Internet cat enthusiasts have a special place in their hearts for chubby cats. And who doesn’t love cats with cow-patterned fur? When these two qualities come together, the result is simply irresistible. Meet Keith, a delightful British spotted cat who is overflowing with love and kindness. Despite his young age of six months, Keith had a rough start in life. He was rescued from the streets when he was very sick with Feline Herpesvirus and digestive problems. Nevertheless, Keith’s vivacious and playful personality quickly won over the hearts of his new owners. His devotion to the owner’s daughter, who has autism, is particularly remarkable. The two became inseparable friends. I had the opportunity to speak with Keith’s owner, who shared more about Keith’s incredible story. I am delighted to share it with you here. So get ready to fall in love with this extraordinary feline, whose warmth and charm will captivate you.
Could you share the tale of how Keith became a member of your household? Back in 2013, my daughter and I were spending time volunteering at a local cat shelter when we stumbled upon a frail kitten who was suffering from cat flu and gastrointestinal problems. Despite receiving medical aid for a month, his condition wasn’t improving. However, the kitten found his way to my daughter and formed a special connection with her by following her around and even jumping up onto her shoulders. Concerned about the kitten’s well-being, I chose to take him home, but had to keep him isolated from my other cats due to his contagious illness. Without my daughter’s knowledge, I secretly took him to the vet for further tests. The following day, which was also my daughter Charlie’s tenth birthday, we surprised her with the six-month-old kitten from the vet. At first, she called him Spartacus because she thought he was a brave warrior, but later decided to rename him Keith after the comedian Keith Lemon because of his lively and humorous personality.
I’ve noticed that my furry friend, Keith, has recently shed some pounds and I’m eager to find out how he managed to do it. Keith has always had trouble keeping his weight in check, even when he was a young kitten. He weighed in at 5.5kg when he turned one and our vet suggested a special diet for him. However, Keith is quite the foodie and couldn’t resist the urge to eat more than he should. This led to him feeling stressed and unwell with flu symptoms.
To make matters worse, Keith loved to explore outside and often devoured food from bins or other sources, causing him to become even more unwell. We tried limiting his food intake using a special feeder but he still managed to gain weight. Even moving to a new home and making him an indoor cat didn’t seem to help much.
We spent a lot of money trying to understand why Keith continues to put on weight. The vet believes he may have a pituitary gland issue but an expensive MRI was not a viable option since there was little we could do about it even if we found out for sure.
Our main focus now is to prevent Keith from gaining any more weight. He’s quite the food thief, so we’re trying different tactics to keep him away from food and slow down his eating. Despite his weight issues, Keith remains lively and active – something unusual for a cat his size.
