Fat cats are cute; there’s no doubt about it. But no matter how much we love hugging our flabby tabbies, being severely overweight isn’t good for cats. That’s why Boo the Elf cat has worked hard to drop an impressive amount of weight.
Boo used to live with a family, but found himself locked away in a room due to a child’s allergy. The sweet Elf didn’t set out to get so tubby, but when left alone with only a food bowl for company, boredom and loneliness led to obesity.
When the people he lived with learned they had another baby on the way, they decided to send Boo packing. This eviction turned out to be the best thing for Boo as he soon found a forever home that would lavish him with love and get his feline waistline back in shape.
Chubby Cat Gets Fit
Boo weighed in at about 25 lbs. when his forever mom, Courtney Haney, adopted him into the family. As Elf cats usually weigh 10-15 pounds as a breed average, Courtney knew she had to get Boo on a diet to give him a chance at a healthy life.
Courtney told the Dodo, “We put him on a feeding schedule of two wet foods a day and some dry mixed in throughout the day.”
Cats don’t like to be hungry, so a kitty on a diet can be a challenge! But Boo now had animal siblings to play with and hopefully distract him from the hunger pangs. Meeting Lamb the cat, Boo found not only a sibling, but a friend to love.
Lamb helped Boo get lots of exercise, reminding him how good it felt to play. And his parents loved to get in on the fit fun too, Courtney sharing, “We played with him and Lamb a lot, so he became pretty active.”
Melon the cat joined the family after Boo, but she quickly became part of the exercise squad too!
Boo also made fast friends with a rescue dog named Penny Lane when the family adopted her.
It turned out Penny Lane made an excellent partner-in-crime when it came to sneaking snacks. Their mom told on their devious doings, explaining, “they’ll help each other steal food off the counter.”
Losing Big Lbs.
But a few stolen treats haven’t undone Boo and his family’s hard work. The handsome cat has lost 8 pounds and been given a clean bill of health from his vet.
“It took us about two years to get him down to the 16 pounds he is now and he’s been able to stay that way with his daily activity and feeding schedule,” Courtney revealed. “Boo has lost a third of his body weight!”
Though Boo has slimmed down, his love for food has not waned. He even enjoys a dog treat if he can get one, using “his huge paws to open the dog treat containers and run off with biscuits.”
Playful, cute, and obsessed with food…Boo sounds like a happy cat to us!
H/T: www.pawsplanet.me
Feature Image: @adventuresofcatchild/Instagram