Vets in the Russian city of Perm are helping a 'real-life Garfield', 17 kg ginger tabby Kroshik, shed the pounds, after finding him abandoned in a local hospital.

Footage from August 27 and September 3 shows him being examined, washed and being fed a strict portion of special diet food. He can also be seen walking on a water treadmill.

An update shared on Wednesday stated that he had lost two kilograms following the month of dieting, exercise and physiotherapy.

"He eats [weighted food] by grams and calories. <...> He is currently walking on a water treadmill and undergoing radio wave therapy," explained vet Marina Resnyanskaya. "In other words, we accelerate lipolysis and metabolic processes in his body and build muscle mass. So the most important thing now is to start losing weight gradually."

Cat shelter manager Ekaterina Kamenkova explained that the hospital where they had found him had been providing food, but far too much of it.

"When we came to see Kroshik, we saw a big bowl with food beside him. There was dry food in this bowl; most likely, it was some kind of economy class kibble. There were also… pouches and food from the canteen, i.e. patties, mashed potatoes, dried bread."

Initially Kroshik could barely move around by himself, and was four times the recommended size.

"He hissed and growled at us, he tried to crawl away, but fell on his side. He just flailed his legs in the air like a turtle, unable to do anything else," Ekaterina added.

Thanks to the care and attention from the shelter and the veterinary team, this 'cuddly' cat is well on his way to a trimmer physique - and a longer, happier life.