38-Pound Cat Gets Stuck in Shoe Rack Trying to Escape Pet Diet Camp

Look what the cat dragged in -- a whole lot of tummy to pet diet camp ... one fat feline weighing in at a hefty 38 pounds stumbled into a hairy situation.

Crumbs -- a robust Russian cat living in a hospital on a diet of cookies and soup from the staff -- was taken to a center in Perm, where he was put on a strict diet and workout routine.

Unfortunately, Crumbs didn't enjoy his new living situation too much ... 'cause officials at the center say he tried to escape -- and, ended up stuck in a shoe rack.

Check out the pic ... Crumbs got trapped between bars, with his face firmly planted in a pair of blue Crocs -- looking like he's regretting his decision to try to run off.

On the center's Telegram account, one person wrote that Crumbs -- Kroshik, as he's called in Russian -- mellowed out after getting a portion of food ... but, he still wasn't too keen on ending up so confined he didn't even have enough room to swing a cat.

It's good news he's running around and getting stuck in tight spaces, though ... 'cause when he was first brought into the center, Crumbs reportedly couldn't even walk.

At 37.47 pounds -- Crumbs' weight when he was initially found -- he was nearly 4 times the average house cat weight ... though they expect him to drop weight quickly on his new regimen.

If the average cat has 9 lives ... ya gotta wonder how many more Crumbs is hiding in his big ol' body!!!