Meow, the 37-pound cat passes away in Santa Fe

Meow, the 37-pound cat who captured the national spotlight, died on Saturday afternoon from respiratory distress.

"Meow had been doing so well in his foster home; walking up stairs and seeking affection - that it is so very hard to believe he is gone," Executive Director at Santa Fe Animal Shelter Mary Martin said in a Facebook post.

The Santa Fe Animal Shelter said Meow started wheezing last Thursday in his foster home. The cat saw several veterinarians but they were unable to stop the pulmonary failure.

"We will forever be grateful for the attention Meow’s size brought to pet obesity and to animal shelters across the country. We are especially grateful to all of you who fell in love with this charming cat - as we did – and were so very interested in his progress and success," Martin said.

Marie Stewart's mom raised the cat near Roswell until she could no longer care for the animal.  She says her family is heartbroken, and that she hopes everyone can take something special from Meow's life.  

http://www.koat.com/news/new-mexico/albuquerque/37-pound-cat-passes-away-in-Santa-Fe/-/9153728/12704754/-/10ddfinz/-/index.html

Millions of fat cats and dogs are being 'killed with kindness'

More than a third of dogs (2.9million) are overweight or obese while 25 per cent of cats (3 million) suffer the same problem, according to figures from the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals, PDSA.

Overweight pets run the serious risk of developing diabetes, heart disease and arthritis, and have a lower life expectancy than healthy pets.

But despite the consequences of a poor diet, 90 per cent of dog owners admit to feeding their pets treats such as cheese, crisps, cakes, biscuits, toast and takeaways.

Sean Wensley, PDSA Senior Veterinary Surgeon, said: “Excess pounds can contribute to a number of serious health conditions and, sadly, it does reduce life expectancy.

“We have found that many owners are unaware that their pets are overweight, which suggests there is widespread misunderstanding about what a healthy-sized pet looks like.

Read on:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/petshealth/9171681/Millions-of-fat-cats-and-dogs-are-being-killed-with-kindness.html