Pewaukee animal sanctuary gives paralyzed cat new lease on life with 3D printed wheelchair
CBS 58 PEWAUKEE, Wis. (CBS 58) -- On a farm in Pewaukee, the animals have their routines.
Then there is Mochi, the kitten.
“She has some trouble walking around, hind leg paralysis, but she’s a spunky little kitten and she doesn’t let that stop her,” said Corinne Turk, manager of Cold Noses Sanctuary.
Mochi gets where she wants to go with a little bit of determination.
“For the most part, Ms. Mochi likes to scoot around on her little butt, and she gets around really well with that,” said Turk.
When she was just a few weeks old, Mochi was diagnosed with spina bifida, a condition that paralyzed her back legs. Cold Noses Sanctuary wondered what would happen if Mochi could move a little faster and with more comfort.
So they 3D printed her a wheelchair.
“The second we put her in it, she was gone. She was ready to roll. She was so excited to get some speed and run and feel like a kitten,” said Turk.
Mochi is one of many animals at the sanctuary who need a little extra care.
“We rescue them, take them in and provide them with a forever home,” said Thalia Haseotes, founder of Cold Noses Sanctuary. “We specialize in special needs.”
Mochi doesn't seem to spend much time thinking about what she cannot do.
“Knowing that she had this disability and she has these special needs, she just treats every day like it’s the best day ever,” said Turk.
Mochi’s figured out there is always more than one way to get where you’re going.
“It brings out kind of the best side of people when they see her,” said Haseotes.