Krushik, a cat who had been trying to escape from the shelter he was taken to, according to volunteers at the location.
The pet, who reached the weight of a first-grade child due to overeating, was recently found stuck inside a shoe bench. Photos of him have since gone viral.
Ekaterina Bedkova, the specialist responsible for the cat’s rehabilitation, commented on the incident and said she was actually happy about the failed escape attempt.
According to reports from volunteers at the “Matrushkin” shelter, Krushik, the cat suffering from extreme obesity, is improving. The 14-year-old cat recently tried to escape during one of his treatments and got stuck in a shoe bench.
Documentation of the incident was posted on the shelter’s social media accounts. In one photo, the cat can be seen trapped between the bars of the bench, with his shaved belly almost touching the floor, and his nose stuck in a pair of Crocs.
Ekaterina Bedkova, an animal rehabilitation specialist at “Matrushkin,” commented on the incident on the shelter’s Telegram account, saying that Krushik’s escape attempt actually makes her happy. “It’s a sign of improvement.
He’s much more active than he was when he first arrived,” Bedkova noted. “He was very unhappy when we found him stuck in the bench, but he calmed down after we gave him some food.”
Krushik was brought to the pet shelter after being found in the basement of a hospital in the city of Perm weighing 17 kg
After a veterinary check, the cat started a diet and exercise program aiming to lose about 120 grams per week until he reaches a normal weight of 5–7 kg.
He currently trains on a special treadmill placed in a water tub until he is strong enough to support his own weight.
Following Krushik’s escape attempt, Bedkova explained that she and her colleagues shaved the fur on his belly so he could dry off more easily after his workouts.