Monster moggy gets diet paws for thought

Obese pets are being targeted in a major new slimming campaign after a survey showed that one in three dogs in the region are overweight.

To tackle the problem, the PDSA has launched a Pets Fit Club to encourage the owners of fat cats and dogs to put their pets on a diet. One of the first patients to sign up in Wolverhampton was Smoky, owned by Tettenhall pensioner June Cartwright, who was shocked to learn that the fluffy grey cat was almost double the weight he should be.

Now the 77-year-old has put Smoky on a calorie-controlled eating programme to reduce his sizeable 22lb frame. She said: "I didn't really notice he'd put on weight because he's quite fluffy, although other people kept saying he had.

"It wasn't until I tried to put him in his cat carrier to take him to the vet that I realised he had a problem as he wouldn't fit inside."

June, of Manor Street, was told Smoky could not be treated for a scar on his face until he was nearer his 12lb ideal weight.

Tim Browning, senior veterinary surgeon at the Wolverhampton PDSA, said being fed leftovers was the most common cause of flab in animals. He said: "The thing about leftover food is it's very difficult to measure how much you're giving."

But he said the medical problems caused can be the same as suffered by humans. These include arthritis, heart disease and diabetes.

June insists she has never overfed 10-year-old Smoky, or given him titbits, but has now exchanged his fattening cat meat for a recommended feed from the PDSA.