A MORBIDLY obese cat weighing as much as a five-year-old child has been saved from his cruel owner – and rescuers say he’s “largest anyone has ever seen”.
Patches tips the scales at 40.3lbs, making him one of the heaviest cats ever recorded in the world.
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It is thought the feline piled on the pounds after being overfed treats and unhealthy food in Virginia, US.
But he was taken in by a local animal shelter, where rescuers have put him on a strict low-calorie diet.
And after sharing a snap of Patches to their social media, now he’s found a new home after his photos went viral.
Richmond Animal Care and Control posted: “Did you wake up today and say, ‘let’s adopt the largest cat anyone has ever seen?’ If so, we have the cat for you.
“Meet Patches; all 40.3 POUNDS of him! He’s been regulated to a very special diet, is on an exercise plan and is very sweet. He’s neutered, tested, chipped and ready to go today!
“Until then, we will marvel at his gloriously gluttonous body.”
The fat feline was seen in other snaps heading to his new home – with two people having to assist in carrying the chunky cat in his crate.
The “sweet” boy has bright green eyes, and will no doubt be loved in his new home – as seen by adoring fan’s comments on the shelter’s Facebook post.
One woman said: “Patches looks like he would make into some of record for a regular domesticated cat!”
Patches weighs only six pounds less than the world’s fattest cat ever recorded – Himmy, a cat from Australia who weighed 46.8lbs in 1986.
Another cat owner pleaded with people to stop feeding her moggie after Iris ballooned to twice her normal size.
The British blue shorthair is on a strict low-fat, calorie-controlled diet to try to reduce her weight from 16.5lb.
But desperate owner Sheena Wilson says she must be getting more food from somewhere else.
Sheena said: “Iris is huge. During the last lockdown, I realised that somebody else was feeding her because she was hardly eating her own food but still putting on weight.
“She’s getting bigger and bigger. Her diet is not going very well. She’s been in denial about being on a diet for some time and continues to beg for treats.
“It’s becoming a problem as only her head fits in the cat flap. So she can only use it to play peek-a-boo and can’t fit the rest of her in it.
“Iris has now resorted to tapping on the door to come and go.”
In a note to neighbours in Exmouth, Devon, Sheena wrote: “If you see this very loved fur friend pretending she has been neglected and has an empty tummy, stop feeding her.
“As you can see, she really doesn’t care but we’d love to have her with us for as long as possible.”
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Sarah Hooper
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