Meow (cat)
{{Short description|Cat known for obesity (c. 2010–2012)}}
{{About||the sound made by cats|Meow}}
{{Infobox animal
| name = Meow
| image = Meow the fat cat.jpg
| caption = Meow in April 2012, one month before his death
| species = Felis catus
| breed =
| gender = Male
| birth_date = {{circa|2010}}
| birth_place =
| death_date = {{BirthDeathAge| |2010| | |2012|5|5}}
| death_place = Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States
| years_active = 2011–2012
| owner =
| known = Heaviest domestic cat at time of death
|death_cause=Lung Failure}}
Meow ({{circa|2010}} – May 5, 2012), also known as Meow the obese cat, was a male domestic cat who attracted international attention when an animal shelter publicized efforts to slim him down, in an attempt to have him adopted.{{cite web|last=Zimmerman |first=Neetzan |title=Internet Famous Fat Cat Meow Put to Sleep |url=http://gawker.com/5908230/internet-famous-fat-cat-meow-put-to-sleep |publisher=Gawker |date=7 May 2012 |access-date=14 September 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120910043507/http://gawker.com/5908230/internet-famous-fat-cat-meow-put-to-sleep |archive-date=10 September 2012 }}{{cite web|title=Fat Cat 'Meow' Dies|url=https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/05/fat-cat-meow-dies/|publisher=ABC News|date=7 May 2012|access-date=14 September 2012}} However, Meow died of lung failure two weeks after entering the animal shelter, on May 5, 2012.{{cite news|last=Lynch|first=Rene|title=Fat cat's fate: Meow, the 39-pound feline, dies of lung failure|url=https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-xpm-2012-may-07-sns-la-na-nn-meow-fat-cat-20120507-story.html|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|location=California|date=7 May 2012|access-date=14 September 2012}} He was the world's heaviest cat at his time of death, weighing {{convert|39.7|lb|kg|abbr=off}}.
Weight
Domestic cats are as large as most other members of the genus Felis, typically weighing between {{convert|4|kg|lb}} and {{convert|5|kg|lb}}.{{Cite journal
|doi=10.1111/j.1096-0031.2000.tb00354.x
|volume=16
|issue=2
|pages=232–253
|last1=Mattern
|first1=Michelle Y.
|title=Phylogeny and Speciation of Felids
|journal=Cladistics
|year=2000
|last2=McLennan
|first2=Deborah A.
|pmid=34902955
|s2cid=85043293
|doi-access=free
}} Meow weighed {{convert|18.0|kg|lb|}}, the heaviest cat in the world—though not on record.{{cite web|title='Meow,' 39-Pound Fat Cat, Must Lose Weight Before Adoption From Santa Fe Shelter|url=http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/332701/20120424/meow-39-pound-cat-weight-santafe-photos.htm|work=International Business Times|date=24 April 2012|access-date=14 September 2012}} Himmy, a cat from Australia, had weighed 21.3 kilograms (46.8 pounds){{cite web|title=Cat World Records: Heaviest cat|url=http://www.cat-world.com.au/cat-world-records|access-date=5 January 2015}} upon dying during his tenth year, in 1986.{{cite web|title=World Records: The Largest Domestic Cat|url=http://www.oocities.org/gerine/records.htm|access-date=5 January 2015}} Guinness World Records has since retired the title to discourage deliberate overfeeding.{{Cite news|url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2015/8/60-years-on-the-categories-that-guinness-world-records-no-longer-monitors-393758|title=60 years on, the categories that Guinness World Records no longer monitors|date=2015-08-26|work=Guinness World Records|access-date=2017-03-30|language=en-GB}}
Being the world's heaviest cat, Meow occasionally appeared on U.S. television shows. In 2010 he was featured on an episode of Anderson Live, which was hosted by U.S. television personality Anderson Cooper.{{Cite news| title = CNN's Anderson Cooper in Daytime Talk Show Deal| work = The New York Times| first = Brian| last = Stelter| date = 30 September 2010| url = http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/30/cnns-anderson-cooper-in-daytime-talk-show-deal/| access-date =2 October 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101002022811/http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/30/cnns-anderson-cooper-in-daytime-talk-show-deal/| archive-date= 2 October 2010 | url-status= live}} Meow was again featured on Anderson Live on April 30, 2012, with Cooper carrying the cat.{{cite web|title=Co-Host Monday with Kristen Johnston / 'Private Practice' Star Kate Walsh|publisher=Anderson Live|date=30 April 2012|url=http://www.andersoncooper.com/episodes/kristen-johnston-kate-walsh-private-practice-co-host-monday/|access-date=14 September 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120629185107/http://www.andersoncooper.com/episodes/kristen-johnston-kate-walsh-private-practice-co-host-monday/|archive-date=29 June 2012}}
Weight loss and death
Meow was moved to the Santa Fe Animal Shelter & Humane Society two weeks before he died because his 87-year-old owner could no longer care for him. The animal shelter fed Meow a strict high-protein diet to slim him. The shelter also planned to publicize Meow and his diet on their Facebook page.{{cite web|agency=Associated Press|title=New Mexico fat cat weighs in at nearly 40 pounds|url=https://6abc.com/archive/8632119/|publisher=WPVI-TV|date=23 April 2012|access-date=14 September 2012}} Meow's publicity was expected to arouse interest in his adoption.
He lost two pounds (0.9 kilograms) at the animal shelter, and the shelter planned to make him lose at least eight more (3.6 kilograms) so he could be adopted. However, Meow contracted breathing problems by May 2, 2012; after undergoing a battery of tests, which included X-ray and cardiac ultrasound, he was put on oxygen therapy.{{cite web|title=Meow the fat cat dies due to obesity|date=9 May 2012 |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/9253905/Meow-the-fat-cat-dies-due-to-obesity.html|access-date=14 September 2012}} Two days later, Meow was brought to a veterinary hospital to undergo emergency treatment: four veterinarians tried to save him, but he died on the afternoon of the following day.
Meow's story brought widespread attention to the importance of pet health and responsible pet ownership. His legacy serves as a poignant reminder of the significance of addressing obesity and related health issues in pets, as well as the need for proper care and attention to ensure their well-being.