BELLINGHAM, Wash. — Exercise is rarely fun, as Cinderblock the Cat can attest. But no pain, no gain.

“I think what has drawn a lot of attention to her is people’s personal weight loss and body issues that we all have,” said Jason Collins, a vet tech with Bellingham’s Northshore Veterinary Hospital. “Having a feline that we can relate to and seeing her go through things is heartwarming.”

Cinderblock the Cat hails from Bellingham, but has recently become a bit of an online sensation with videos of her exercise going viral. Losing weight entails significant playtime, walking on a special underwater treadmill, and sticking to a low calorie diet.

The whole process has been documented online. Cinderblock has more than 3,300 followers on Instagram alone. The overweight cat also has more than 8,600 subscribers on YouTube.

Cinderblock’s time on the treadmill has received the most attention. The track is under a few inches of water. That way Cinderblock can slightly float while getting in her steps.

She is slowly being introduced to the treadmill, so she doesn’t get too stressed out over the exercise. The machine is generally used for dogs, but at 21 pounds, Cinderblock needs to take some serious action.

“Her first trip on the underwater treadmill went viral and she wasn’t really enjoying herself using only one foot, the second time she was a more willing participant,” said Brita Kiffney with Northshore Veterinary Hospital.

The goal is to get the cat down to around 12 pounds. Cinderblock has lost about 3 ounces since her exercise and diet regimen began.

Source: WSBT