Many of us struggle with our weights, and it's never easy fighting the battle of the bulge. As hard as it is for us it can be even harder for our furry friends. Too often what pet owners see as love is actually very damaging to the long-term health of pets. That's what happened to Skinny, the ironically named tabby cat who was "loved" until he tipped the scales at 41 pounds.
Just like in humans, obesity in pets causes a number of adverse health effects. From trouble breathing and difficulty moving to elevated heart rates and premature death. It might be these symptoms that caused Skinny's owners to abandon him on the streets of Dallas, Texas.
When he was brought to the HEAL Veterinary Hospital and Pet Rehabilitation center, Skinny weighed in at an incredible 41 pounds. More than 3 times what he should have been.
Through a lot of hard work, diet and exercise Skinny is now just 19 pounds. He's healthy and happy, and the center loves him so much he's become their "resident cat" and may not be adopted out.
Doctors revealed that Skinny's weight loss battle echoed the fights that a lot of humans go through, including the dreaded weight plateau.
"I was stuck at about 30-31 pounds with him for the longest time because you don't want to starve it off of him because he still has vital nutrients and minerals that he needs to have everyday," said vet Dr. Brittney Barton.
She said they needed to "wake up" his metabolism by adding muscle mass, so they created a fitness regimen for him to follow. Knowing how notoriously lazy cats are, becoming a feline personal trainer couldn't have been easy.
They started exercising Skinny with walks, cat sit ups and even an underwater treadmill.
Click to the next page to see what Skinny looks like now
Skinny is now living up to his name have lost 22 pounds, but he still has work to do. He has a lot of excess skin and the vet center says that surgery might be an option for him.
Even with a bit of extra skin he still looks like a handsome and healthy boy!
His transformation is inspiring, but should also serve as a lesson to pet owners who like to overfeed or overtreat their pets.
See the full tale of his transformation here:
