Stockings the kitten was born with a rare deformity but is now able to walk, thanks to an animal shelter based in Chicago.
When Stockings was brought to the Tree House Humane Society last year only a few weeks old, his hind legs were turned inward and fixed into a “W” position.
He was also underweight and had an upper respiratory tract infection.
“He had to drag his whole behind, and we knew that was going to be a really difficult way to live,” Tree House spokeswoman Jenny Schlueter told ABC Chicago.
Dr. Lynda Ewald, the shelter’s veterinary services director, consulted with an orthopedic specialist.
They then decided Stockings would undergo a series of surgeries to cut the tendons of his hind legs out so that they could be extended and properly aligned.
The first surgery took place in October, followed by three more surgeries while he lived with a foster mother who is a veterinary technician.
His foster mother has also made the arrangement permanent so as well as now being able to walk, Stockings has a new home too.
Images via Tree House Humane Society
