A dangerously obese cat is looking for her forever home after going on a year-long diet and lost a THIRD of her body weight.<br /><br />Four-year-old Rainbow originally weighed in at a massive 12.7kg and could barely walk, groom or clean herself.<br /><br />But now Rainbow, who is still twice the weight of an average cat, has lost 4.6kg since March last year.<br /><br />The meaty moggy was taken in, and cared for, by experts at Cats Protection Adoption Centre, Bridgend. <br /><br />Rainbow's legs were covered in urine burns as a result of her inability to clean herself, resulting in total fur loss and inflamed sore skin around her rear-end.<br /><br />She also had red, crusty eyes and was covered in fleas, given that most standard treatments did not contain enough medicine to treat a cat of her size.<br /><br />But since being on a "strict diet" and undertaking regular "gentle exercise", the white and tortoiseshell feline now weighs just 8.1kg and is ready to be re-homed.<br /><br />Jenna Butcher. deputy manager at the adoption centre, said: "Rainbow had very little mobility and couldn’t show any natural cat behaviours like grooming, moving or playing.<br /><br />"It was very distressing, and uncomfortable for Rainbow, and also upsetting for us to see.<br /><br />“Her owner had not intended to do her harm, but had mistakenly tried to show Rainbow affection through food, which ultimately almost killed her."<br /><br />"Rainbow was put onto a strict diet under vet supervision and given lots of love and care, firstly from the staff at the centre, then from her fosterer.<br /><br />“Rapid weight loss can be dangerous to cats.<br /><br />"But Rainbow’s organs and joints were also under pressure, so we had to play a balancing act to keep her as safe and healthy as possible while ensuring she lost the weight gradually."<br /><br />Rainbow still has a significant amount of weight to lose.<br /><br />She must be kept on a calorie-controlled diet to safeguard her against future obesity, as cats are more likely to put on weight when they have previously been obese.<br /><br />It is unlikely Rainbow would survive another period of serious weight gain.<br /><br />Rainbow’s fosterer Marie Morley said: “Despite Rainbow’s tough start in life she is the sweetest, gentlest girl. <br /><br />"When she first came to me she could barely walk before having to stop and rest, now she can jump up onto the settee without any effort.<br /><br />"She has become inquisitive and even plays with toys when she wants to!<br /><br />“Rainbow’s eyesight is limited, but this hasn’t stopped her from revealing her ‘inner cat’ in a way that seemed impossible when she first arrived at the centre. <br /><br />"Rainbow loves attention, a head rub and a tickle are among her favourites. <br /><br />Rainbow is looking for a home where she can mainly be an indoor cat due to her restricted eyesight, but ideally somewhere with an enclosed garden for supervised time outdoors too.<br /><br />She would be best-suited to a home with no other pets or children due to her strict diet and need for plenty of encouragement and interaction.<br /><br />For more information on Rainbow visit: www.cats.org.uk/bridgend
