From Fluff to Fitness: The Heartwarming Tale of Patches, the 40-Pound Cat, Finding a Forever Home and Embarking on a Health Journey
Like any other animal, cats can get fat because they eat too much, don’t get enough exercise, or are born that way. This can make people live shorter lives and make them more likely to get sick. A huge 40.3-pound cat called Patches was brought to the Richmond Animal Care and Control Centre not too long ago. The shelter shared a picture of Patches on Facebook, which got the attention of a new owner who wants to help Patches lose weight by giving him a special diet and making him work out. Patches’ new owner, Kay Ford, needed help from someone else to get his cage out of the shelter. Ford wants to make Patches an account on social media so that fans can follow his growth. You can follow Patches’ Journey on Facebook if you’re interested.
Recently, the RACC shelter in Virginia got a lot of attention for a story about a cat named Patches who was adopted after being in the shelter for almost 11 years. Bored Panda talked to Kay, who adopted Patches, to get a better idea of how the process works. Kay said that her daughter told her about Patches by sending her a text message about the RACC post. Kay replied quickly to the email invitation to meet Patches. She knew she could give him the best home possible after she met him. She was worried that her other cat wouldn’t like Patches, but after a few days, he did. She was also worried that she wouldn’t be picked to adopt Patches, but she was. Before he found his happy home, Patches had been at the RACC shelter for almost 11 years.
Patches was lucky to find his forever home soon after his picture went viral online. All because of how powerful social media can be.
Patches, who used to live at the RACC shelter, has found a new home with two other pet friends: a cat and a dog. We were interested to see how the other pets acted around the new pet. Kay says that Bella, a 13-year-old Yorkie who is friendly with everyone and everything, didn’t care about the new dog. Wellesley stayed away from Patches at first and hissed, but he finally got used to him, and now they’re friends.
We all love a cute and cuddly cat, but it’s important to remember that Patches’ extra weight was bad for his health.
Kay, Patches’s owner, talked about the plan they made for their pet, who needs to lose some weight, to do so. But it’s important to remember that this plan might not work for every pet because each one has different needs. Before starting any plan to help your pet lose weight, you should always talk to your vet first. Before trying Patches’ plan or any other weight loss programme, it’s important to talk to a veterinarian for help.
Patches, the cute furry animal in the picture, has been put on a personalized programme to help him lose weight. The programme includes changes to his diet and physical exercises. The experts put together the programme with his special needs and health conditions in mind.
Kay made a detailed plan for Patches’s food and workouts. Dr. Meaghan from Wellesley Animal Hospital didn’t put Patches on prescription food, but she did give Kay a list of four high-quality canned food brands to add to his diet. Patches only gets wet food, no sauce, because cats don’t need it. Kay is slowly adding pate to Patches’s shredded food, while decreasing the amount of shredded food. Cats that don’t drink enough water need to eat wet food. Patches likes dry food, so Kay is giving him less of it and adding a drop to his wet food. Patches doesn’t eat a lot, so he eats small amounts all day long. Kay plays with Patches for at least 10 minutes, four times a day, to get some exercise. She also takes advantage of Wellesley’s fun to get even more exercise. Patches’s joints hurt when he walks, so he doesn’t do it by force. Kind Facebook users have given us a cat wheel and an angled cat scratcher with catnip. Lastly, a company gave Patches a cat scale and an app for electronic tracking of his weight and nutrition so that he doesn’t have to go to Richmond every week to get weighed and so that he doesn’t have to worry as much. Kay will tell us every week how much Patches has gained or lost.
You can follow Patches’s journey on a Facebook page that his owner, Kay Ford, made for him. This way, you can always know what’s going on with Patches’ journey.
Kay started a Facebook page to share Patches’s weight loss story and keep people up to date on how he was doing. When asked what made her start this project, she said she wanted people to know how Patches was doing and was sure they would enjoy it. Since then, the page on Facebook has grown a lot.
Patches’ Journey earns our best wishes as he starts his journey to get to the weight he wants. We hope that he is always cared for and loved during this time.
Kay from the book Patches’ Journey says that it’s important to help the animal shelters in your area. We need to help these shelters take care of and protect the cute animals they take in. These animals only know how to love without conditions, which is a rare and valuable trait. So, let’s do what we can to help the cat shelters in our area.
Patches’ Journey’s image credit is a touching reminder that as pet owners, we should always prioritize the health and well-being of our furry friends.
Image credit: Patches’ Journey
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