Dangerously obese cat looking for forever home after losing THIRD of her body weight
- last year
A dangerously obese cat is looking for her forever home after going on a year-long diet and lost a THIRD of her body weight.
Four-year-old Rainbow originally weighed in at a massive 12.7kg and could barely walk, groom or clean herself.
But now Rainbow, who is still twice the weight of an average cat, has lost 4.6kg since March last year.
The meaty moggy was taken in, and cared for, by experts at Cats Protection Adoption Centre, Bridgend.
Rainbow's legs were covered in urine burns as a result of her inability to clean herself, resulting in total fur loss and inflamed sore skin around her rear-end.
She also had red, crusty eyes and was covered in fleas, given that most standard treatments did not contain enough medicine to treat a cat of her size.
But since being on a "strict diet" and undertaking regular "gentle exercise", the white and tortoiseshell feline now weighs just 8.1kg and is ready to be re-homed.
Jenna Butcher. deputy manager at the adoption centre, said: "Rainbow had very little mobility and couldn’t show any natural cat behaviours like grooming, moving or playing.
"It was very distressing, and uncomfortable for Rainbow, and also upsetting for us to see.
“Her owner had not intended to do her harm, but had mistakenly tried to show Rainbow affection through food, which ultimately almost killed her."
"Rainbow was put onto a strict diet under vet supervision and given lots of love and care, firstly from the staff at the centre, then from her fosterer.
“Rapid weight loss can be dangerous to cats.
"But Rainbow’s organs and joints were also under pressure, so we had to play a balancing act to keep her as safe and healthy as possible while ensuring she lost the weight gradually."
Rainbow still has a significant amount of weight to lose.
She must be kept on a calorie-controlled diet to safeguard her against future obesity, as cats are more likely to put on weight when they have previously been obese.
It is unlikely Rainbow would survive another period of serious weight gain.
Rainbow’s fosterer Marie Morley said: “Despite Rainbow’s tough start in life she is the sweetest, gentlest girl.
"When she first came to me she could barely walk before having to stop and rest, now she can jump up onto the settee without any effort.
"She has become inquisitive and even plays with toys when she wants to!
“Rainbow’s eyesight is limited, but this hasn’t stopped her from revealing her ‘inner cat’ in a way that seemed impossible when she first arrived at the centre.
"Rainbow loves attention, a head rub and a tickle are among her favourites.
Rainbow is looking for a home where she can mainly be an indoor cat due to her restricted eyesight, but ideally somewhere with an enclosed garden for supervised time outdoors too.
She would be best-suited to a home with no other pets or children due to her strict diet and need for plenty of encouragement and interaction.
For more information on Rainbow visit: www.cats.org.uk/bridgend
Four-year-old Rainbow originally weighed in at a massive 12.7kg and could barely walk, groom or clean herself.
But now Rainbow, who is still twice the weight of an average cat, has lost 4.6kg since March last year.
The meaty moggy was taken in, and cared for, by experts at Cats Protection Adoption Centre, Bridgend.
Rainbow's legs were covered in urine burns as a result of her inability to clean herself, resulting in total fur loss and inflamed sore skin around her rear-end.
She also had red, crusty eyes and was covered in fleas, given that most standard treatments did not contain enough medicine to treat a cat of her size.
But since being on a "strict diet" and undertaking regular "gentle exercise", the white and tortoiseshell feline now weighs just 8.1kg and is ready to be re-homed.
Jenna Butcher. deputy manager at the adoption centre, said: "Rainbow had very little mobility and couldn’t show any natural cat behaviours like grooming, moving or playing.
"It was very distressing, and uncomfortable for Rainbow, and also upsetting for us to see.
“Her owner had not intended to do her harm, but had mistakenly tried to show Rainbow affection through food, which ultimately almost killed her."
"Rainbow was put onto a strict diet under vet supervision and given lots of love and care, firstly from the staff at the centre, then from her fosterer.
“Rapid weight loss can be dangerous to cats.
"But Rainbow’s organs and joints were also under pressure, so we had to play a balancing act to keep her as safe and healthy as possible while ensuring she lost the weight gradually."
Rainbow still has a significant amount of weight to lose.
She must be kept on a calorie-controlled diet to safeguard her against future obesity, as cats are more likely to put on weight when they have previously been obese.
It is unlikely Rainbow would survive another period of serious weight gain.
Rainbow’s fosterer Marie Morley said: “Despite Rainbow’s tough start in life she is the sweetest, gentlest girl.
"When she first came to me she could barely walk before having to stop and rest, now she can jump up onto the settee without any effort.
"She has become inquisitive and even plays with toys when she wants to!
“Rainbow’s eyesight is limited, but this hasn’t stopped her from revealing her ‘inner cat’ in a way that seemed impossible when she first arrived at the centre.
"Rainbow loves attention, a head rub and a tickle are among her favourites.
Rainbow is looking for a home where she can mainly be an indoor cat due to her restricted eyesight, but ideally somewhere with an enclosed garden for supervised time outdoors too.
She would be best-suited to a home with no other pets or children due to her strict diet and need for plenty of encouragement and interaction.
For more information on Rainbow visit: www.cats.org.uk/bridgend