Please Don't Body Shame Cheeto the Cat

On Monday, a media relations representative for UC Davis, tweeting from the Twitter account @UCDavis_Egghead, posted an urgent message about a cat named Cheeto who hangs around the physics department. Mainly, do not feed this cat.

“He has become far too overweight and for his health, please do not feed him,” the posting reads. “No matter how much he begs! And he will beg. Because he knows we are suckers!”

Sounds like Cheeto is just a little con artist with an acquired taste for human snacks.

Not only does the sign instruct people to not feed him, it includes a diagram for “feline body” conditions and puts little Cheeto on the obese end of the spectrum. “We are here,” it reads, surrounded by several arrows.

What has Cheeto done to deserve this public shaming? Don’t body shame Cheeto! Let him eat what he likes, it’s not his fault everyone is so susceptible to his charm.

The Art History department at UC Davis also got in on the action, clarifying that actually Cheeto used to be named Tangelo and hung out at the art building.

Curiously a 2017 report from The California Aggie writes that Cheeto (spelled as Cheetoh) “loves to laze around in the sun” but also reports Cheeto as being a girl cat. Jezebel has reached out to representative for UC Davis for urgent clarification.