Evansville's Internet-famous fat cat continues to drop pounds in the swimming pool

EVANSVILLE − Weight loss (and the accompanying better health) is on the minds of a lot of Americans these days.

As it turns out, even some of the animals out there need to drop a few pounds, too.

With that in mind, meet Ty − affectionately dubbed "Thicken Nugget" − a chubby orange cat surrendered to the Vanderburgh Humane Society earlier this year. At that point, he weighed 30 pounds. Since then, his handlers have put him on an exercise-and-diet routine.

In the weeks since, he's become lighter. He's also established himself as a social media star.

"His former family had a baby who ended up being allergic to cats," said Laurie Miller, the humane society's development and public relations coordinator. "He was also sort of upset by the presence of the baby, so it was a little stressed in the house."

Unfortunately, along the way, Ty found a friend in food.

Upon arriving at the humane society, staffers did tests and x-rays to understand what was wrong with him. He was diagnosed with morbid obesity and had a risk of developing diabetes. X-rays showed that his thoracic spine was starting to give out. If that happens, it would affect his lungs and other vital organs.

The care team contacted the Canine Aquatic Center, which had recently opened in Evansville. Officials there said they believe in giving animals the best when it comes to rehab and fitness.

According to the center's website, the benefits of aqua therapy include an enhanced range of motion, reduced pain and stronger muscles. All that can assist in weight loss and have other positive impacts.

As with the BMI measurement for humans, pets have a body condition score scale. The National Institutes of Health describe the scale this way: "By palpating and observing fats under the skin, it is possible to predict animal's body fat accumulation condition. BCS is also a useful tool to estimate body fat composition in dogs."

A score of 1-3 is considered "too thin." A score of 4-5 is "ideal." A pet with a score of 6-9 is considered "overweight or too heavy."

In the United States, 22% of dogs and 33% of cats can be categorized as obese (an 8 or 9 on the scale). When you expand the range to include body scores of 6 or 7, the number jumps to 59% of dogs and 61% of cats in America.

It was apparent that Ty was on the upper end of the scale.

When he first came to the VHS, Ty had limited mobility but was still very chatty and talkative.

"He just talks and will stare at you for attention," Miller said. "Then you look at him and he'll just let out this big 'Meow.'"

In February, he started his journey as the first cat from the Vanderburgh Humane Society to travel and take aquatic therapy twice a week.

That's how the Internet found out about him.

The center shared progress videos on Facebook of him getting into the water and learning to swim. In each video, you hear his loud meows fill up the pool area. While most cats will scream in pain or the need to get out of the source of water, Ty seems to enjoy it.

As the weeks have continued, you see him progressing to the point of swimming with little assistance. A big improvement compared to the how limited his mobility was at first, Miller said.

"A body in motion stays in motion," Miller said.

While he doesn't like toys, Ty does love flipping on his back and getting rubs from curious visitors.

He's not the only fat cat that VHS has, and officials at the shelter hope he will set a precedent for others to lose weight or rehab like this.

Until he hits his goal weight of 20 pounds, Ty will not be put up for adoption. As of Tuesday, he was down to 26 pounds. The humane society's executive director, Kendall Paul, said Ty is being fed Science Diet to help manage his weight.

"We don't put him up for adoption until they reach (the goal weight) because in the past we've had people who say they'll continue the regimen, but they don't, and then (the animal) ends right back up where they started," Paul said.

Nevertheless, Ty has a home in the the humane society's clinic, where he has full license to walk around and get pets or cuddles from the staff. He's even a good foot warmer for the clinic receptionist.

"We're hoping that his story is inspirational," Miller said.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Fat cat Ty becomes a social media star at Vanderburgh Humane Society