Obese Pets Put To Test In British 'Biggest Loser'-type Competition (VIDEO)

Fat cat Fifi, 8), currently weighs 20 lbs, twice as much as she should weigh. She is being put on a strict diet with the help of vets and nurses at Bradford PDSA PetAid hospital.

Humans aren't the only ones who suffer from morbid obesity.

Not all fat cats are captains of industry. Some are just pudgy pussies.

But one British charity is taking a weight-and-see approach to pet obesity by holding a contest for some of the country's most overweight animals.

The Pet Fit Club, which is being organized by the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA), will use a Biggest Loser-like competition between 18 lard-bottomed animals, including 11 plump pooches, five corpulent cats and two rotund rabbits, according to FoxNews.com.

Together, the heavyweight housepets weigh a whopping 335 pounds, the equivalent of 380 cans of dog food. These overweight overachievers included Fifi the cat, who tips the scales at 20.5 pounds, and Merlin the Border Collie, who weighs a whopping 93 pounds.

As part of the contest, PDSA vets will advise the pets’ owners on how to get their four-legged fat friends back on track with specially tailored diets and exercise programs.

One owner, Dee Doyle, admitted that it wasn't until recently that she realized that the extra weight that was being carried by her cat, Maverick, was affecting him.

"Maverick’s extra weight is really affecting his well-being,” Doyle told MSNBC.com. “He has trouble breathing and spends most of his time sleeping. I was really shocked when the vet said he is the biggest cat he’d ever seen.”

PDSA veterinarian Dr. Sean Wensley said that obesity presents the same problems in pets as it does in humans.

“Excess pounds can contribute to a number of serious health conditions and, sadly, it does reduce life expectancy,” Dr. Wensley told VetStreet.com a PDSA senior veterinary surgeon, in a statement. “But the good news is that it’s never too late to make positive changes to a pet’s diet and lifestyle.”

The winner of the competition will be announced in September, and the owner will receiving a year's worth of pet food, and a pet-friendly holiday at a Four Seasons hotel.

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Comments

[rob538]

12:18 PM on 04/10/2012

I have six cats that live inside my house with me. Two of them are Siamese cats that I bought 16 years ago. They are fit and healthy. Three of the other cats are rescue cats that showed up outside. All three are fit and healthy. THe last cat was found right after he had been born (his mother didn't want it). I fed it with an eye dropper and little baby bottle. That was 8 years ago. She is the fattest cat I have ever seen. She looks like a little football with legs. She doesn't get special food, or excess food. Her diet is the same as the other cats, but she is way fatter. It has to be related to what she endured as a newborn. Too say that the owners are at fault for their fat cats is not true all the time.

[LCfield90]

11:47 AM on 04/10/2012

It's not just the fact that people don't understand that their pets are not supposed to be overweight, it's the fact that a lot of people just don't care and they think it's cute that they have a fat pet. I used to know someone that had a very obese cat and should would show pictures of it to other people just to get joy out of the stunned looks on their faces. She loved the attention and didn't think there was anything wrong with having a fat pet. The poor cat died of a diabetes complication at six years old. So sad.

[ninjacb]

01:50 PM on 04/09/2012

people often don't realize that treats and over feeding shortens their animals' life when in fact they think they are doing it out of love. it is a case of being uneducated about animal obesity. it is amazing what 10 minutes of play daily can achieve in trimming down an overweight cat. and it is equally amazing how the stress level of a person can go down during that same play time.

[valgonza08]

11:14 AM on 04/09/2012

not surprised...... some parents treat their pets like children and we know some parents feed their children nothing but junk food. Obesity in America is an epidemic that not only affects humans.

[booker52]

08:43 AM on 04/09/2012

The wrong food, too much food and lack of exercise is just plain cruel for animals.

[alanocu]

12:29 AM on 04/09/2012

I find nothing enjoyable or funny about this. Those pets need new owners.

[metalsmithgirl71]

10:29 PM on 04/08/2012

irresponsible pet owners.

[oahuprincesss]

09:58 PM on 04/08/2012

It's easier to kill an animal with "kindness" than it is with anger. The most common way people kill their animals with "kindness" is by allowing them to get fat/overweight.

Animals feel weight gain the same way we do. When they're overweight, it's harder for them to get around. They feel sluggish. They also get many of the same diseases as we. They get kidney failure, heart failure, diabetes.... to name just a few.

KEEP YOUR ANIMALS FIT AND IN SHAPE IF YOU LOVE THEM!!!

[Tibby Oct31]

06:28 PM on 04/08/2012

My Mom had a cat that was even bigger. It was the meanest and most terrifying thing to behold.

One time I casually walked by and it dug its nails into my boots. When I pulled back an entire claw was left imbedded. I visited my Mom less frequent after that.

[oahuprincesss]

10:00 PM on 04/08/2012

Sorry, but your mom is an idiot. If she truly loved that cat, she would have put it on a diet as soon as it became the least bit overweight.

[ninjacb]

01:47 PM on 04/09/2012

easy there. no need to call the guy's mother names. you can make your point with a bit less vehemence, perhaps.

[vwatson524]

04:19 PM on 04/08/2012

My adult Beagle Bert gets a dogdish a day of Beneful dog food and eats it up.He also likes a slice of orange or apple. We have plum and apple trees in the yard and he eats that stuff when it falls from the trees. The vet says he is really healthy and he just turned 10. I guess after chasing squirrels all day he needs a good meal

[J Owen Williams]

04:06 PM on 04/08/2012

Why does huffpost get to use that word in the second line but I can't?

[ces1llc]

08:47 PM on 04/08/2012

Could it be the context in which you used it?

[smeeg]

01:58 PM on 04/08/2012

that's one spoiled cat :D At least he's in a home that loves him. I'd have to admit my cat, Smeeg, is a bit on the pudgy side too. We adopted him and his brother Sebastian from a shelter :D

[dave ochs]

12:24 PM on 04/08/2012

this is one of those fat cats like Mitt Romney.
dave

[oceanview136]

12:21 PM on 04/08/2012

WHEW ! What are these owners feeding those pets !!

[CJRobb]

12:52 PM on 04/08/2012

Probably table/people food. Doubt they got like this on an all cat/dog food diet.

[bonelessfluff]

02:44 PM on 04/08/2012

My cat is a fatty and I only give him regular cat food. But he also loves birds and mice.

[Anybodyseenthepopos]

02:49 AM on 04/08/2012

I guess some pets do resemble their owners. How quaint.