why Powder got so fat because she only fed him and his brother Puff two cans of Fancy Feast each day.
"He must have a thyroid problem," she guessed. "I never had money to have him checked out."
When Oklatner was booted from her house, her husband ended up in a retirement home and she crashed with friends, keeping only her dog, Cody.
A pal took Puff but couldn't accommodate Powder, and overcrowded shelters were only taking strays, so Oklatner asked a friend to report she had found Powder.
Animal control officer James McCleery got the July 25 call.
"I'm not an easily surprised person, but when I got out of the truck with a cat carrier, the woman said, 'You'll need something bigger than that,'" he recalled.
"I had to put it in a dog cage."
With adoption offers coming in from as far away as California, McCleery said he hopes Powder will bring attention to the plight of other homeless animals.
"Everyone wants to adopt the big cat," shelter business manager Karen Merlino said. "I may have to start shoving food down [the other cats'] throats to get them adopted."
Oklatner filled with pride when she saw her baby on "Regis" on Thursday.
"Someone is going to give him a loving home," she said. Asked what advice wow gold she would give the new owner, she said: "He likes a belly rub."

Shia LaBeouf cleared of blame in car crash

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"Indiana Jones" star Shia LaBeouf was cleared of blame in a weekend collision because the other driver ran a red light, police said on Tuesday.
Sunday's accident occurred when the 22-year-old LaBeouf, who authorities say was driving under the influence, made a left turn and collided with another vehicle. The crash caused the actor's truck to roll over.
"LaBoeuf has been determined at this stage not to have caused the accident," said Steve Whitmore, a spokesman for the Los Angeles wow gold County Sheriff's Department.
Whitmore said the other driver failed to stop for a red light and slammed into the truck LaBeouf was driving.
LaBeouf was cited for misdemeanour driving under the influence, but Whitmore said officials are waiting for results of a toxicology test before filing a formal charge.
A representative for the star had no immediate age of conan gold comment.
LaBoeuf, who starred in the summer's box office hit "Indiana Jones and the wow gold Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" and last year's action flick "Transformers" suffered injuries to his head, knee and hand in the crash. He underwent surgery on his hand.

'The Dark Knight' stays No. 1 at box office

"The Dark Knight" once again cast its tall shadow over the competition at the box office, reaching the $300 million mark in a record 10 days.
The latest Batman movie, featuring the late Heath Ledger as the Joker, took six fewer days than the 2006 blockbuster "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" to pull in $300 million.
The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by Media By Numbers LLC:
1. "The Dark Knight," Warner Bros., $75,166,466, 4,366 locations, $17,216 average, $313,781,677, two weeks.wow gold
2. "Step Brothers," Sony, $30,940,732, 3,094 locations, $10,000 average, $30,940,732, one week.
3. "Mamma Mia!" Universal, $17,746,725, 2,990 locations, $5,935 average, $62,595,465, two weeks.
4. "The X-Files: I Want to Believe," Fox, $10,021,753, 3,185 locations, $3,147 average, $10,021,753, one week.
5. "Journey to the Center of the Earth," Warner Bros., $9,717,217, 2,688 locations, $3,615 average, $60,487,455, three weeks.
6. "Hancock," Sony, $8,311,123, 3,309 locations, $2,512 average, $206,482,007, four weeks.
7. "Wall-E," Disney, $6,422,186, 3,044 locations, $2,110 average, $195,308,076, five weeks.
8. "Hellboy 2: the Golden Army," Universal, $5,100,305, 3,018 locations, $1,690 average, $66,059,925, three weeks.
9. "Space Chimps," Fox, $4,536,838, 2,538 locations, $1,788 average, $16,167,380, two weeks.
10. "Wanted," Universal, $2,738,550, 1,754 locations, $1,561 average, $128,627,405, five weeks.
11. "Get Smart," Warner Bros., $2,272,394, 1,420 locations, $1,600 average, $124,186,385, six weeks.
12. "Kung Fu Panda," Paramount, $1,055,932, 917 locations, $1,152 average, $208,997,686, eight weeks.
13. "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl," Picturehouse, $601,888, 535 locations, $1,125 average, $15,275,168, six weeks.
14. "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," Paramount, $570,774, 477 locations, $1,197 average, $313,646,685, 10 weeks.
15. "Sex and the City," Warner Bros., $447,444, 347 locations, $1,289 average, $150,841,566, nine weeks.
16. "The Incredible Hulk," Universal, $423,150, 403 locations, $1,050 average, $132,541,330, seven weeks.
17. "Tell No One," Music Box, $421,821, 77 locations, $5,478 average, $1,653,434, four weeks.
18. "You Don't Mess With the Zohan," Sony, $385,400, 224 locations, $1,721 average, $98,319,368, eight weeks.
19. "Meet Dave," Fox, $381,469, 488 locations, $782 average, $10,839,801, three weeks.
20. "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian," Disney, $372,519, 322 locations, $1,157 average, $140,117,978, 11 weeks.

