Oscar the 11kg cat put on life-saving diet - after owner fed him raw beef and yoghurt

Oscar the monster-sized moggy is finally set to shed the pounds - after ballooning to 10.5kg on a diet of mincemeat and yoghurt.

The hefty British blue has been put on a crash diet by vets in order to save his life.

Oscar's vet has given him the weight goal of 7-8kg, and owner Jillian Jones of Allambie Heights said she hopes the eight-year-old will eventually get to like his new diet of dry biscuits.

It’ll be a drastic change for the portly puss, who used to wait by the fridge wondering where his next lavish, gourmet meal was coming from.

Jillian said: ‘I'm hoping he's already started losing weight this week. Every time I feed him the dry food, he looks at the dish, then looks up at me as if to say 'is that it? Where's the rest of it?'.'

Jillian says Oscar has always had rich tastes. 'I'd been giving him raw beef with yoghurt on top. It's his favourite.'

While Oscar's not taking too kindly to the food, he actually enjoys his exercise regimen.

'I take him for walks outside twice a day. He's got a little harness that I've been putting him in since he was a baby. He loves going outside.

'If I say 'let's go walking' then straight away, he knows and will wait by the door.'

Allambie Vet practice manager Natalie MacDonald said Oscar was not the only heavy pet, with a study showing 19 per cent of cats and 30 per cent of dogs were overweight.

'The most important thing people with overweight pets can do is to go to their regular vet for a weight management plan,' she said.