After a tragic accident that left him with only one leg, the stray cat Perseus is walking again with three new high-tech prosthetic legs.
The one and a half-year-old cat arrived at the veterinary clinic of Sofia Zoi in the central Greek town of Larissa last year with severe wounds to his legs and unable to walk. Zoi believes he lost his legs after being hit by a car or getting caught in a running car engine.
Since being brought to the clinic by an animal welfare association, he has been through three surgeries to heal his wounds and another four surgeries to place the artificial legs.
But Perseus bounced back when he got his new legs. “Within the first 10, 15 seconds, he acted as if he had always had them. He walked immediately without a problem,” said Zoi.
Zoi worked with Bio3Dvet, a Greek team of engineers and veterinarians who designed his implants, made from titanium, and plastic paws, made through 3D printing technology.
“There were reservations that had to do with technical issues, like if his system would accept the implants well or if this would fail. And there was a fear over how he himself would react. Would he want it? Would he bite it? Would it bother him? It is magical that everything went well,” Zoi said.
Perseus is still at Zoi’s clinic. There are many requests to adopt him, but she has grown attached to him.
“He has adapted to the clinic, he has spent a lot of time here, there are a lot of technical issues, his paws need changing, he needs special care. And I also don’t know if I want this animal to leave. He brings joy to the clinic,” she said.
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