Undoubtedly, the internet’s cat lovers are drawn to chonky cats, but they also have a soft spot for cow cats. When you combine these two favorites, you get an irresistibly adorable feline, like Keith the Cat-Cow from the UK. At nine years old, Keith has proven to his family that he is not only cute but also loving and kind-hearted. His cat mom shared on Instagram that they rescued Keith when he was a sick and malnourished six-month-old cat. Despite his health problems, Keith had a lively and fun-loving personality. He became the best friend and constant companion of his cat mom’s daughter, who has autism and struggled to make friends. I reached out to Keith’s cat mom to feature his story, and she gladly agreed. Get ready to fall in love with this special feline.

Could you share the tale of how Keith became a part of your family? Back in 2013, my daughter and I were actively volunteering at a local cat rescue centre. One day, a small kitten was brought in after being found on the streets. Unfortunately, he was not in the best condition as he was suffering from cat flu and gastrointestinal issues which were probably caused by his unhygienic living conditions. Despite receiving treatment for almost a month, the kitten wasn’t showing any signs of improvement. However, my daughter, who is on the autism spectrum, fell in love with him. He would follow her around and climb on her shoulders while she worked. Concerned about his well-being, I decided to give him a chance to survive by taking him home. I didn’t mention to my daughter that I had taken him to a vet for testing due to fears of FIV and FeLV, both of which could affect our other cats. Coincidentally, it was Charlie’s birthday the following day, and she assumed that we were bringing something to the shelter, but instead, we went to the vet and collected the six-month-old kitten.

As for his name, initially, Charlie named him ‘Spartacus’ because she believed he was a warrior. Nevertheless, his playful and goofy nature didn’t match the name, so we renamed him Keith. Charlie chose the name after the comedian Keith Lemon since our furry friend was also a source of endless laughter.

I’ve noticed that Keith looks like he’s slimmed down! Can you share the story of how he managed to lose some weight?
Keith has been struggling with his weight for a while now. From the tender age of one, he weighed 5.5kg and was put on a strict veterinary diet. However, it seems like he never lost his appetite and continued to eat excessively. Whenever we try to restrict his food intake, he gets stressed out and falls ill. He used to go outside and scavenge for food in bins, which made him even more sick. Even when we switched him to an indoor lifestyle, his weight kept increasing, and we couldn’t seem to get to the bottom of it. Despite many expensive tests, his vet believes he may have a pituitary gland issue, but the risk of putting him through an MRI and anesthesia is too high. Our main goal now is to prevent further weight gain by keeping food away from him and slowing down his eating. Keith is still a very active cat, so we’re always coming up with new ideas to help him maintain a healthy weight.