A cat weighing 2st 9lb is in contention to be named the world's fattest moggy.
''It's also tough on his joints. He has a stiff little stilty walk.''
The two-year-old animal, called Meow, has been feasting on fatty leftovers leaving him four times heavier than a normal feline his age.
Vets have now put Meow on a diet because they say he weighs the equivalent of a 43st human, and he is displaying similar health risks as a result.
Dr. Jennifer Steketee of the Santa Fe Animal Shelter in New Mexico, US, is quoted by Metro as saying: ''There is extra pressure on his heart from all that extra fat he's carrying around.
''It's also tough on his joints. He has a stiff little stilty walk.''
