If your cat is fat, Purina wants to help

In recent years, fat cats have become Internet gold, but one St.-Louis based company aims to help trim down felines and prevent pet obesity from spreading.

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Nestlé Purina, maker of Purina Cat Chow, is striving to get 100,000 cat owners to sign a pledge before May 2 promising to assess their cat's weight to determine if their cat is heavier than advised by vets. If 100,000 pledges are logged, Nestlé Purina will donate $50,000 to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention.

The association estimates 58 percent of owned cats, or 50 million felines, are overweight. Compounding the problem, less than 12 percent of cat owners are aware of the problem.

The Post-Dispatch reports those who sign the pledge receive a free sample of Purina Cat Chow Healthy Weight, a low-calorie weight management cat food that debuted in 2012.

Read more from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.