They Fell In Love With A 33 Pound Cat And Decided To Adopt Him So That He Can Start His Journey To Becoming Healthy
Mike Wilson and Megan Hanneman had already built a business around helping indoor cats stay active, so it felt fitting that their next big decision was to bring home a cat who needed a serious lifestyle change.
With only 45 minutes to spare, they stopped by the Humane Society and quickly fell for Bronson, a 33-pound gentle giant with a rough past and a whole lot of charm. They could not meet him that day, but the next morning they came back ready to adopt him and help him start over.
Bronson’s journey has already turned into a full-time project, and his new family is learning just how much love, patience, and catnip it takes to get there.
Meet beautiful Bronson with his unique thumbs.

Mike and Megan decided to adopt him one day when they didn't have much time to spare.

"When we walked in, we were instantly drawn to this gentle giant named Bronson."

They just wanted to bring him home and help him lose those extra pounds.

They knew his previous owner passed away.

But he was only 3 years old and already weighed 33 pounds.

"We went in to meet him and instantly fell in love. I remember my cheeks hurting from smiling for so long."

Bronson was elated and so happy to have such a big place almost all to himself.

He went to the vet and was quite the ladies' man!

Bronson’s weight-loss plan feels similar to Patches, the 40-pound cat, starting a new diet after adoption.
They knew he had to lose weight slowly.

"We have adjusted Bronson’s diet three times since we got him, but we think that he’s on track to safely lose this weight."

"He’s currently on 375 calories per day. Half of them are from the kibble and half are from the grain-free wet food."

Exercising is very important for Bronson.

"Currently, his exercise routine consists of moving his food dish around the room to promote walking and still playing with toys while he’s lying down."

"His absolute favorite toy is a tomato filled with catnip, which he likes to attack, bite, and kick with his back feet."

He even has his own Instagram account; what a lucky fellow!

Carrying him around was definitely a problem for Mike and Megan.

"To combat this problem, we’re using a pillow, which is a great way to get him out to our living room without making him incredibly uncomfortable."

"There are many great qualities about Bronson that we find incredibly lovable. One of the cutest things is that he almost always sleeps with a pillow."

"He also isn’t shy about taking up too much bed real estate. We’ve pretty much split the bed into thirds."

"Our target goal is for Bronson to lose one pound per month, and he’s currently down 1.6 pounds, so he’s well on his way to a healthy life," Mike said.

"He’s not quite ready to join the other cats in testing the furniture up on the wall, but they know he’ll get there in due time."

We hope all the best for Bronson on his weight loss journey and that he will soon conquer these stairs!
Want another “we chose him” rescue story, read how Thor won Brazil’s most beautiful cat contest with a heart on his chest.