This Illinois Cat Named Squishy Suffers from 'Gigantism'

This cat looks like she ate all of it. Actually, there is a good reason why this Illinois cat named Squishy is as big as she is. She suffers from a condition known as "gigantism".

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The good news is that Squishy is a very happy cat that seems to think she's a person. Here's what her owner said about her:

Squishy has acromegaly (gigantism). He is on a strict diet and is closely monitored to keep him as healthy and happy as possible. Squishy was a rescued Christmas kitten dump and is now 9 years old. He loves his mommy very much and even has his own cat cam on her Twitch livestreams.

A cat with her own Twitch stream? That's quite an accomplishment for a feline.

Medscape provides the clinical definition of what gigantism is:

Gigantism refers to abnormally high linear growth (see the image below) due to excessive action of insulinlike growth factor I (IGF-I) while the epiphyseal growth plates are open during childhood. Acromegaly is the same disorder of IGF-I excess but occurs after the growth plate cartilage fuses in adulthood.

It works the same way in pets. Squishy doesn't pig out on treats. It's a natural and known medical phenomena. Fortunately for her, it hasn't affected her positive, playful attitude. She's a happy cat and you can even follow her on Twitch. Not a lot of cats can make that claim.

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