This Russian Cat Is The First To Have Bionic Paws

Cats really do have 9 lives. Ryzhik the tabby cat thought he was facing his certain end when he was found in Tomsk in the middle of January in the -40C cold. His limbs were so frostbitten and gangrenous that they had to be amputated.

Thanks to surgeons at an animal clinic in Novosibirsk, what would have been an otherwise life-threatening injury has given Ryzhik a new lease on life as the world's first bionic-footed cat. These boots are definitely made for more than just walking.

From The Cold To The Cutting Edge

cat posing with bionic paws
Photo Credit: Anna Liesowka / Youtube
Photo Credit: Anna Liesowka / Youtube

Ryzhik's sleek paws were generated using tomography and 3D modeling. Replacing his frostbitten paws are customized feet designed to mimic the weight distribution and mobility of a cat's foot.

Surgeon Sergey Gorshkov states that the feet work and grow with the cat. "The limbs are fully connected with the skin and bone," Gorshkov explains. "The part of the limb that goes inside the body is spongy, and the bone tissue grows inside it."

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Small Steps For Cat, Large Steps For Cat-kind

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cat walking down stairs with bionic paws
Photo Credit: Anna Liesowka / Youtube
Photo Credit: Anna Liesowka / Youtube
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Though he's still shaky on his feet, Ryzhik doesn't hesitate to take a few steps around the clinic. In the video, he's seen strutting down hallways, through courtyards, and enjoying the sun like any other four-footed feline — with a leash, of course.

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Gorshkov calls these first few steps a "good result." Since the goal has always been to improve Ryzhik's mobility, Gorshkov believes the functionality that the groundbreaking surgery provides Ryzhik is a success in itself.

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The First Of Many

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close up of cat bionic paws foot
Photo Credits: Anna Liesowka / Youtube
Photo Credits: Anna Liesowka / Youtube
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The technology that helps Ryzhik move has made him the first cat in the world to have four fully functioning artificial limbs. But he's not about to be the only one.

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The clinic in Novosibirsk where Ryzhik went specializes in implanting artificial limbs into needy animals across many species. Their veterinarians are trying to patent their technique for attaching artificial limbs to birds and are working at rebuilding beaks for parrots and hoods for cattle.

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Oscar With Two Bionic Back Legs

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bionic cat paw and owner
Photo Credit: The Supervet
Photo Credit: The Supervet
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In 2009, a similar surgery was performed in the UK by "Bionic Vet" Professor Noel Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick saved the life of Oscar, whose back legs were caught in a combine harvester while he was laying in the sun.

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Oscar went on to live a full life after his surgery. He even got into enough mischief to snap one of this prosthetics in half while he was playing and had to get it repaired. Talk about a tail for the ages.

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Next Steps

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cat walking with bionic paws
Photo Credit: Anna Liebowska / Youtube
Photo Credit: Anna Liebowska / Youtube
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Ryzhik continues to recover after his surgery at the clinic in Novosibirsk and his physical therapists anticipate a full recovery. His new owners are looking forward to bringing him home and getting him adjusted to life on four artificial limbs.

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Whatever life holds for Ryzhik now, it's going to be trailblazing. As Gorshkov states in disbelief, "he is definitely the first cat in the world who has experienced such surgeries."