Let’s face it: there are only a few people who enjoy working out, the rest of us just do it to remain healthy and control our weight. And, although so far we were sure most people hate to exercise, we had no idea this applied to the animal kingdom as well. In fact, we didn’t even know that animals do need to work out.

According to eco-psychologist Dr. Lewis Halsey, animals need exercise in order to be fit for intense everyday activities like chasing their prey or escaping from a predator.

“We know that animals change their body condition in response to environmental conditions,” he says. “Songbirds may put on some weight to survive the winter, but not too much if predators are around lest they become slow at escaping.”

Just like any animal adapts to their environment, cats do too. And that’s how a Washington cat became overweight – so much so that her owners decided they couldn’t take care of her anymore and she was taken to a vet hospital to be euthanized.

When the obese Russian Blue cat was admitted to Northshore Veterinary Hospital in Bellingham, Washington, vets knew they couldn’t put her down. Cinderblock, or Cinder for short, just needed to lose some weight, and then she’d have a second chance and be adopted into a new family.

And that’s when the fun part starts. That is, fun for the viewers — Cinder herself didn’t have fun at all!

So the hospital staff concluded that the best way for Cinder to lose the extra weight was to do some exercise, and, more specifically, to use the underwater treadmill. Now, guess who wasn’t thrilled about it at all!

You guessed that correctly- Cinder hated her new workout routine. She just put one paw on the treadmill, tapping it over and over again, while meowing.

The hospital posted Cinder’s “workout” video on Facebook and people sympathized with the cat!

“I feel your pain girl! This is how I feel at 5am walking in the rain!” someone commented below the video. And others followed too, cheering on her and encouraging Cinder to achieve her goal.

Whether all the positive vibes and the unexpected attention she received helped in some way we will probably never know, but since then Cinderblock has made great progress. She’s been eating healthy and even using the treadmill properly for her training sessions! She’s now on the right track to losing those extra pounds and going to a new loving family.

The vet hospital has also started a GoFundMe in order to be able to continue providing vet services to non-profit organizations at a reduced price. Cinder, like many other animals, needs the clinic’s care so any donations are considered vital.

“Cinder Block”, an obese, lovable feline, was recently relinquished to us, as her owner could no longer care for her. She has become an inspiration for us to try to help other pets in need in Whatcom County,” they explain.

We are glad these sympathetic vets saved Cinder’s life and grateful to these people who are taking such good care of animals in need. We are sure the adorable feline will soon be fit to be given away to her forever home.

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Source: iheartcats, Facebook, Facebook, Science Daily