Aretha, has not been photo-shopped, she is a grotesquely obese cat. And, like the article OBESITY IN CATS... and What To Do About An Overweight Cat (http://www.thepetcenter.com/Article.aspx?id=3401) says, obesity in cats is a common problem that can result in Feline Hepatic Lipidosis - (Fatty Liver Disease), diabetes, and arthritis, all serious and debilitating illnesses, and all less likely to occur in "normal" weight cats. The article states than 40% of all domestic cats are obese -- Aretha falls into the category of grossly overweight. When she was brought to the League, a whopping 25 pounds was covering Aretha's small frame. In the few weeks she's been here, thanks to diet and exercise she's lost a little over 2 pounds. The next 8-10 will be harder to lose.
First Lady Michelle Obama has made healthy food choices and exercise one of her "pet" causes. She tells children all over the world that she expects them to eat a well-balanced diet and exercise regularly to stay healthy. Childhood obesity has reached epidemic numbers with one in every five children classified as overweight. Childhood obesity is the result of numerous factors including high calorie food choices, sedentary lifestyles, and irregular eating patterns. Obesity in cats can be attributed to the same, difference being people make the food choices for cats and people make food available to cats 24/7 and people lose interest in making sure that their cats get exercise. AND, people often think fat cats are cute. Think Garfield, think Morris.
Aretha is not cute. But, she's sweet. And, with help from the food police and personal trainers at the League, Aretha will get to a normal cat weight, which is rarely more than 12 pounds!
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