Cannonball! Fat cat goes swimming to shed pounds

Feb. 1, 2013, 12:59 AM UTC

By Scott Stump

The owner of Holly the cat is hoping some regular exercise in a swimming pool might help change the hefty feline's favorite show from "Maury'' to "The Biggest Loser.''

Weighing in at 18 pounds, the 13-year-old cat has been taking regular swims since May of last year at the Olde Towne Pet Resort in Dulles, Va., while wearing a life vest. The pool is usually only used by dogs for exercise, mobility and therapy, but Holly has joined the action and occasionally shows the dogs how it's done by kitty-paddling.

"It's the only physical activity this cat has,'' Olde Towne publicist Mayra Ruiz-McPherson told TODAY.com. "Otherwise, she is a one thousand percent couch potato.''

Holly is held by her owner, Dani Lawhorne, who works at the Olde Towne Pet Resort and thought her cat would take to the water because she doesn't fuss too much during baths.Mayra Ruiz / Ruiz McPherson Communications / Today

Holly's owner and Olde Towne employee Dani Lawhorne was trying to figure out a way to get her obese kitty some activity when she gave the pool a try.

"It was more an experiment than anything,'' Ruiz-McPherson said. "(Lawhorne) saw that the cat didn't get too upset when she gave it baths, so she thought, 'I wonder what would happen if I placed her in the pool?'"

Holly's owner is hoping the cat can drop six or seven pounds to get down to a healthy weight from her current 18 pounds.Dr. Katy J. Nelson / The Pet Show / Today

The cat comes to the pool about every other week, according to Ruiz-McPherson. The rest of the time, she enjoys watching Maury Povich's daytime talk show and moving as little as possible.

"When I was talking to the owner, she said what the cat loves to do is lay in blankets all day long and watch TV, and her favorite show is when Maury Povich does the paternity test,'' Ruiz-McPherson said.