Ashburn, Virginia - Xyla the cat just kept gaining weight, but neither her owner nor the vet could explain why. They were shocked when they finally discovered the truth.

In 2019, Xyla and her owner, Rebecca Brown, moved in with Brown's partner Vic in Ashburn, where the cat suddenly began to put on a lot of weight.

The reason quickly became apparent: the clever kitty had managed to wrap Vic around her paw, and her new roommate overdid it with the extra snacks.

"Xyla can get anyone she encounters to give her treats," Brown told Newsweek. "She is very good at sounding like she is starving."

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After the vet spoke with the couple, Xyla was put on a diet.

"She had reached 12 pounds at that point," Brown said. "With her feeder portions reduced and Vic reducing her treats, she became desperate."

The couple got an automated feeding machine designed to dish out perfectly weighed portions to the overweight cat, but Xyla started to headbutt it to get more food out.

Brown bought her chunky feline a new, stabler feeder, but even after the new purchase, the five-year-old animal continued to pack on the pounds.

Xyla's humans were baffled as she continued to gain weight.

"Taking her to the vet was so embarrassing. I couldn't explain what was happening," Brown recalled.

By now, her pet weighed about 14 pounds, but even the vet couldn't figure out the reason for the weight gain.

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A few days later, Xyla's secret came out.

The couple was sitting in the living room when they heard Xyla tampering with the automatic feeder. They heard the cat press the button to dispense food.

"We were shocked," Rebecca said. "I watched her surreptitiously and she was batting and nosing the left side of her feeder where the buttons were."

When it became clear why Xyla was getting wider despite diet and adjusted portions, her owner was finally able to come up with a simple solution: "I wedged the box into a square shelf space, so she couldn't push the box off the feeder."

After a few months, the cat is down to a weight of only around 11 pounds!

"I'm eager to tell my vet what happened," Brown gushed. "I feel so vindicated."