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(CNN) - A 25-pound (11-pound) cat from Washington won on the Internet with her perfect workout routine.
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The videos of Cinderblock, a gray domestic cat, caught the attention of Reddit and Twitter users this Friday after they saw her using the last of her nine lives to get fit.
The previous owner of Cinderblock could no longer take care of her and had taken her 8-year-old feline to the Northshore Veterinary Hospital in Bellingham, near the Canadian border, to be sacrificed, medical and veterinary director Brita Kiffney told CNN. The previous owner was struggling with health problems and taking care of her father, who suffers from dementia, Kiffney said.
"I couldn't do it and asked him to give it to me," Kiffney said of Cinderblock. “She agreed and was grateful, because she really didn't want to sacrifice Cinder but she was overwhelmed by her father's care. Therefore, she has morbid obesity, because her father supercharged her. ”
This Cinderblock vid from Northshore Vet (@NorthshoreVetWA) is just too cute. Learn more about this chunky girl here https://t.co/Xmlx52T3i4 pic.twitter.com/MzKDG75a79
- Fernandont look under the bed 👻 (@fernalfonso) October 26, 2019
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At Northshore, Kiffney and other staff members have used a treadmill underwater to help provide physical rehabilitation to Cinderblock. The hospital shared a video of Cinderblock's Facebook meowing while lazily using the tape on October 19. The video has been viewed more than 2.2 million times. This and subsequent videos also reached the Reddit home page.
Cinderblock was the inspiration for a trending topic on Twitter this Friday night. The 28-year-old artist Alex Plante from Winnipeg, Manitoba, created a series of Cinderblock illustrations that they liked and retweeted thousands of times.
I'm rooting for you Cinderblock pic.twitter.com/NdEazwGHFr
- Alex Plante 🤓 (@alexplantewpg) October 25, 2019
"I think it's going viral because it may be the most recognizable cat I've ever seen," Plante told CNN. “Who has not cried on a treadmill at some time in his life? I also believe that people love a wellness story and veterinarians at Northshore Veterinary Hospital are doing a lovely job with it. They are clearly very kind and diligent. ”
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Kiffney also attributes the new viral fame of Cinderblock to the number of people who relate to not wanting to exercise. She hopes that the plight of Cinderblock will inspire people to keep their pets healthy.
"We hope to raise awareness about pet obesity, since almost 60% of pet cats are overweight or obese," Kiffney said. "Many people do not realize that their pet is overweight."
cats morbid obesity