The world’s fattest cat, Crumbs, died a few weeks after attending a feline fat camp.
After gaining viral fame as “Kroshik” — the Russian word for “Crumbs” — the cat was put on a weight-loss regimen following his rescue from the basement of a Russian hospital. Crumbs had been raised on a diet of biscuits and soup, which led him to weigh 38 pounds.
Since his rescue, he’d been making notable progress at a specialized veterinary center in Perm, Russia, losing 7 pounds. Tragically, his journey was cut short when he developed sudden breathing problems and passed away on Saturday (26 October), according to The New York Post.
Veterinarians discovered that Crumbs’ thick layers of flab had been masking numerous cancerous tumors. They suspected that his sheer depth of fat had obscured scans, hiding tumors that had spread to his spleen and other internal organs.
According to Galiana More – the owner of the Matroskin cat shelter that treated Crumbs – noted that the tumors may have triggered multiple organs to collapse. She added that cats often conceal symptoms when unwell, only revealing issues once it’s too late.
“Cats always hold on to the last, they do not show this disease,” she explained to NewsX. “Kroshik 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 continued, noting that Crumbs’ tests all came out normal in the weeks leading up to his death.
“It hurts that we didn’t know about it before, couldn’t help,” she added. “This is a great loss for us, because Kroshik was a symbol of hope for everyone, and we really wanted to publish only good news. It’s really painful to talk about it.”
Many of Crumbs’ caretakers were heartbroken over his loss, releasing a statement in his honor.
“Sometimes even the strongest cats cannot cope,” they wrote. “Sometimes even the best doctors, rehabilitation centers and support from people around the world are not able to help.”
They added, “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.”
To help Crumbs reach a healthier weight, shelter staff implemented a special plan combining a new diet with regular treadmill workouts. For these sessions, they placed him in a water tank to reduce the strain on his joints, as shown in photos of the cat reluctantly trotting along in the submerged setup. His caretakers even shaved his belly to make drying off easier after aquatic exercise sessions.
Health experts say domestic cats should ideally weigh no more than 10 pounds, though this can vary by breed. Unfortunately, Crumbs had reached such an unhealthy weight that even walking became a challenge for him.