Feline fine: Fat cat is winning his battle with the bulge

Jinky has embarked on a weight loss mission after tipping the scales at nearly 11kg.

Jack Thomson

24th Apr 2020

A fat cat who tipped the scales at nearly 11kg is winning his battle of the bulge on a strict diet regime.

When portly puss Jinky, 13, was taken in by Cats Protection’s Glasgow Adoption Centre, following the death of his owner, it became clear he had been living a life of luxury.

Weighing 10.98kg when he was first admitted – more than double the recommended weight for a feline – he embarked on a lifestyle change.

The cat took some time to adjust to a new home and went off food for a while, losing weight immediately, before settling on his prescribed diet.

Charlaine Tighe, deputy manager at the adoption centre, said: “The funny thing is Jinky is actually very fussy with food and we found in order to get him to eat he likes for one of us to be his dining companion.

“For a big lad who barely tolerated us he now can’t get enough interaction, and it’s not for treats. We think his dinners at home were probably human foods, but here he is given special obesity food, with a weekly treat of chicken.”

Thanks to a carefully monitored diet, his weight has dropped to 9.5kg, while staff are aiming to get him down to 8kg .

However, any potential owner will be asked to commit to sticking with the weight loss diet to reduce it further, likely down to a more slender 6kg.

Jinky has been thoroughly checked over by a vet and, while he doesn’t appear to have any significant health problems, obesity can put cats at higher risk of diabetes, arthritis and heart problems.

Advice on helping cats to eat healthily can be found here.