Underwater treadmill helps fat cat shed pounds

URBANDALE, Iowa — A fat feline is stepping off the pounds on an underwater treadmill.

George is blessed with beautiful hair, beautiful eyes and a big distinction. The Himalayan cat is the largest of Aimee Good's five cats, by an unhealthy margin.

"Well, he's by far and away the biggest. He started at 17-and-a-half pounds. He just likes to eat. He's a sneaky guy. He sneaks into the food," Good told WHO television.

She doesn't want her 12-year-old cat developing diabetes, so she brought George to Urban Pet Hospital.

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He receives laser treatments to loosen him up before his big workout.

"Yeah. They're just so small and compact. Even one pound weight loss is a huge deal for them," said Abigail Feng of the Urban Pet Hospital.

George is shooting for five pounds, losing almost a third of his body weight.

"I mean, you can't really take a cat out and take it for a walk. So...," said Good.

That's when the doctor suggested using an underwater treadmill.

"I was a little unsure how he would do. I mean, we all just kind of said let's give it a shot," said Good.

You can imagine people's reactions to George's personal trainer. Many thought it was a joke, but Good insists that it is not.

"He's doin' a good job. As well as you can expect for a cat on a treadmill," said Good.

He's up to six minutes, three times a week, and doctors say in five or six months, George will shed those five pounds like he sheds hair.

So how much does this training cost? It varies based on the length of the sessions. For George, it's $260 for the first 10 sessions.

CNN/WHO-DT