Now THAT'S a fat cat! Otto on diet mission after weighing in at equivalent to 500lbs for a human

-Otto taken to New Jersey vets by owners in January
-Dropped in six months from 36lbs to less than 30lbs
-Owners wanted him euthanized but he's getting better
-Suffers from arthritis because of weight problems

By Mark Duell

Diet: The New Jersey cat is six months into a fat-fighting mission and has already shed more than five pounds - dropping from 35.8lbs to 29.5lbs


When he entered hospital, Otto was the biggest cat some doctors had ever seen, weighing the equivalent in human weight of a 500lbs man.

But the New Jersey feline is six months into a fat-fighting mission and has already shed more than five pounds - dropping from 35.8lbs to 29.5lbs.

Otto, who suffers from arthritis because of his weight, has been put on a diet by vets at Clementon Animal Hospital as they try to help him.


The cat, who has been billed ‘the Round Mound of Purring Sound’, was taken to hospital by his owners in January, reported MSNBC.

He was too fat to even climb into his litter box and his owners wanted to have him euthanized, but were urged to surrender him to vets.

‘I just felt really bad for the cat,’ hospital administrator Tricia Greaney said, adding he is the biggest cat she has seen in her working life.

‘I know he was probably in a situation where (his owners) were just at their wits’ end and couldn’t handle it anymore,’ she told NBC News.

Getting better: The cat, who has been billed 'the Round
Mound of Purring Sound', was taken to an animal hospital by his owners in January


Otto arrived at more than twice the average weight of a wild bobcat - and triple his ideal weight, reported MSNBC.
It means his little heart and lungs are working overtime to maintain his body weight, so vets knew they needed to put him on a diet.

Now less food and more exercise are helping his health improve - and staff have set him a weight target of 20lbs.

Clementon vet Dr Shashina Lyons said there is nothing funny about an obese pet, as they are prone to diabetes, arthritis and liver disease.

‘The unfortunate thing is, people think it’s cute,’ she told NBC.



source: dailymail