Ginger cat Motsy has already done the hard work of starting to shift her excess pounds.
Now, she just needs a loving home where she can keep up the hard work of her weight loss journey.
When the ten-year-old kitty arrived at RSPCA’s Newport Animal Centre in October, after her owner passed away, she weighed 10.1kg – more than twice the weight of an average adult cat and around the same size as a small dog.
Motsy was so tubby that she couldn’t get in and out of the cat flap in her pod at the shelter.
Staff decided that being moved to a foster home would help her to lose weight and get more exercise.
Moving in with fosterer Danni Wilson in November did the trick – Motsy has already lost an impressive 2kg.
But now, she’s in need of a full-time, long-term home where she can fully thrive.
Danni said: ‘At first she was very nervous and had a particular fear of hands, so I started off by initially stroking her with my head.
‘In the following weeks and months her personality really started to shine through and now she follows me around and likes to play and have a fuss, although everything is very much on her own terms.
‘We think she became overweight as a result of helping herself to her previous owner’s food and never going outside to get exercise, although she’s slowly started to show an interest in my garden and likes to sit by the back door and enjoy the sun.
‘The weight has gradually begun to come off – she’s already lost an amazing 2kg (4.4lb) and she can now just about reach the base of her tail.
‘But she’s still very heavy and will need to continue to shed some pounds to get down to a healthier size.’
Kath Logan, deputy manager at Newport Animal Centre, said: ‘We think Motsy is the heaviest cat we’ve ever rehomed.
”She’s a beautiful girl who has come such a long way and we are all so proud of her.
‘She’s now feeling much more comfortable in her own skin, but she still struggles to groom herself properly, so she will appreciate an owner that is able to give her a helping hand with this for the foreseeable future.
‘It’s also very important that she continues with a sensible feeding regime to enable her to carry on losing weight, and this is something we will discuss with potential owners.’
Motsy is after a home where she can happily play with her toys and explore a secure garden or catio, with no other cats or dogs or children.
She’ll need a hand with grooming until she loses more weight, and will want some patience as she settles in and lets her personality shine through.
If you’re interested in rehoming Motsy, you can fill in the RSPCA’s online form here.
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