This is the moment caretakers feed a leaf to an adorable obese raccoon who needs to go on a strict diet after weighing almost twice her recommended weight from eating her favourite puppy food.
The three-year-old raccoon named Lisa was filmed at a raccoon cafe in the city of Novosibirsk in the Russian federal subject of Novosibirsk Oblast.
Raccoon cafes are places where people get to pet and hold raccoons that they would normally see only in the wild. Even though the name of these places is ‘cafes’, there is normally no coffee or cake offered to the customers.
One video shows the sleepy raccoon waking up from a nap as she is handed a plastic bottle appearing to contain milk which she embraces while yawning as the footage ends.
Another shows the obese raccoon struggling to groom herself while she lies on her back, showing her big belly and legs. A final video shows Lisa gleefully eating plants alongside other raccoons.
Lisa’s main caretaker Zamira Kozlovskikh told the local paper Life her species should not weigh much more than eight kilogrammes (17 lbs), but Lisa currently weighs in at 14 kilogrammes (31 lbs), sometimes making it difficult for her to move.
She added: “Lisa has a poorly developed sense of satiety. Generally speaking, she will eat as long as there is a bowl in front of her.
“In addition, raccoons may have different taste preferences. I gave her puppy food, which is fatter in composition than for adult dogs, and Lisa liked them very much. That’s how it all started.”
From there, Lisa quickly gained six pounds and even got to weighing around 15.5 kilogrammes (34 lbs) at one point, which is nearly double her recommended weight.
However, Zamira said raccoons naturally lose weight in the springtime, and Lisa has already shed 1.5 kilogrammes (3 lbs) which is probably also thanks to the fact her caretakers have put her on a more plant-based and strict diet.
She said they are optimistic Lisa will shed some weight, but domestic raccoons are normally rounder in complexion since they are usually quite well-fed.
Picture shows the three-year-old raccoon named Lisa who has been placed on a strict diet after weighing almost twice her recommended weight when she started eating puppy food in the city of Novosibirsk in the Russian federal subject of Novosibirsk Oblast. 
Picture shows the three-year-old raccoon named Lisa who has been placed on a strict diet after weighing almost twice her recommended weight when she started eating puppy food in the city of Novosibirsk in the Russian federal subject of Novosibirsk Oblast.
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Story By: Feza Uzay, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash
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