A huge cat weighing as much as a human child was found living in the basement of a hospital in Russia last week. Kroshik weighed an astonishing 17 kilograms when he was rescued by animal lovers. Too fat to even walk when he was found, the real-life Garfield has now been put on a diet and is slowly regaining the use of his legs at Matroskin Shelter.
The story of Kroshik
Kroshik was so named after his love for snacking - the word “Kroshik” in Russian literally translates to “Crumbs” in English.
The massive cat was found living in the basement of a hospital in Perm, Russia, where he was being fed by well-meaning hospital workers. It is believed that Kroshik was abandoned at the facility by his previous owners.
According to local media reports, the rotund feline gained weight on a steady diet of bread crackers, soup, whiskey, and meat until he was finally too heavy to walk. In fact, vets at the city's Matroskin Shelter could not perform an ultrasound on Kroshik because the sensor could not penetrate his layers of fat.
In a post shared on Instagram on August 30, the Matroskin Shelter in Perm called it an “extremely rare case” where someone loved the cat so much that they fed it till he could not move.
{{/usCountry}}In a post shared on Instagram on August 30, the Matroskin Shelter in Perm called it an “extremely rare case” where someone loved the cat so much that they fed it till he could not move.
{{/usCountry}}“He could be one of the top 5 fattest cats in the world,” the shelter said, adding that Kroshik would be housed at a rehabilitation centre where he would undergo physical therapy and follow a strict diet so he can walk again.
A little over a week later, the flabby cat is slowly regaining the use of his legs. A video shared by the shelter on Instagram shows Kroshik walking on a water treadmill.
“The little one will have a long and thorough recovery. A special rehabilitation program was compiled for him - it includes hydrotherapy and kinesiotherapy 3-4 times a week,” the shelter said. “The little one is making great strides and is slowly starting to walk on the water treadmill!”