Gelato gained the ability to walk in a wheelchair made of toy cars and rulers.
Kyle Melnick
Sayre Morgan spotted a yellow bag of cat food and a tiny stray kitten on the side of a road while driving home from work one recent night. He pulled over to find not just one, but a litter of kittens roaming a Cincinnati hillside. However, one was in serious need of help: The cat was on his side, unable to stand or walk.
Morgan took the five kittens to an animal shelter, where X-rays found that the immobile cat had a spinal injury in his lower back. The cat, whom shelter staff named Gelato, dragged his hind legs when he tried to walk.
He appeared interested in interacting with other cats and playing with feather toys and balls, said Mallory Smith, the veterinary assistant lead at Cincinnati Animal Care. But weighing just over a pound and standing about 4 inches tall, Gelato was too small for the shelter’s wheelchairs.
