Tiny Kitten Finds New Freedom With a Homemade Wheelchair
Gelato, a small tabby kitten recovering from a spinal injury, is moving toward a brighter future thanks to compassionate shelter workers, an inventive foster caregiver and a wheelchair built especially for him.
The kitten was discovered on the streets by a Good Samaritan and taken to Cincinnati Animal Care last month. Although Gelato was not paralyzed, his back legs had weakened from lack of use. He needed support to move around, rebuild his muscles and take part in physical therapy.
There was just one challenge: Gelato was too small for the mobility devices available at the shelter.
“He was only about just shy of one pound when he came,” Mallory Smith, veterinary assistant lead at Cincinnati Animal Care, told As It Happens guest host Rebecca Zandbergen. “He was a really little guy.”
Smith, who is fostering Gelato, refused to let his size stand in the way of his recovery. Instead, she gathered ordinary household materials and began creating a tiny set of wheels for him.
“When a tiny kitten comes in who needs some extra help getting around, you use what's available to make it happen,” the shelter wrote in a social media post.
A clever wheelchair made with care
Mobility devices for cats and dogs typically use a harness attached to wheels. The wheels support the animal’s hindquarters, allowing it to pull itself forward with its front legs.
Smith’s first design included a cardboard cradle, zip ties, electrical tape and two Hot Wheels ambulances. The toy vehicles were attached to the bottom of the makeshift frame to serve as wheels.
The cardboard, however, was not strong enough to support Gelato as he moved and turned.
“They weren't able to hold up his weight, especially when he would try and turn. So then I just got some wooden rulers for 99 cents each and put them on the sides.”
With the rulers reinforcing the frame, Gelato’s colorful little chariot was ready. The homemade device gave him the chance to explore while strengthening his body.
“He was able to walk around with it and it gave him some autonomy while also getting physical therapy at the same time,” Smith said.
Graduating to a custom design
Gelato’s creative wheelchair quickly won admirers online. But because the kitten was growing, Smith knew the Hot Wheels-and-duct-tape model would only be a temporary solution.
Working with an engineer friend, she developed a more durable, 3D-printed mobility device. The new wheelchair can be adjusted as Gelato gets bigger, allowing him to continue moving, playing and exercising comfortably.
“He's able to use it really well and it's very exciting,” Smith said.
Along with regular physiotherapy, the device is helping Gelato regain strength in his back legs. His recovery is already showing encouraging signs.
“He's already starting to stand up on his own without the wheelchair assistance, but he can't quite take a lot of steps,” Smith said. “But I have a good feeling that he will be able to walk unassisted soon enough.”
A small kitten inspiring wider kindness
Gelato’s story is doing more than highlighting one kitten’s progress. Smith hopes the attention will encourage greater awareness of special-needs animals and the importance of providing mobility equipment in a wider range of sizes.
“There's definitely other kittens who are in need of this stuff,” she said. “I'm really happy that he's getting that attention to kind of broadcast a bigger light on special needs animals in general.”
Shelter staff expect Gelato to make a full recovery. Once he is healthy and ready for adoption, he will have the opportunity to bring his lively personality to a permanent home.
Saying goodbye will be difficult for Smith, who has become deeply attached to her little foster kitten. Still, she knows that helping Gelato find a family will allow her to open her home to another animal in need.
“I do really, really love him, but if I were to keep him, then it would hinder my ability to help the next animal that needs a foster,” she said.
Smith does not expect Gelato to wait long for the right family.
“He's a popular guy.”
Interview with Mallory Smith produced by Leslie Amminson.
