A rescued 17-kilogram cat died in Russia

An overweight cat rescued in Russia, who became a minor celebrity on social media in late August for weighing 17kg (the weight of an average four-year-old child), has died after veterinarians said they found cancerous tumors in his body.

Kroshik – in Russian Kroshki – Animal shelter staff put him on a diet and exercise regimen. in Perm, a city near the Ural Mountains, and, according to staff, she managed to lose almost 3 kg.

However, the stocky orange tabby, who might be a real-life version of the obese cartoon cat Garfield, suddenly developed breathing problems on Oct. 26 and died hours later.

A message on the social network of the Matroskin shelter, where Kroshik lived, says that the official cause of death has not yet been established, but veterinarians discovered “multiple neoplasms in the spleen and metastases in other internal organs.”

“Due to the huge fatty deposits, the ultrasound was unable to show an adequate picture of the condition of Kroshik’s internal organs, so we could only rely on blood counts, which were normal,” the shelter reported.

According to Galiana Mor, owner of the shelter, the cat also did not have any external signs of illness.

“It hurts that we didn’t know about this sooner, that we couldn’t help,” she told the New York Post, adding: “It’s a big loss for us because Kroshik was a symbol of hope for everyone.”

Supposedly, Kroshik was abandoned and somehow ended up in the basement of a hospital in Perm, where people with the best intentions fed him cookies and soup.

As a result, he became so bloated that he was unable to walk when rescuers found him.

He was then put on a strict diet and exercise regimen that included walking on an underwater treadmill.

Earlier, the shelter reported that Kroshik lost almost 3 kg and was able to jump on low sofas and pillows.