The shelter wrote that they “love that belly” and “marvel at his gloriously gluttonous body,” and the fat cat earned a lot of love and attention online.

But it was clear that his huge size was taking a toll on his wellbeing and he needed to get into shape. The shelter put up on a specialized diet and exercise plan, and soon found an owner who would continue to support Patches on his fitness journey.

In the year since Patches first made the news, he’s been hard at work shedding those pounds. His new owner, Kay Ford, has also been busy keeping Patches’ fans updated with her “Patches’ Journey” Facebook page.

These updates include “Weigh-in Wednesdays,” which details Patches’ weight loss journey week by week.

“I was like, let’s just make this a regular feature and let’s have everybody be a apart of it.” Ford told WRIC. “You know, they want to know what’s going in, let’s let them know what’s going on. And it has turned into be, you know, Wednesday mornings are like, the day.”

The most recent weigh-in shows Patches down to 25.47 pounds, a remarkable difference.

“I’m so proud of him. He’s lost a whole cat,” Ford said. “It’s amazing and he’s been a real trooper through it all.”

She also provides guidance for other cat owners trying to help their pets lose weight, such as maintaining regular meals and not “free feeding,” and paying careful attention to the calories and nutrition on their cat food. She also encourages people to work with their veterinarian about a specialized weight loss plan.

Photos show Patches today — still pleasantly plump, but no longer the seriously obese cat he was just a year ago.

“He is now clearly happier, more mobile and playful,” Ford wrote on Facebook.

We’re so glad to see Patches has been on such a successful weight loss journey and has such a loving and supportive owner!