Fat cat Willie's slimming crown

Willie lost weight through dieting and daily exercise

A strict diet and lots of exercise have turned a corpulent cat called Willie into UK pet slimmer of the year.

The nine-year-old has shed 2kg (4.4lb) to be crowned UK pet slimmer of the year at a trim 6.9kg (15lb).

Owner Helen Ebrahim said the turning point was moving from the USA to Pembrokeshire about three years ago.

"When we were in America he was an indoor cat and just got bigger and bigger as I was away all day in work," she explained.

"He went to the vet regularly in the states but they would just say 'he's big' and that was the end of that," said Ms Ebrahim, of Manorbier.

"When I brought to him to the vets here they asked if I heard about the weight loss programme.

"As well as the diet he plays outdoors and we have at least 15 minutes of active play a day.

It's the same as for people - exercise and diet Owner Helen Ebrahim

"He has more energy and you can see a big change in him - not just physically.

"It's the same as for people - exercise and diet."

Willie has been shedding the weight under the watchful eye of Cathy Raymond - a nurse with training in pet nutrition at the Kingston Veterinary Group in Pembroke.

She is helping around 25 cats and dogs, plus a few rabbits, with their diets and has others waiting to join.

"It's an increasing problem with about 60% of pets overweight," she said.

"It can lead to diabetes, heart problems, arthritis is a big issue and liver and kidney problems.

"With Willie at the beginning we saw him once every three weeks - put him on the scales, got the tape measure out and talked about what he had been doing and eating since the last time we saw him.

"Now he has lost so much weight it is less frequent. It will definitely increase his life expectancy."

Willie beat off competition from pets across the UK to win the title in the competition, organised by Hill's Pet Nutrition to help raise awareness of the issue of pet obesity.