Tiddles was a black-and-white tabby cat who spent most of his life in the ladies room at Paddington Station in London. Word soon got around about Paddington's station cat, who became a London tourist attraction in his own right. Visitors would constantly feed him choice cuts of meat, including chicken livers, kidneys, rabbit, and steak, leading to the staff to install a personal refrigerator for him. The choice vittles and lack of exercise led Tiddles to gain weight, and by 1982 he weighed a whopping 30 pounds — a feat that won him the title of “London Fat Cat Champion.” Attempts to reduce his weight didn’t work because his fans continued to overfeed him. Catching mice was never his strong suit, and after a while he was so fat that he couldn't feel his way through a space like most cats can. He eventually climbed to 32 pounds and resembled a beach ball with fur. Tiddles was euthanized in 1983 after veterinarians found fluid around his lungs. None of his admirers, who thought they were showing him love when they brought him treats, had any idea that they were literally loving him to death.
How Tiddles the Cat Became the Darling of Paddington Station
Tiddles was a black-and-white tabby cat who spent most of his life in the ladies room at Paddington Station in London. Word soon got around about Paddington's station cat, who became a London tourist attraction in his own right. Visitors would constantly feed him choice cuts of meat, including chicken livers, kidneys, rabbit, and steak, leading to the staff to install a personal refrigerator for him. The choice vittles and lack of exercise led Tiddles to gain weight, and by 1982 he weighed a whopping 30 pounds — a feat that won him the title of “London Fat Cat Champion.” Attempts to reduce his weight didn’t work because his fans continued to overfeed him. Catching mice was never his strong suit, and after a while he was so fat that he couldn't feel his way through a space like most cats can. He eventually climbed to 32 pounds and resembled a beach ball with fur. Tiddles was euthanized in 1983 after veterinarians found fluid around his lungs. None of his admirers, who thought they were showing him love when they brought him treats, had any idea that they were literally loving him to death.