Amazing Double Amputee Kitten Learns How To Descend the Stairs On Her Front Legs

In this video posted by Megan Brocato, an amazing double amputee kitten named Boots, saved from euthanasia by Life is Better Rescue in Colorado, descends the stairs on her front legs with the encouragement of a human who seems very excited by Boots’ progress. Boots had a rough start in life as her missing legs were not due to a birth defect, but were amputated for an unknown reason.

The doctor’s have confirmed that her limb amputations were not as the result of a birth disorder and were not naturally occurring – both bones are quite ragged and the exposed nerve endings cause her pain as she grows, gains weight, and tries to walk on what are essentially exposed nubs. Our best guess was that she was either closed in a door or perhaps caught in a recliner as it came upright – not intentional – but certainly being dropped in the night box at the municipal shelter not a humane solution either. She will eventually need surgery to clean up the ends of her legs, and to help with the permanent fitting of prosthetics. In the meantime, she now wears “house slippers” to help to teach her to walk with her back straight, to keep her muscles from atrophying, and to help spare her the pain of walking on the painful ends of where she should have tiny kitten feet.

Donations can be made to help this determined little kitten through AmazonSmile, PayPal or through Colorado Gives.

images via BuzzFeed, Mark Stevens Photography, Life Is Better Rescue

via BuzzFeed