Obese 26-Lb. Shelter Cat Goes on Christmas Diet

London's Battersea animal shelter says 8-year-old Texas is the largest feline they've ever encountered

Published on November 23, 2014 12:20 AM

He’s kind of a big deal.

Texas, a 26-lb. shelter cat named after the large Lone Star state, is making headlines in the U.K. for his dangerously huge size.

The 8-year-old feline, who was recently taken in by the Battersea Dog and Cat Home in London, England, after presumably being fed too much by his now-deceased owner, is embarking on a strict diet and exercise plan to lose weight (safely) during the holidays and beyond.

“For Texas this really is a very serious health issue he’s battling,” SuiLi Weight, a team leader at the shelter, told the Daily Mail. “At Battersea we take in around 3,000 cats every year, so we see cats of all shapes and sizes, but Texas is by far the biggest cat we’ve ever seen.”

Texas is so large that staff there had to take charge of his surroundings, added Weight: “We have had to specially kit out his pen with a double-wide staircase up to his bed and extra bedding to make sure he is comfortable.”

The shelter told the Daily Mail that the long-haired kitty is three-times the size of a normal cat, and while many people get a giggle looking at Texas, they stress that his situation is no laughing matter.

“You may think you are showing it love by giving it treats and feeding it human foods, but it’s in fact an incredibly cruel thing to do in the long run,” Weight said.