"Dark Knight" fastest to $300 million

Batman buried his rivals at the North American box office for a second weekend on Sunday, racing past $300 million in a record 10 days.
The Caped Crusader's blockbuster outing, "The Dark Knight," sold an estimated $75.6 million worth of tickets during the three days beginning Friday, taking its total to $314.2 million, distributor Warner Bros. Pictures said.
A week after it scored a record-breaking $158 million opening, "The Dark Knight" added a new title to its impressive list of superlatives: the best second weekend, surpassing the holiday-boosted $72 million haul of 2004's "Shrek 2."
The $180 million movie, which stars Christian Bale as Batman and late actor Heath Ledger as the anarchic Joker, has reportedly been drawing strong repeat business, and also has piqued the interest of people who avoid superhero flicks or rarely go to the movies at all.
"The Dark Knight" now ranks as the second-biggest movie of the year, just behind the $315 million haul of "Iron Man," and the 23rd-biggest of all time.
The previous speed record for a $300 million film was 16 days set by "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" in 2006. The next target is $400 million, which took "Shrek 2" 43 days to reach. Warner Bros. distribution president Dan Fellman predicted "The Dark Knight" would take just 18 days to reach that milestone.
"Where we go from there, it's uncharted waters," Fellman said.
The last movie to break $400 million was the 2006 "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie, which ranks No. 6 on the all-time list with $423 million. The 1997 epic "Titanic" leads the field with $601 million.

The X-Files: I Want to Believe

"The X-Files: I Want to Believe" is a taut, well-acted, not very scary, not very hard to figure out serial-killer mystery revolving around two adults with trust issues, still driving around in a Taurus along the back roads of Northern Virginia and West Virginia over a couple of gray, snowy days. Sounds like a flop, correct?Even in my sincere belief that I enjoyed returning to the dark, dysfunctional world of former FBI agents Mulder and Scully (David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson), I have this eerie sixth sense that most everyone who ever dwelt in an Internet chat forum devoted to the show in its heyday will walk away disappointed in one way or another because of what this "X-Files" doesn't have:It doesn't have the original show's elaborately embroidered conspiracy theories (you really can watch it cold, with zero X-filler required). Other than a few old-fashioned camera moves, it has no special effects (to my eye, there's not a single trick of CGI, which I propose as a plus). It doesn't have ghosts, chupacabras, alien honeybees or mysterious helicopters, even though creator-director Chris Carter and co-conspirator Frank Spotnitz do alight upon a new, au courant kind of creepazoid: priests.Even the show's "shippers" (those fans who hung on every spoken and unspoken flicker of a Mulder-Scully relationship, hence the nickname) might be surprised by how grown-up our sleuths became when we weren't looking. The paranormal gives way to normal. With simple sanity and a refreshing lack of flash, Mulder and Scully capably lay out the dull evidence: Our big summer movies are part of a plot to trash our minds. I want to believe Mulder and Scully are correct.

Batman star appeals for privacy

Batman star Christian Bale has asked for privacy after being questioned over allegations he assaulted his mother and sister in a London hotel.

