Chubby Rescue Cat Looking For Someone Who Will Love All Of Him

"Wilford’s personality is even bigger than his belly!"

At 28 pounds, Wilford is hard to miss. Especially when the fluffy gray cat is showing off his round belly.

"He rolls back and forth onto his back numerous times a day," Jen, Wilford's foster mom, told The Dodo. "Sometimes he seems to be asking for belly rubs, and sometimes it truly seems like he's doing it in a 'Woe is me!' way."

Getting him on his feet and moving, however, is another matter.

Surrendered to a local shelter in early December, the 8-year-old cat was taken in by Lost Dog and Cat Rescue, a rescue group based in Virginia. Soon after, he traveled to his foster home in Washington, D.C. 

His foster parents were intent on helping him lose weight, but when Wilford arrived, the large cat was struggling to eat. “He is insanely sweet, but he’s also confused, stressed out, and overwhelmed by all the changes in his life,” Jen wrote on Instagram.

"Transitions like this are difficult for any cat, and Wilford was no exception," she said. "He had just lost his family, home, and routine.  He was in a new environment, with new people, new smells, new sounds, and other cats."

Jen and Ian brought Wilford to the vet, where they discovered that the obese cat was also suffering from asthma and a mild upper respiratory infection.

It’s been a struggle to get Wilford healthy and on the path to weight loss — but his loving foster parents will do anything to give the cat the life he deserves. 

“Wilford is on a restricted-calorie diet and eating high-quality food. He’s getting exercise on a daily basis, and he’s starting to wheeze less and less every day,” Jen wrote. “He’s struggling to get his bowels moving consistently, but he’s happy, purrs when pet, and enjoys cuddles and playing with toys.”

"Wilford’s personality is even bigger than his belly!" she added.

After a month with his foster family, Wilford is finally losing weight and feeling more comfortable. When he's not doing his daily exercise, the chill cat always seems to be on his back, wagging his tail contentedly.

And he's finally ready to find someone who will love him forever — all of him.

"He is an incredibly sweet guy with an amazing personality," Jen said. "We really think he'll thrive and shed those pounds in the right environment with the right folks."

If you live in the Washington, D.C. area and are interested in adopting Wilford, you can contact his foster family directly. Wilford is still a bit nervous around other cats and would do best in a home where he is the only animal.