PORTLAND, OR (KPTV) – It didn’t take long for one of the largest cats to ever stay at the Oregon Humane Society to find a new home.   The 28-pound feline named Walter arrived at the shelter last week because his former owner’s new landlord doesn’t allow cats. After Walter’s appearance on television newscasts Wednesday, Aaron Betancourth and Colleen Sanders showed up to adopt him Thursday morning.

“He’s very cute, very sweet,” Sanders said. “Obviously, his previous owner loved him, although they loved him maybe in the wrong way. So it’s going to be our job to kind of bring that weight problem down.”

Walter is expected to get settled at his new home Thursday, where he’ll start a diet.

“It’s going to be a combination of low-calorie food, a lot of playtime, and eventually we’re going to transition him into going outdoors,” Sanders said. “We’ll start with him on the leash, and as soon as we’re sure he can handle himself in an outdoor environment, he’ll be able to run. We have property so there’s space for him.”

Walter was part of the Humane Society’s “Lucky 12” adoption campaign, where the adoption fee for all adult cats and rabbits was $12.

The cat’s new owner, and the owners of all other overweight animals, will need to work with a vet to help him lose weight safely, said Dr. Becky Prull, a veterinarian at Northwest Neighborhood Veterinary Hospital.

“We also don’t want them to lose weight too quickly, especially really chubby cats” said Dr. Prull. “If they lose weight too quickly, it can be really hard on their liver to process all of that fat.  They can get quite sick from it.”

She said the plan should include exercise and low-calorie pet food.  (read more with video)