Kroshik, the 17-kilogram (38-pound) cat rescued from the basement of a Russian hospital, was caught trying to escape his rehabilitation center, a sign that the feline is on the road to recovery.

After being abandoned by his owners, the cat was rescued from a hospital in Perm, where he had been fed crackers, soup, and meat.

Kroshik—Russian for “Crumb“—was so obese that he was unable to walk.

The ginger cat was taken to the city’s Matroskin Center. He is now undergoing physical exercises to get back to a healthy weight and eating a diet that will help him lose 70 to 150 grams weekly.

Kroshik, a.k.a Crumb, was caught trying to escape his pet rehabilitation center in Russia

Image credits: Lord Bebo

Kroshik doesn’t seem to be accustomed to his new home yet. Recently, rehabilitation specialist Ekaterina Bedakova discovered that he had broken out of his enclosure.

“Kroshik… He caused a ruckus and escaped today. He’s already a very active guy,” Bedakova shared on Telegram, as per the DailyMail.

“He was extremely displeased when we found him disguised as slippers, but… after a portion of food, he mellowed out.”

When the ginger cat lived in the basement of a hospital in Perm, he was fed so many crackers, soup, and meat that he eventually became unable to walk

Image credits: Lord Bebo

Image credits: matroskin_prm

Bedakova accompanied the message with a photo of the failed escape attempt that shows the overfed feline trapped between the bars of a shoe rack, his face pressed against a pair of blue shoes.

According to the specialist, this behavior indicates that Kroshik is slowly improving. 

“We will be sure to share his recovery success. The baby will definitely come back to life!” the Mastorskin Center previously wrote on Instagram.

Kroshik, who weighs 17 kg (38 pounds), is expected to return to a healthy weight through hydrotherapy, kinesiotherapy, and a healthy diet

Image credits: matroskin_prm

A healthy cat should weigh between 3.5 and 5 kg (8-12 pounds), the pet health site PetMD notes.

One exception is the Maine Coon, a large breed that may have a healthy weight of up to 9 kg (20 pounds).

Carrying excess weight brings many health risks to cats, including diabetes, urinary disease, and arthritis. It is also associated with a decreased life expectancy.

 

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A post shared by Приют для Кошек Пермь (@matroskin_prm)

Now, Kroshik is learning to walk again. On September 6, the Matroskin Center shared a video of Kroshik walking on a water treadmill.

The center said the pet is expected to undergo hydrotherapy and kinesiotherapy treatments 3 to 4 times a week as part of a “long and thorough” recovery process.

Last Saturday (September 7), a charity run was held in support of the Matroskin Center. Organized by students and teachers, the event raised 68,800 rubles ($755) to fund the help of sick cats.

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