Cat that ate McDonald's for a year rescued by SPCA

A cat that survived more than a year on a diet of McDonald's hamburgers and fries has been rescued by a New Zealand SPCA. The SPCA said the cat was so addicted to fast food he was initially resistant to switching to a healthier diet, according to a report by TVNZ.

McDonald's staff and customers nicknamed the cat Frankie. The cat was abandoned when he was still a kitten.

Frankie found his way to the McDonald's parking lot, where he lingered foraging for discarded McNuggets and cheeseburgers.

It wasn't until McDonald's staff noticed Frankie's diminishing health that Jessica Watson, an SPCA field officer that frequents McDonald's, spotted him. He is now up for adoption.

"Everyone knew to keep an eye out for him. You would go through the drive-through and ask for a burger for you and an extra patty for Frankie," Watson said.

Watson said she began to worry when Frankie's face became swollen and his coat was matted.

"He wasn't overweight," said Watson, "but McDonald's wouldn't meet the nutritional requirements for a cat."

After a few weeks in the care of the SPCA, he has returned to good health. In those weeks, Watson had a hard time breaking Frankie from his fast food.

"When I first took him home, he refused to eat anything because it wasn't McDonald's," Watson said. "I would put pet food down and he would give me a look like, 'What is that?'"

Since Frankie's story made news, the SPCA has had so many calls that would-be adopters have been asked to report in person, where they can complete an expression of interest form before the staff chooses his new family.