A cat that has been adopted from the West Michigan Humane Society is on his way to a much healthier life, but it’s not for the reasons you might think.

Bronson is just three years old and landed himself in the shelter when his owner sadly passed away. He wasn’t abused or neglected, in fact, just the opposite. He was loved and cared for, but he weighed in at a whopping 33 pounds.

He was more than double the weight of an average cat and his belly measured a whopping 32 inches around. Shelter volunteers suspected that he had been overfed by his previous owner which led him to his monstrous size.

Mike Wilson and Megan Hannman set out to the shelter in hopes of adopting a new kitten. But instead, Bronson caught their attention. The couple design cat furniture and knew that Bronson would need help shedding his extra pounds.

They decided to adopt the massive feline and started him on a supervised diet with the help of their veterinarian. His calorie intake has been restricted to 375 calories each day.

Bronson has already shed 1.5 pounds and his owners say that he is getting healthier daily. Luckily, his blood work revealed that he didn’t have any obesity related health issues.

The couple’s goal is for Bronson to lose one pound every month so that he can be healthy enough to have an operation to fix a broken tooth. He’s also restricted to inside activities only because he can’t take medications to protect him from fleas and ticks due to his weight.

Right now he’s too heavy to put under anesthesia safely, so they’re still working to get off the extra weight. They are hoping by this time next year Bronson will have a much better quality of life.

They say Bronson is adapting well to his new lifestyle, although he still likes to meow in the middle of the night for a snack. “He likes the new food fine,” said his owner about the new food. “But you can tell he just wants more.”

Be sure to share this story with your family and friends and wish Bronson well.