World's fattest cat Kroshik dies after weight loss camp

Kroshik, the cat who became a worldwide celebrity for his immense size and remarkable weight loss journey, has died after a sudden deterioration in his health. The 14-year-old feline, who once weighed an extraordinary 17 kilograms—three times the normal weight for a cat his age—passed away on October 26 in Perm, Russia.

On that day, Kroshik's breathing became labored, alarming his caregivers at the Matroskin Shelter, where he had been undergoing rehabilitation. "Kroshik died last night. This news leaves a void in our hearts," the shelter announced in a statement on social media. Despite the best efforts of the veterinary team, including placing him in an oxygen chamber and hours of resuscitation attempts, Kroshik's condition deteriorated rapidly, and he was declared dead soon after.

It was later revealed that Kroshik had several cancerous tumors hidden beneath his layers of fat, which had obscured them from earlier detection. "Due to the huge fat deposits, the ultrasound could not show an adequate picture of the condition of Kroshik's internal organs, so we could only focus on blood indicators, which were normal," the shelter explained.

Galiana More, the head of the Matroskin Shelter, expressed her grief over the loss. "If someone had told me a couple of days ago that Kroshik would die, I would never have believed it," she said. She added, "When this is a large set of such multi-organ failure, the body simply cannot cope, despite the fact that Kroshik was really a fighter."

Kroshik's story began when he was rescued from the basement of a hospital in Perm. There, well-meaning individuals had overfed him with biscuits, soup, and meat, leading to his extreme obesity. "He was so fat that he couldn't walk or even stand on his feet," a volunteer told Russian media. At the time of his rescue in early September, Kroshik was completely helpless; he could not move or walk, and his joints were suffering due to his overweight condition.

The staff at Matroskin Shelter implemented a strict diet and exercise regimen to help Kroshik shed the excess weight. His treatment included hydrotherapy and walking on an underwater treadmill to reduce the strain on his joints. The shelter aimed to assist Kroshik in losing between 70 and 150 grams weekly to reach an ideal weight of 4.5 kilograms and help him regain the ability to move. Their efforts were met with success, as Kroshik managed to shed almost 3 kilograms (approximately 7 pounds).

"Crumbs made enough progress that he began leaping up onto furniture in his enclosure, and Kroshik learned to climb small heights to settle on a sofa or pouf at his leisure," caregivers reported. His weight loss journey brought him global fame, and thousands of people followed his recovery on social media.

Despite the progress, Kroshik's health took a sudden turn for the worse. On October 26, he suddenly became ill and began to choke, leading to difficulty breathing. "We acted immediately—in half an hour Kroshik was already in the oxygen chamber," the shelter stated. Unfortunately, all medical efforts failed to stabilize him, and he died shortly after being treated.

The shelter expressed their sorrow in a heartfelt social media post: "Kroshik passed away last night. This news leaves a void in our hearts. Dying, he was not alone. Until his very last breath, the best doctors fought for his life." They continued, "We rejoiced with you at every victory of Kroshik and cherished his every step. Sometimes, even the strongest cats cannot adapt. And sometimes, even the best doctors and rehabilitation centers and the support of people around the world cannot provide help."

The precise cause of Kroshik's death is unknown, pending a full post-mortem examination. Preliminary tests indicated that he had "multiple growths in the spleen and metastases in other internal organs." Galiana More said, "It's painful that we didn't know that earlier and couldn't provide help to him. The loss is great because he was a symbol of hope. We wished to publish only good news. It's really painful to talk about his death."

Kroshik's caregivers remembered him fondly, noting that he purred when he enjoyed the caresses and love from the staff. "The carers posted: 'For a long time, we could not understand the reason for such incredible popularity of Kroshik, because we did nothing to somehow attract the media to the story... Later we realized [that] people from all over the world are so tired of bad news...'"

"We thank everyone for staying with Kroshik until his last breaths. Thank you for being the reason for his belief in good people," his caregivers concluded their tribute. 

Sources: The Sun, The Scottish Sun, Mirror, New York Post, TMZ, Liputan 6, Clarin, The Straits Times, News18, LaVanguardia

This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq