#This former scale-tipping fat cat has dropped 20 pounds

The abandoned megacat pictured on The Post’s front page at a scale-tipping 41 pounds is now half the feline he used to be, a year after he found his furever home in Kew Gardens, Queens — and was put on a strict diet.

Barsik is down to a svelte 22 pounds, thanks to the TLC provided by his new “mom,” Texas transplant Meredith Adams.

Adams, 35, adopted Barsik in November 2019 from the Anjellicle Cats shelter in Hell’s Kitchen, after spotting the flabby tabby in The Post.

At the time, Barsik — so big he needed a stroller to get around town — was accustomed to open feeding on dry food, his kryptonite, plus servings of canned food dished out by his former owners.

“He loves dry food, but he is very, very addicted to it,” Adams said, explaining how she strictly monitors his portions now.

She’s spent the past year gradually reducing his daily serving to one-and-a-quarter can of Friskies cat food, and the results have been life changing for 6-year-old Barsik.

“He does pretty much everything regular cats do — jumping around, at night he gets the zoomies,” said Adams, referring to the high-energy state following lots of napping. “He is a regular cat now.”

He still has some work to do — his ideal weight is around 16 pounds, Adams said.
A year ago, the fat cat was considered healthy despite his heft, according to his foster caretakers.

“His blood work was actually perfect,” veterinarian Jeanne Klafin of Animal General said last year. “It’s very unusual. … Sadly, it’s just a case of him being overfed and under-exercised.”

Though he’s no longer eating like a king, he sure acts like one, Adams said.

“He has a big personality. He is very demanding, he is very vocal, but he is also really friendly,” Adams said. “When I come home from work and get into the building, I hear his meowing all the way down the hall. He wants his food, but he also wants to say ‘hi’ to me.”

While Barsik’s bod has hardened, his personality has softened, Adams said.

“They told me he would never be cuddly, but he can be cuddly sometimes,” she said. “He really likes to be under the covers. If he is on the bed and I lay down next to him, he will start purring.

As Barsik has dropped the weight, he’s gained thousands of fans on his Instagram account, bigbarsik, which boasts more than 22,000 followers.

Adams plans to treat his followers to a virtual adoptiversary party on Nov. 29. In lieu of gifts, she’s asking fans to donate to Anjellicle Cats.