AN OVERWEIGHT cat is shedding weight thanks to innovative hydrotherapy treatment.
Nine year-old Moses underwent hydrotherapy at Avonvale Veterinary Centre in Wellesbourne, bucking the well-known trend of cats disliking water.
Veterinary hydrotherapist Olivia Stokes said patience and perseverance paid off with Moses, who is now slimming down nicely thanks to the innovative treatment.
She explained: “When he first came to us, Moses was nearly 10Kg in weight. His owner said he had been on diets and been encouraged to exercise before but had still not able to lose weight.
“So, we decided to try a different approach with hydrotherapy. It’s a very unusual approach in caring for cats.
“I have been in the industry for five years and I have never experienced hydro with a cat before, so Moses was a first for me.
“That is because cats don’t usually like water and, sure enough, on his first taster session Moses was not impressed at all. He needed a lot of encouragement as he resisted the treatment.
“At the start, I tried gradually increasing the water level for him, like we would for a dog, but this wasn’t well tolerated.
“I also tried all sorts of cat treats but he wasn’t interested in them for long either. So, then I ran the treadmill dry with no water to just get him used to walking. I then added water and found lowering him into the treadmill worked best.
“Fast forward down the line and Moses now sits in the tank as I increase the water level, then knows exactly what to do.
“Once he has been walking for 13 minutes, I then lift him up, raise the water level further, and swim him for a couple of minutes to give him a full body workout.”
Olivia’s care and attention are now paying dividends and Moses is starting to shape up. He’s shedding weight, toning his muscles and is far more active and livelier at home.
Olivia is delighted, adding: “When Moses was at his heaviest, he was 9.7kg. At his last weigh-in, he was 9.1kg.
“That’s a loss in body weight of almost four per cent in about six weeks, which is perfect as we don’t want to lose the weight too quickly.
“The important thing is that his body shape is clearly changing as he loses the fat and builds back muscle. He is also a lot more active at home and generally feeling much better in himself.”
