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A New Beginning for Patches, 40-Pound Shelter Cat Gets a Forever Loving Home and a Special Diet!
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Cats, like any other animal, can become overweight due to a variety of factors such as overfeeding, lack of exercise, or genetics.
This can lead to several health issues and reduce a cat's lifespan. While obesity in cats is a common issue, there are some cases that are particularly alarming.
One such case is Patches, a cat who came into the care of Richmond Animal Care and Control weighing a staggering 40.3 pounds.
Fortunately, Patches found a new owner, Kay Ford, who was determined to help him lose weight and improve his health.
Within a day of the shelter posting his photo on Facebook, Patches had been matched with Kay.
She was committed to giving him a special diet and exercise regimen to help him shed the extra weight.
To carry Patches’ cage out of the shelter, Kay needed a second person to help her, emphasizing the extent of his weight issue.
Patches is now living with two other pets in the household, another cat and a dog.
Kay explained that the dog, Bella, a 13-year-old Yorkie, was happy to welcome a new life form and showed no issues.
However, Wellesley the cat initially hissed and kept his distance for a few days before warming up to Patches. Now, they are friends!
Kay created out a detailed plan to help Patches lose weight.
Diet obviously played a big part, after getting advice from a vet she opted for an all-wet food diet included the occasional sprinkling of kibble.
She knew because of his size that exercise would not be easy, so she started off with 10 minutes of dedicated playing 4 times a day.
And of course, he plays with Wellesley which is a good form of exercise, and according to Kay, most of their playtime together occurs after midnight!
Kay has been documenting Patches' weight loss journey on a Facebook page that she created to share his progress with others.
When asked what inspired her to do this, Kay explained that she wanted to keep people informed of Patches' progress and let them know that he was doing well.
She's grateful that the page has gained a lot of attention, it's become a source of inspiration for many others who are struggling with overweight pets.
He has also gained many fans that want to help him on his journey:
"A wonderful Facebook follower has donated a cat wheel. We are thrilled. He won’t be up to it for a while, but in the meantime, I bet Wellesley will be a master at it, as his zoomies are legendary!" Kay shared on social media.
"Another wonderful Facebook follower sent a great inclined cat scratcher, complete with catnip that had Patches’ full attention at 3:30 am this morning. We are so, so grateful for the generosity," she added.
Kay also shared an important message: she urges everyone to support their local animal shelters in any way they can.
"The animals there need our support, and the shelters provide vital care and protection to these beautiful creatures who only know how to love unconditionally."
Supporting local animal shelters can help ensure that more animals like Patches receive the love, care, and support they need to thrive.
We'd like to thank Kay for her dedication in helping Patches achieve his weight loss goal.
You can follow Patches progress on Facebook
Related story: Man Went Shopping for Cat Food and Came Out with a 25lb Bag of Cat!
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