Overweight cat now healthy enough to be rehomed
Rainbow was so overweight that she was unable to groom and barely able to walk.
A dangerously overweight four-year-old cat has lost 4.6 kilograms since arriving at Cats Protection’s Bridgend adoption centre in March 2022. When the cat was first brought to the centre, she weighed 12.7 kilograms, was unable to groom and barely able to walk.
The rescue cat, named Rainbow, had red, crusty eyes and was infested with fleas because the individual parasite treatments did not contain enough medication to treat a cat of her size. Her inability to clean had left her legs covered in urine burns, and the skin around her rear-end inflamed and sore, resulting in total fur loss. Before treatment, the affected area had to be shaved and bathed.
Because rapid weight loss can be dangerous to cats, Rainbow’s diet and exercise was managed under supervision from a veterinary surgeon, while considering her organs and joints, that were being put under pressure from the excess weight.
Jenna Butcher, deputy manager at Bridgend said: “When Rainbow was first brought to the centre she had very little mobility and couldn’t show any natural cat behaviours like grooming, moving or playing, which was very distressing and uncomfortable for Rainbow and also upsetting for us to see. Her owner had not intended to do her harm but had mistakenly tried to show Rainbow affection through food which ultimately almost killed her.”
Rainbow is still twice the weight of an average cat, but Cats Protection are now looking for her new home where she can continue her weight loss. The charity warns that cats that have previously been obese are more likely to gain weight again, and that her new owners must keep her on a calorie-controlled diet.
Marie Morley, Rainbow’s fosterer, said: “Rainbow’s eyesight is limited but this hasn’t stopped her from revealing her ‘inner cat’ in a way that seemed impossible when she first arrived at the centre.
“Rainbow is adored by everyone who meets her and now needs to find a new home with owners who will continue to support her on her weight loss journey and will lavish her with the love she deserves.”
Cats Protection urges anyone with concerns about their cat’s health or weight to speak to their veterinary surgeon.
With Strangles Awareness Week just around the corner (5-11 May), vets are being encouraged to share a survey about the disease with their horse-owning clients.
