Puss in boots: Cat born with twisted legs has a new way of walking

Meet the kitty who has a brand new catwalk.

Watson is a real-life Puss in Boots who uses prosthetics to help him run around.

The two-year-old cat was born with radial hypoplasia – a congenital disease that caused his front legs to twist inwards.

He was left unable to walk and severely disfigured as his paws continued to twist.

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But when he was rescued and adopted by Melanie Lusnak, 28, from Michigan, Watson’s life went through a dramatic turnaround.

Even though she was repeatedly told nothing could be done for her cat, Ms Lusnak continued to seek help, and eventually found it in the shape of an animal prosthetist.

Watson has just been fitted with boot-like prosthetics that allow him to play and run around.

‘The minute I saw Watson it was love at first sight, his paws were so badly twisted that I knew I needed to help him,’ said Ms Lusnak.

‘I took him to an orthopaedic surgeon who told me there was nothing anyone could do for him, we were told just to keep him as comfortable as possible as he might not have a long life.

‘But I refused to listen, I knew there was so much out there that there had to be someone who could help him.’

Watson’s prosthetics were designed by Animal Ortho Care in Virginia.

‘Watson was amazing, he got used to them really quickly and I could tell he was comfortable, he could fall asleep wearing them and so I knew they didn’t bother him,’ said his owner.

‘Thanks to his boot-like prosthetics, Watson is able to play around so much more freely now because he is no longer in pain and he runs around so fast you wouldn’t believe it.

‘The rescue shelter told me there are breeders who make “twisty cats”, they breed from animals with slight deformities because the kittens are supposed to look cute.

‘It’s really awful, we don’t know for certain whether this was the case with Watson but it certainly could have been.’

She added: ‘Despite everything he has been through Watson is a really affectionate and happy cat, he cuddles with me and sleeps with me at night.’