It's a sad day in Tennessee as Buddha, the obese cat who became an internet sensation thanks to his workout sessions on a underwater treadmill, has died. The six-year-old cat, who weighed 31.4lb when he was rescued at the start of August, had made good progress with his diet and exercise plan. But when a congestive heart defect was diagnosed last month, the cat was forced to stop exercising and instead moved to a foster home with a strict eating plan. He died last night.The Cat Shoppe in Nashville, which took Buddha in when his owner died earlier this year, paid tribute to the moggy on its Facebook page today.'Buddha lived life to the fullest and had such determination,' the Cat Shoppe said in a statement. 'Our bouncy Buddha cat has been stilled but his spirit lingers on ... We hope that his story inspires owners of obese cats to help them get them on a path to a healthier weight.'The cat developed a loyal following as pictures and videos of him exercising were posted online. When he was handed over to animal welfare in August, staff quickly realized his weight was putting his health at peril, ABC reported.Fans of the cat were able to come to the Nashville rescue center and have their photo taken with him - even though he appeared to sleep through most of the sessions.When his health took a turn for the worse however he was placed in foster care.'Buddha was diagnosed as having a congenital heart defect. The way it was explained to us is that his heart walls were thickened. The weight certainly put added stress on his heart,' Penny Adams, a volunteer photographer at the rescue center, told the Tennessean.(dailymail.co.uk)ANN.Az