Things are looking up for a paralyzed kitten abandoned on a Long Island street, thanks to a 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 found 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 decided to fashion a small wheelchair for the kitten using a couple connecting Legos. They may have been inspired by canine carts, made for dogs that are paralyzed or need assistance walking.
Video posted to the clinic's Facebook page shows the kitten trying the cart on for the first time and immediately taking off.
"She's motoring around!" a worker is heard saying in the background.
"'Look at me go!' She's like, 'I don't care, I'm gonna keep going.'"
The kitten, which turned 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 told NBC 4 New York.
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Horowitz says it's not 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 again with physical therapy. The wheelchair could act as a stepping stone for therapy because "you don't want the muscles in the back legs to atrophy," said Horowitz. "So we basically let him run around with the cart."
He's hoping the kitty will be able to walk within a few weeks. The kitten will be put up for adoption as soon as Horowitz determines it's OK.
