Veterinarians in St. Pölten have caused a veterinary sensation: “Pauli” the cat lost his lower hind legs in an accident. Now the home tiger received prostheses from the 3D printer as a replacement. “Such an operation has never been performed in Austria before,” says veterinary clinic St. Pölten. After the successful operation, she declared “Pauli” as “Austria’s first cyber cat”.
The four-year-old black and white cat was seriously injured in a “dramatic accident” two years ago, according to St. Pölten veterinary clinic. “A combine harvester was probably involved,” the clinic told krone.at. Both lower legs had to be amputated such a serious injury was until recently considered a certain death sentence. “A certain quality of life must be guaranteed for the animal. A cat can do well with three legs, but with only two legs it is difficult,” the institution explains.
But the devoted owner did not want to give up “Pauli” – and was ready to spend a lot of money to return the necessary quality of life to the beautiful tomcat. The veterinarians Marlis Wiebogen-Wessely, Bettina Habenbacher from the animal clinic in St. Pölten and Nikola Katic from the specialist veterinarians in Althangrund took care of the poor animal. Using state-of-the-art technology and 3D printing, two endo-exoprostheses were produced for “Pauli”. It took two operations to make the cat a four-legged friend again.
“Pioneering” costs about 10,000 euros
Such an intervention is not cheap: the two new hind legs for “Pauli” cost a total of 10,000 euros. The prostheses alone, which are made in Russia, cost 4,000 euros. “However, the surgeons waived their fees, we have also asked for donations to make the procedure possible,” the veterinary clinic said on krone.at. Pioneer work was done here that could help many other animals in the future. “Unfortunately, this is a very common injury, especially in rural areas,” explains the veterinary clinic.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
