Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/obese-cats/

When the Animal Rescue League of Boston received two morbidly obese cats, they decided to do everything in their power to help the cats recover.

According to a press release from the rescue, Maleficent, a 3-year-old female, and King, a 7-year-old male, were brought into the rescue weighing in at around 30 pounds each.

The rescue said, “Staff and volunteers have dedicated themselves to helping these 30-pound cats in any way possible to help them lose weight and find the forever homes they deserve.”

According to the ASPCA, approximately 530,000 of the 3.2 million cats (about 16.5%) that are brought into shelters in the U.S. annually are euthanized instead of adopted.

King and Maleficent might’ve been euthanized if they’d been taken into a high-kill shelter but they received a supportive team dedicated to their care instead.

The ARL press release said, “Given their condition, they were unable to groom themselves, leading to painful mats in their fur, and were relatively immobile.”

Staff and volunteers began working with the cats to get them on a proper diet and exercise regimen. Additionally, they helped groom the cats. “To date, the cats are both responding well, they have come out of their shells and are starting to show their sweet and playful sides, and have both lost several pounds over the past month or so,” the rescue wrote.

Once the cats lose enough weight, they’ll be placed for adoption through the Animal Rescue League but their weight loss journey won’t stop there.

While both cats have made incredible progress in their weight loss journeys so far and plan to continue to do so, ARL said that they would both need committed families that could continue to help them on their weight loss journeys.

Like with humans, obesity in cats can lead to a host of health issues such as diabetes, high blood pressure, renal disease, and respiratory disease, among others.

You can read about other animals and their weight loss journeys in the articles below:

Obese Dog Makes An Incredible Weight Loss Transformation

Morbidly Obese Cat Named Cinderblock Is Inspiring Others Through Her Weight Loss Journey

A Rescued Overweight Senior Dog Made An Amazing Transformation Under Her Dad’s Fitness Training

23-Pound Shelter Cat Seeks Active Family To Help Her Lose Weight

Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog