My Big Fat Fabulous Life star Whitney holds a funeral for her pet cat while considering moving

The July 15, 2025 episode of My Big Fat Fabulous Life showed Whitney Thore saying goodbye to her 17-year-old cat, Henchi, who passed away on January 21.

Whitney held a funeral for Henchi, attended by her friends and family. Each person brought a plastic item, since Henchi loved playing with plastic. Whitney said the offerings were for him to “play with in the ether forevermore.”

While many found the memorial funny, others laughed even more at the life-size replica of Henchi given to Whitney.

The My Big Fat Fabulous Life episode also focused on Whitney's relocation dilemma, as she contemplated starting a new life outside Greensboro, North Carolina. However, with her decision to get artificial insemination and fear of leaving her father behind, Whitney wondered if relocating would be the wisest choice.

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What happened during Henchi's funeral on My Big Fat Fabulous Life?

Whitney held a cozy memorial service for her beloved cat in the latest segment of the TLC show. Her loved ones, who attended the event, were surprised by how serious Whitney was about the rituals. As soon as the guests arrived, Whitney "cleansed" them as they waited outside "the invisible boundary."

Whitney's friend Jessica wondered what she had walked into as she wondered why she had been asked to dress in "black formal attire."

"Please hold a solemn picture of Henchi in your mind," Whitney said as she cleansed Jessica.

After the guests had settled, the My Big Fat Fabulous Life star asked them to deposit their "unique piece of plastic" for Henchi. Whitney's father, Glenn, brought bubble wrap and shared that the feline became the "most favorite cat we had ever had, especially with Babs [Glenn's late wife, Barbara]."

"He’d like to lay on the pillow behind Babs’ head, and she loved that cat so dearly," he added.

Whitney's brother, Hunter, reminisced about Henchi, noting that it was "orange" and "always looked mad even when he was happy." Hunter offered a deli container to Henchi to take along in his "afterlife." Meanwhile, Whitney's friend, Buddy, brought a peanut jar wrapper, saying Henchi was a "good cat."

My Big Fat Fabulous Life alum Whitney's longtime friend, Tal, also attended the memorial and brought "dry-cleaning plastics" for the feline, noting that it taught him "to love cats." Isaiah Martin and his wife, Jessica, brought shipping plastic and flower plastic, respectively.

Later, Whitney received a life-size stuffed cat from her friend Buddy, which her other friends worried might be someone else's cat.

"That thing looks wrong to me. We need to check. It may be somebody's cat. I guess it's the thought that matters," Isaiah said.

While the stuffed animal made her friends laugh, Whitney appreciated the gift, saying it was the "best thing" that had happened to her. While speaking to the My Big Fat Fabulous Life cameras, Buddy revealed that he had the cat made by a company on the internet that specialized in making "exact replicas of your pet just using a photo."

Towards the end of the episode, Whitney discussed moving away from Greensboro with her friends. She believed she had to get out to meet new people and explore other connections. However, she hesitated due to her pregnancy plans.

"If I'm actually pregnant, there would be no argument; I would stay here in Greensboro. But if I'm not, the world is wide open. I don't think I need to be here," she added.

In addition, Whitney did not want to leave her father behind in the city. Consequently, she wondered which way to go.

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My Big Fat Fabulous Life airs Tuesdays at 9 pm ET only on TLC.