A 35lb (15kg) cat named Bazooka has found a forever home, after arriving at a North Carolina animal shelter.

The cat was taken into the care of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) of Wake County after his owner died.

His huge size is in part because his former owner had dementia, and the shelter believes he kept refilling the cat's food dish, forgetting he had already eaten.

Bazooka is one of the heaviest felines to find himself in the shelter and will need to shed almost half his body weight (17lb or 8kg) before reaching a normal, healthy size.

Spokeswoman Darci Vanderslick told the PA news agency: “The process could take six months or longer, it really depends on how much exercise he is doing.

“With cats, it is very difficult to get them to lose weight so each pound is quite difficult but makes a huge difference to their overall health.

“We really want to approach Bazooka's story out of love and compassion, because he was very much loved by his owner."

He has now found a new home and will be moving in with his family – who will continue working with him on his weight loss journey.