Tubby tabby in Winnipeg goes to boot camp to slim down

A Winnipeg cat has a lot on his plate right now.

Eddie, a shelter cat at Quagga Stray Cat Rescue, tipped the scales at more than 10 kilograms recently.

That means he's morbidly obese and has prompted veterinary staff at the Tuxedo Animal Hospital to help the tubby tabby trim down, increasing the chances he'll be adopted out again. 

Eddie is now going to boot camp at the veterinarian's. 

Dr. Jonas Watson said Eddie has already lost almost a kilogram in three weeks.  

"We've never actually had a cat come to weight loss boot camp here, so it's been quite an exciting experience for the entire staff."

Watson said Eddie's now hit a plateau, but is optimistic he'll get Eddie down to just over 6 kg.

Eddie is on a high protein wet food diet. He's not allowed dry cat food since it's packed with carbohydrates and sugar. 

Watson said Eddie is taking his time learning the art of portion control: the animal is so sedentary he usually eats lying down. 

"When you're this into food, it's not surprising that you pack on the pounds like he has," said Watson.  

At boot camp, Eddie has to put in some work before he gets fed. He gets on a balancing board to build up his core strength. Watson said it hasn't been easy for Eddie. 

"A heavy cat like Eddie is not that inclined to exercise anyway," he said. "So we do have to employ some strategies to encourage him to move around and encourage him to eat the right kinds of food."

The veterinary staff has a month to figure out the right routine to kick-start his weight loss, then Eddie can go back to the shelter to wait for another, permanent home. 

Quagga spokesperson Maureen McCurry said Eddie's had a rough time. 

"He got adopted when he was about a year old and then he was returned after about five, six years," she said. "Then he got adopted again and unfortunately returned to us."  

Eddie is one of about 100 cats waiting to be adopted at the shelter.