Pet Owner Makes 3D-Printed Leg Brace For Injured Cat

A badly injured cat has been fitted with a leg brace 3D-printed by his owner in order to save his leg from amputation.

Sprocket the cat had an unlucky run in which he was hit by a car and then badly mauled by a dog only six weeks later, just before his first birthday.

The cat’s owner, Glasgow-based designer Fergus Fullarton Pegg, 3D-printed a customised temporary leg brace - also known as an orthosis - to allow him time to recover from nerve damage.

The vet who treated Sprocket agreed to give the wounded feline some time to see if the leg will recover while fitted with the brace before considering amputation.

Just in case Sprocket’s leg doesn’t heal and does need to be removed, Pegg has started work on a prosthesis for his beloved pet.

The designer, who works at Glasgow School of Art, created the leg brace on a Formlabs 1 3D printer.

3D printers are rapidly becoming more commonplace, with synthetic teeth, custom-fit trainers, and even affordable houses among the many objects that have been printed so far.

Image credit: Fergus Fullarton Pegg