A cat that dragged his hind legs due a congenital deformity gets a new lease on life thanks to the CATS Cradle Shelter. The feline, named Corky, was scheduled to be euthanized at a pound in North Dakota after a boy spotted the abandoned animal dragging himself on the side of the road.
The 7-month-old cat suffers from Bilateral Arthrogryposis; translated, it means that Corky’s hind legs are like a corkscrew – backwards and crisscrossed. The cat was fairly mobile, but seemingly ordinary tasks, such as using the litter box, could be a messy challenge.
Carol Stefonek and Gail Ventzke, co-founders and directors of CATS, however, took Corky off death row. They initially thought that amputation was the only route, but decided to seek a different solution where the cat’s legs could be retained and function. After being turned down by multiple surgeons, they found a taker in Dr. Dan Burchill.
During Corky’s five-hour surgical procedure, Burchill used pins to reorient the cat’s legs and severed the Achilles tendons to uncurl the animal’s toes.
Corky’s Facebook page helped drive world-wide donations to cover the cost of the procedure, which was initially estimated at $2500, but had doubled.
Corky faces a long recovery (see video below) and will have to learn to walk again. The cat will never be able to jump, but doctors hope he will gain the ability to do things that were previously impossible – such as climbing.
Interested parties can make donations at the CATS Cradle Legs for Corky page.
