MASSAPEQUA, NEW YORK – Things are truly looking up for a paralyzed kitten abandoned on a Long Island street, thanks to a brand new homemade wheelchair made by its caretakers at an animal hospital.
The weeks-old kitten was brought in to Massapequa Pet Vet by a rescuer and was discovered to be partially paralyzed in both of its back legs, veterinarian Dr. Ned Horowitz told NBC 4 New York.
Some technicians at the animal hospital then decided to fashion a small wheelchair for the kitten using a couple connecting Legos.
They may have been inspired by canine carts, which are made for dogs that are paralyzed or need assistance walking.
Video posted to the clinic’s Facebook page shows the kitten trying the cart away for the first time and immediately taking off.
“She’s motoring around!” a worker is heard commenting in the background.
“‘Look at me go!’ She’s like, ‘I don’t care, I’m gonna keep going.'”
The kitten, which turned out to be male, had been “kind of just laying in its cage” after it was brought in, but as soon as it was outfitted with the wheelchair, “he totally took off,” Horowitz said to NBC 4 New York.
Horowitz says that it’s not completely clear why the cat was paralyzed, but he does seem to respond to squeezes on some parts of the legs, which is a good sign.
The goal for the kitten now is to help him walk once again with physical therapy. The wheelchair may act as a stepping stone for therapy because “you don’t want the muscles in the back legs to atrophy,” stated Horowitz. “So we basically let him run around with the cart.”
He’s hoping the kitty will be able to walk againwithin a few weeks.
The kitten will then be put up for adoption as soon as Horowitz determines it’s OK.
