漫畫家吉姆?戴維斯創作的“加菲貓”恐怕是世界上最有名氣、最幸福的一只貓，它身形渾圓臉部扁平，除了貪吃和懶惰，它還愛捉弄人說風涼話。而現實生活中也不乏這樣的肥貓，意大利一只名叫奧拉齊的貓簡直就是“加菲貓”的翻版！

A Mediterranean diet is supposed to keep you slim and healthy.

But it seems to be having the opposite effect on this Italian ginger tom, which has grown so large it is starting to resemble the original feline food-lover Garfield.

Laura Santarelli's cat Orazi weighs a hefty16kg - 13kg more than the average cat.

The pair live in Eupilio, Italy, where it seems the cat food is not in short supply.

It is not known if Orazi is suffering from obesity, or is simply a very large cat.

However the problem of fat pets is on the rise, going hand in hand, it seems, with the march of human obesity.

Last month it emerged that nearly two million dogs in Britain are overweight.

A report by PDSA, the veterinary charity, found that almost one in three dogs is overweight - nine per cent more than last year.

Many of the animals suffer from heart disease, breathing difficulties, diabetes and arthritis.

The north-west of England was found to have the worst problem, with 31 per cent of dogs classed as overweight. It was followed closely by the Midlands at 29 per cent.

Pet owners can help their cats lose weight by gradually cutting back on the amount of food they get each day until the animal is eating approximately the right caloric requirements for his desired normal weight.

However, it is best to consult a vet before changing your pet's diet.

(Agencies)

Vocabulary:

tom：雄性貓

(英語點津Celene編輯)