An animal charity has shared pictures of a 24lb (11kg) cat to warn owners of the dangers of overfeeding their pets.

Dixie tipped the scales at Cats Protection’s Bredhurst Adoption Centre in Kent at 1st 10lb – more than twice the recommended weight for a cat.

As a consequence, the six-year-old is unable to clean herself properly and is at risk of a number of conditions such as arthritis.

Dixie has now been put on a special diet and exercise regime in an attempt to get her down to a healthy weight, and will be put up for adoption once staff are happy with her progress.

Centre manager Adrian Ferne said: “We come across obese cats every so often but Dixie is one of the largest that we’ve seen among the 43,000 cats that Cats Protection rehomes nationally each year.

“Dixie was brought to us along with another cat who is a healthy body weight so we suspect she was a bit of a favourite in her previous home and indulged a little more often. She’s certainly very affectionate and friendly.

“While it’s OK to pamper our pets every now and then it’s also important not to overfeed felines as it will do more harm than good.”

Cats Protection advises owners to weigh out their cat’s food and encourage them to exercise if they are concerned about their pet’s weight.