Crumbs, the world’s fattest cat, died weeks after joining a feline fat camp. The Russian cat, which weighed 17 kg, became an Internet sensation when it was put on a weight-loss diet after getting rescued from a hospital’s basement.
According to the New York Post, Crumbs was on a diet of biscuits, scraps, and soup, which led to his weight gain up to a whopping 38 pounds. The viral cat was put at a specialised veterinary centre in Perm, where it lost seven pounds.
Galiana More, the owner of the cat shelter where Crumbs was treated, said that tumours may have triggered multiple organ failure. She also said that cats often conceal symptoms when unwell, and by the time the issues manifest, it’s often too late. “Crumbs had no shortness of breath, no digestive problems. We could not do ultrasound, but we constantly monitored his health, because we understood that excess weight does not just happen,” she said.
According to the shelter home, Crumbs was overweight and could not walk. It followed a strict diet and exercise that included walking on an underwater treadmill to help him shed weight.
“Sometimes even the strongest cats cannot cope. Sometimes even the best doctors, rehabilitation centres and support from people around the world are not able to help. Thank you for being and staying with Kroshik until his very last breath. Thank you for being the reason why Kroshik believed in good people,” the shelter said in a statement, as reported by the New York Post.