Speaking for the first time on the subject, the Welsh-born actor said it was a "deeply personal matter."
He was speaking at a press conference in Barcelona, Spain, during a tour to promote Batman movie The Dark Knight.
The 34-year-old was arrested and bailed by police in London on Tuesday over the allegations which he denies.
"I would ask you to respect my privacy on that subject," he said in Thursday's press conference.
He had greeted fans at The Dark Knight's Spanish premiere on Wednesday night but had refused to comment on the assault claims.
He spent half an hour signing autographs at the gala but only spoke to the press about the film.
The actor smiled and looked relaxed before the movie was screened.
Box office success
It is claimed the alleged incident took place in his suite at the Dorchester Hotel on Sunday evening.

The film also stars the late Heath Ledger as The Joker
Bale, who was in the UK to promote the new Batman film and attend its London premiere, is on bail until September pending further inquiries.
The actor, who attended Belgravia police station by appointment on Tuesday, was questioned for four hours.
A statement released by Bale's solicitors said he "co-operated throughout, gave his account in full of the events in question, and left the station without any charge".
They added there would be no further comment by the star.
The Dark Knight, which opens across the UK on Friday, has made more than $200m (£100m) in its first week of release in North America.
The film's distributor, Warner Bros, said it has made more money than predecessor Batman Begins took at the box office during its entire four-month run.
It could become the first film to break the $400m (£201m) mark since Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest in 2006.

Christian Bale's Most Memorable Roles

Will the ''Dark Knight' star's recent arrest overshadow the work of a versatile actor who's played everything from a superhero to a glam rock star to a POW? Judge for yourself

THE DARK KNIGHT (2008)
THE ROLE Teaming up for a third time with director Christopher Nolan, Bale dusts off his Batsuit to play the millionaire by day, conflicted caped crusader by night who comes to Gotham's rescue when a clown-faced lunatic called the Joker (Heath Ledger) launches a deadly destruction spree.
WHAT EW SAYS Owen Gleiberman: ''Bale, all steely reserve, once again captivates as the haunted caped crusader who must shed morality to beat the devil at his game. But just as Tim Burton's 1989 Batman was anchored by the joy-buzzer glee of Jack Nicholson's party-down Joker, The Dark Knight takes its cue from its Joker and his deadly circus of chaos.''

Christian Bale's alleged blow-up came after mom bad-mouthed his wife

Christian Bale's alleged dust-up with his mother and sister came after his mom insulted the actor's wife, the Daily Mail online reported Wednesday.
"Christian was stressed, but he didn't lay a finger on anyone," said a source quoted by the Mail. "Instead, he just flew off the handle and cussed at his mother. He just got very loud because his mother was saying some very outrageous things about him, and his wife."
Scotland Yard detectives arrested "The Dark Knight" star Christian Bale Tuesday - after allowing him to go to the flick's European premiere - and grilled him for four hours. He was then released on bail in the eyebrow-raising case, officials said.
Bale denied the charges in a statement made through his lawyers Tuesday, and sources say the actor is confident he's done nothing wrong.
The 34-year-old Welshman has been known to have a temper. Last Friday he berated a cinematographer on the set of "Terminator 4," TMZ.com reported.
His eight-year marriage to Sandra "Sibi" Blazic, a model-turned makeup artist, is reportedly going through a rocky patch.
"He has stresses in his marriage," a source told the Mail. "He can have a terrible temper. Instead of lashing out at his wife, he sometimes lashes out at people around him.
"His marriage is not perfect, but his relationship with his mother is in much more trouble," they added, saying that Bale is more upset about his mother's words than about having been arrested in connection with the argument.
Bale had also been close to Heath Ledger ever since they both portrayed Bob Dylan in the 2007 film "I'm Not Here," and Bale was reportedly despondent after Ledger's death in January from an overdose of prescription drugs.
"It's foolish to think that he's been able to completely shake off that grief just as Heath and his work is finally being seen by audiences," a source told the Mail.
Bale's mother, Jenny, 61, a former circus clown, and sister, Sharon, 40, who live in the London suburbs, filed the police complaint against the actor on Monday.
The mother and sister claimed Bale, the stepson of feminist icon Gloria Steinem, assaulted them Sunday night in a suite at the posh Dorchester Hotel near London's Hyde Park.
"It's a family matter," Sharon Bale told reporters Tuesday, refusing to reveal details of the incident.
The actor has hired the London law firm Schillings, which released a statement rejecting claims by his mother and sister that he assaulted them.
The lawyers said Bale voluntarily went to the police station.

