40 Pound Cat Turned into Shelter

An animal shelter in New Mexico is working on a diet plan for an obese cat. The 2-year-old feline weighs 40 pounds, which is seriously affecting its health and life expectancy. The young cat, named Meow, was living with an 87-year-old woman in Santa Fe before it was turned into the shelter. The elderly woman could no longer take care of the cat on her own, so either she or a loved one called the shelter for help. Meow's story captured local attention as he is one of the largest cats the shelter has ever seen.

Thanks to the workers at the shelter, Meow was placed into a foster home. While he is there, Meow will be placed on a diet and exercise plan to shed the unwanted pounds. Shelter workers are still trying to figure out how the cat got to be so large in such a short period of time. In general, an adult cat will weigh between 7 and 12 pounds, depending on the breed. While Meow is certainly large, he is smaller than the largest cat on record. That title belongs to Himmy, an Australian cat that weighed in at 47 pounds. If you have a cat that is obese, it may suffer from serious health complications. For this reason, you'll want to meet with a local veterinarian to discuss solutions and treatment.