A Persian cat in Elazığ, eastern Turkey, has piled on the pounds – growing to a weight of 9 kilos due to a bout of depression that set in due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Yusuf Yumurtacı, a shopowner in Elazığ, bought the moggy in the seaside province of Muğla four months ago, naming his new furry friend "Şerafettin" after the lead character of Turkish animation "Bad Cat."

When the health crisis kicked in, however, Yumurtacı brought the usually out-bound cat into the house in line with coronavirus measures. Unable to even stroll around, Şerafettin sank into a glum state, sleeping from 8-10 hours at a time, drinking around two liters of milk daily, comfort-eating the rest of the time. Şerafettin eventually reached a weight of 9 kilograms, almost twice the usual weight of his kind.

"Şerafettin couldn’t adapt to life inside the house so we brought him back to the shop. Now, he is in a better mood, but still eating an extreme amount," Yumurtacı said.