Batman star held over 'assault'

Batman star Christian Bale has been arrested by detectives investigating claims he assaulted two family members.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said a 34-year-old man had been arrested in connection with an allegation of assault, and remained in custody.
Mr Bale is alleged to have lashed out at his mother and sister in his suite at London's Dorchester Hotel on Sunday.
The Welsh-born actor stars in the title role in the latest Batman film, The Dark Knight.
"A 34-year-old man attended a police station in central London by appointment and was arrested in connection with an allegation of assault - he currently remains in custody," a police spokesman said.
The Hollywood star attended the European premiere of The Dark Knight last night in London's Leicester Square.
He had been due to meet radio journalists at the Dorchester to promote the film on Tuesday afternoon.
It has been reported that the assault allegation was originally filed at a police station in Hampshire.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman confirmed it had received an allegation from another force.

Batman fans pack midnight showings around Buffalo as 'Dark Knight' opens

The midnight premiere of "The Dark Knight," the latest in the Batman film saga starring the late Heath Ledger as the arch villain Joker, appeared much like Halloween in July.
At theaters across the Buffalo area, people in capes and face paint stood in line to see the film that was second only to "Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith" for advanced ticket sales on Fandango.com.
Thirty-two showings were held in the Buffalo area between 12:01 and 3:30 a.m., and most sold out, according to Fandango.
"This is like the Fourth of July for us," said Kelly O'Keefe, 18, of Tonawanda.
O'Keefe, with her brother Kevin, 22, replicated the Joker's face paint and ensemble for one of the 12:01 a.m. showings at Regal Cinemas Transit Center Stadium 18.
"We've been lifelong Batman fans," Kevin said. "And I've been a lifelong Joker fan."
Along with nine showings on regular screens, the Regal 18 theater in Lancaster had IMAX showings at 12:01 and 3:15 a.m.
Justine Distefano of Clarence, with friends sporting Batman T-shirts from Target, arrived almost two hours early to claim the front of the line for a 12:30 showing. Distefano said she purchased her tickets a week ago.
"It's supposed to be the best movie of the summer," she said. "And Heath Ledger … that's another reason."
The waiting movie-goers, by the large young people, invariably said Ledger, the young Hollywood up-and-comer who died of an overdose in January, was a huge draw for the film.
For 20-year-old viewers, the newest Batman film is a double dose of childhood nostalgia, Distefano said. Not only does it bring a favorite cartoon hero to life, it presents an eerie last vision of the actor who stole many a high school heart in "90s teen classics like "10 Things I Hate About You" and "A Knight's Tale."
O'Keefe said a tragic allure of the film is how trailers showed Ledger completely submerged in the role of the infamous comic book maniac … a sign that the former heartthrob was coming into his own as a versatile actor.
"Personally, I think Heath Ledger's performance is going to make Jack Nicholson look pathetic," she said, referencing Nicholson's turn as the Joker in 1989's "Batman."
Some fans believed the rumor that Ledger's intense concentration while shooting the film led to his accidental overdose on a mixture of prescription drugs.
"I heard it was partly why he kind of went . . . crazy," said Ellina Stein, 18, of Clarence.
Mike Schneggenburger, 18, of Depew, said he didn't buy the rumor, but believed before even seeing the movie that Ledger deserves to win an Oscar posthumously. "Have you seen the previews?" he said.
Schneggenburger, dressed as Joker, and friends miming Batman villains Two Face, the Riddler and Joker-paramour Harley Quinn make a hobby of attending midnight premieres in full costume.
"Everybody here at the midnight movie is a fan," Schneggenburger said. "We do it for everyone."