A Canadian cat named Axel Biggie Smalls is capturing hearts worldwide as he documents his weight loss journey on TikTok, becoming a viral sensation with millions engaging with his progress. Axel was significantly overweight when Kristine Seguin took him in earlier this year, weighing in at 43 pounds—four times the size of an average cat. Since February, Axel has lost 10 pounds. “He’s lost 10 pounds, which is incredible,” Seguin shared. She emphasized that the goal extends beyond weight loss. “Our goal is not only weight loss, but being a cat; getting to jump on things, getting to enjoy things. He’s only 7 years old. He still has a lot of time left in his life, and we want to make sure he gets to enjoy that,” Seguin noted.
Seguin has faced challenges managing Axel’s diet as he occasionally displays aggressive behavior when hungry, trying to steal food from other cats. “And that’s when he claws at you sometimes to try and steal food from other cats. So we’ve had to really be creative about where we feed the other cats in the house,” she explained.
It remains unclear how Axel initially became so overweight, though Seguin suspects a diet heavy on human food might be the cause. “We didn’t get much backstory, but when I’m cooking pizza, anything with cheese, he’s begging. He’s like clawing at me. So I’m assuming he got human food because he wouldn’t really eat cat food when he came,” Seguin said.
Axel’s TikTok account has amassed more than 2.5 million likes, with videos showcasing his stair-climbing exercises reaching over 11 million views. His journey is also supporting a fundraiser for Ferdinand and Friends Animal Rescue Network, the organization from which he was rescued.
Looking forward, Seguin hopes Axel can lose another 10 to 15 pounds over the next year. “I’ve fostered hundreds of cats and he’s just like a toddler. He’s one of mine now, so he’s part of our family,” she concluded.
Source: CTV News, CNN Newsource, WSVN