Very fat cat seized (40 pound German house cat! With picture)

Sydney Morning Herald ^ | April 7, 2004

[dead]

A German cat weighing six times the normal weight is so fat that it cannot take more than four steps without getting exhausted.

Now officials at a Berlin animal shelter are having trouble finding a new owner for six-year-old Mikesch, after it was taken away from his elderly owner.

The man, who was himself taken to a nursing home, had been feeding the 18.5 kilo cat two kilos of mince each day.

Groggy moggy ... Mikesch, the 18.5kg puss who tucked away a
couple of kilos of mince a day. Photo: AFP

"You can call it cruelty to animals," said shelter veterinarian Karin Bartell, as the cat stared straight ahead with a bored look.

"It's a problem for joints and the heart. The cat can't clean itself because he is too fat. He walks three or four steps and is completely exhausted because the heart no longer works properly and the cat can't breathe normally anymore."

Mikesch has been put on a strict diet to reduce his size.

Cats usually weigh between 3-6kg and should eat no more than about 300 grams of food each day, vets say.

A spokesman for Guinness World Records said they did not keep track of fat cats any longer but said the existing record was 18.55kg - a cat from Minnesota named O.T.

Reuters

[happydogdesign]

[mommya]

I have a cat that can get very fat - I used to just keep the foodbowl full for her - but she'd just keep eating and eating - till she looked like a balloon that you could just poke and it would explode. She is a short haired cat with a small head - we used to call her "football kitty" cuz she looked like a football with legs and a tail sticking out. More recently though - I have cut way back on her food - and she is normal - with a LOT of loose belly skin that hangs down. It is hilarious to see her run across the yard - Her loose skin swings side to side as she runs.

[BibChr]

I may show this picture to one of our cats as a warning.

Dan

[BSunday]

Dang, she should have put her on the Atkins Weight Down Watchers Dr. Phil Ayds Grapefruit Diet.

[agrarianlady]

They dined on mince, and slices of quince, which they ate with a runcible spoon . . .

O lovely pussy, oh pussy my love, what a wonderful pussy you are, you are, you are,

What a wonderful pussy you are!

[uglybiker]

It is hilarious to see her run across the yard - Her loose skin swings side to side as she runs.

It's not loose skin. It's a fanny pack!

[Ciexyz]

Fat cat bump.

[T Minus Four]

They dined on mince, and slices of quince, which they ate with a runcible spoon

LOL! That's exactly what I thought of when I read the article!

[Constantine XIII]

LOL

[MJemison]

I have a horse like that. He stays fat on much less feed than the others get. He also has a prehensile lip and can open gates and latches unless they are chained. His determination is enormous.

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

Wow! I thought my boy Elvis was big, but this kitty takes the cake!

[RooRoobird14]

I don't want to be a wet blanket, but I guess I am one--this thread makes me want to cry. If you're a cat lover, PLEASE READ BELOW: If you want your cat to live a long healthy life, DO NOT allow your cat to become overweight. Feed the cat less food, get it to exercise, feed it low-cal veterinary quality food--whatever! Just keep your cat slim--if you can't see a "waist" below the rib cage, your cat is too fat. Fat cats are prone to many,many diseases/conditions that cause great suffering and even death. IMPORTANT: IF YOU HAVE AN OVERWEIGHT CAT AND YOUR CAT SUDDENLY LOSES HER APPETITE FOR EVEN ONE (YES, ONE!) DAY, GET YOUR CAT TO THE VET ASAP!!!! An overweight cat who stops eating can deteriorate very quickly because of a secondary disease (caused by not eating) called feline hepatic lipidosis (FHL). FHL can be fatal if it's not treated immediately; only 40% of cats who get FHL recover.

Hubby and I spent FIVE THOUSAND dollars trying to treat our beloved Sadie's FHL. It started on a Friday when she stopped eating for the first time. By the time we got her to the vet the following Monday morning, she had gone into major liver failure. Ten weeks of round-the-clock care (IV fluids, stomach tube feeding every 4 hours, antibiotic injections, etc.) didn't save our Sadie. Five thousand dollars and buckets of tears later, we had to put our beloved kitty to sleep.

I'll never again look at a picture of an overweight cat without feeling sad and guilty about my beautiful Sadie's suffering.

[Moonman62]

Is that one of the Viking Kitties after the past few month of eating DUmmy trolls?

That would cause severe indigestion, rather than obesity I would think.

[Catnose]

What is it with German cats lately? First it was the one with 4 ears, now this one.

[Windsong]

I think with your post in mind, I will go feed my cat about 5 cats of tuna :)

[Docbarleypop]

Sounds like me!!!

[Arrowhead1952]

That would cause severe indigestion, rather than obesity I would think.

You are probably right about that. DU trolls must taste horrible.

[SoCal Pubbie]

Sorry about your cat. I hope you have another, or get one soon. There's nothing better to help get over the loss of a pet then another furry friend when the time is right.

I think ALL cat owners look at pictures such as the one of this obese feline and know the ramifications. I for one would do all I could to prevent any pet, dog or cat, from gaining so much weight.

[RooRoobird14]

I had never heard of FHL before (and I'm a fairly dedicated cat owner). I didn't know how overweight cats are more likely to get FHL, and how much suffering it causes. I pray every day that Sadie understood we loved her and were trying to help her, not hurt her.

Sorry--I just wish I had known then what I know now........

[RooRoobird14]

We have two other kitties. Yes, they've been much comfort to us, even though they were noticeably depressed after Sadie died. We're thinking about adopting another cat from the Humane Society already. There are so many animals who need good homes.