Talk about food issues!
When I first saw this photo of Orazio, a 35-pound cat from Italy, on the Animal Crazy blog done by the Orlando Sentinel, I honestly thought it might be a hoax.

I mean, is this a cat? Or a sofa cushion posing as a cat?

Turns out that while Orazio's large lifstyle has received almost no press here, he has been a hit with foreign papers ranging from the South Africa Cape Times to the India Statesman. "Pussing on the Pounds" was the London Mirror headline. Others hailed three-year-old Orazio, who lives in Eupilio, as "the real Garfield" -- the cartoon kitty famous for his love of lasagna.

Me, I don't think it''s so cute to let your pet get this obese. Owner Laura Santarelli claims she "finds it impossible" to keep Orazio slim. Really? So this means Orazio can use a can opener or open the refrigerator door on his own?

We were able to get Dolan, our Maine Coon mix, to shed three of his original 16 pounds through simple portion control, and (the hard part) ignoring his ceaseless whining as he adjusted to his new rations. And click here for Angie's previous post on her dogs and their weight struggles. Posters suggested everything from low-protein to green bean diets, things I think you might want to check out with your vet first.

So -- is Orazio's owner just an indulgent pet parent ("He's so cute when he's fat!") or irresponsible?