A 40-pound moggy dubbed the world’s fattest cat has finally been put on a diet by his new owner.

The chunky cat called Patches was rescued by an animal shelter in Richmond, Virginia, earlier this month.

He then soon became an internet sensation when Richmond Animal Care and Control put him up for adoption.

Under the new ownership of cat-lover Kay Ford, Patches – who weighed the same as the average four-year-old – has already shed two pounds on his new diet.

Despite the cat’s extraordinary size, Christy Peters, the director of Richmond Animal Care and Control, told The Telegraph that Patches ‘is really rather picky’.

Pictured: Kay Ford pet her cat, Patches, at her home in Mechanicsville, VA., on April 24. The chunky cat became an internet sensation when Richmond Animal Care and Control put him up for adoption, with people sharing his pictures far and wide

Ms Peters explained that Patches was surrendered by his owner who could no longer take care of the cat anymore.

She said that her initial reaction was to swear after seeing what was ‘the biggest cat I had ever seen’.

Vets say the average weight of a domestic cat, depending on the breed, is around 10lbs. A four-year-old child weighs 37lbs on average.

After running diagnostic tests on Patches, the rescuers found that he was completely healthy – despite having to live in one of the rescue team’s offices because he was too big for a cage.

Ms Peters explained that they believe Patches may have been eating human rather than cat food, but she insists he is not a glutton. ‘He is really rather picky,’ she added.

Under the new ownership of cat-lover Kay Ford, Patches – who weighed the same as the average four-year-old – has already shed two pounds on his new diet