“I just try and think of different stuff for her to do every day.”
She was found as a tiny kitten tangled in a sports net in someone’s backyard. Luckily, she was rescued — and soon after, she found her forever home with the neighbors of the family who discovered her.
At first, adopting her wasn’t even part of the plan.
“My dad kept saying no,” Peyton O’Brien recalled. But before long, he completely fell in love with the little cat.
When A Little Extra Love Turned Into Extra Weight
For years, Chesterbelle thrived in her new home. But during the pandemic, things began to change.
With her family home more often, Chester started asking for food more frequently — and they happily gave it to her.
Over time, the weight gain became noticeable.
She stopped playing as much and even had trouble grooming herself.
A visit to the vet confirmed it: Chester needed to lose weight to stay healthy.
A Creative Plan To Get Moving
When O’Brien returned home from college, she decided to take action.
Chester weighed 19 pounds and needed to drop a few pounds — but getting her to exercise wasn’t easy at first.
So O’Brien got creative.
Instead of forcing workouts, she turned exercise into games.
- Tossing food for Chester to chase
- Building mini obstacle courses
- Encouraging jumping and running in fun ways
“I just try to think of different things for her to do every day,” O’Brien said.
A Little Help From A New Friend
O’Brien also introduced another cat into the mix — Clementine.
While Chester wasn’t thrilled about her new housemate, Clementine ended up helping in an unexpected way.
“She chases Chester around the house,” O’Brien said.
Even reluctant play turned into valuable exercise.
From Obstacle Courses To Swimming
As Chester got stronger, her activities became more advanced.
O’Brien created increasingly elaborate obstacle courses — and even introduced swimming during the summer.
Chester would paddle between O’Brien’s arms and the pool steps, getting a gentle, low-impact workout.
When the weather cooled down, they switched to an indoor pool to keep up the routine.
A Healthier, Happier Cat
Today, Chesterbelle is steadily losing weight — and more importantly, rediscovering her playful side.
She’s started moving around on her own again and enjoying life much more.
With continued support, a healthy diet and lots of creative exercise, Chester is well on her way to becoming her happiest, healthiest self.
And it all started with a family who refused to give up on her. 🐱💛