A 38-pound cat so fat he could barely walk has failed in a daring escape from a pet diet center in Perm, Russia, after getting stuck. Kroshik — Russian for “Crumbs” — was found by staff after breaking out of his enclosure where he had been on a strict diet and exercise regime for a week. The ginger tabby got trapped between the bars of a shoe rack, stomach touching the ground and face pressed into a surgery clog. Animal rescue workers initially found the paunchy feline living in the basement of a hospital, where he lived on a rich menu of biscuits and soup. Now Kroshik is facing a diet and exercise program that vets hope will get him down to a healthy 10 pounds. Rehabilitation specialist Ekaterina Bedakova (pictured below) says the cat's escape attempt is actually a sign that he's slowly improving. She is hoping their efforts will result in a weight loss of about 1 pound a month, which would be the equivalent of a human losing 15 pounds. For the time being, Kroshik is doing laps in a small pool to ease the wear and tear on his joints. His belly has been shaved to make drying easier after his workouts.
