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Bionic British cat gets faux paws
The associated press ^

Posted on 06/25/2010 11:09:45 AM PDT by marthemaria

scar the cat may have lost one of his nine lives, but his new prosthetic paws make him the world's first bionic cat.

After losing his two rear paws in a nasty encounter with a combine harvester last October, the black cat with green eyes was outfitted with metallic pegs that link the ankles to new prosthetic feet and mimic the way deer antlers grow through skin. Oscar is now back on his feet and hopping over hurdles like tissue paper rolls.

After Oscar's farming accident, which happened when the 2 1/2-year-old-cat was lazing in the sun in the British Channel Isles, his owners, Kate and Mike Nolan, took him to their local veterinarian. In turn, the vet referred Oscar to Dr. Noel Fitzpatrick, a neuro-orthopedic surgeon in Eashing, 35 miles southwest of London.

Together with biomedical engineering experts, Fitzpatrick gave Oscar two metal prosthetic implants, or pegs. Those were attached to custom-built faux paws that are a bit wobbly, to imitate a cat's natural walk. But first, he covered the brown implants with black tape to match Oscar's fur.

Fitzpatrick said he and biomedical engineers designed the artificial paws so that they would be fused to the bone and skin. "That allows this implant to work as a seesaw on the bottom of the animal's limbs to give him (an) effectively normal gait," he said. "Oscar can now run and jump about as cats should do."

The veterinarians then inserted the peg-like implants by drilling them into Oscar's ankle bones in his rear legs. The metal implants are attached to the bone where Oscar lost his paws and were coated with a substance that helps bone cells grow directly over them. The cat's own skin then grew over the end of the peg to form"

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(Excerpt) Read more at google.com ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine; Pets/Animals; Science; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: kittyping
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To: martin_fierro; marthemaria
Nah, we have it much better in the USA.

They gave my cat V/STOL for the same cost.


21 posted on 06/25/2010 2:49:35 PM PDT by Lady Jag (Double your income... Fire the government)
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To: Lady Jag

Cheers!

22 posted on 06/25/2010 3:13:42 PM PDT by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
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To: Venturer

It wouldn’t be my choice to spend my money on this... but some will, same as I have a neighbor who spent about 150 bucks on a stroller for her dog. As long as I’m not involved, I don’t care. I might make fun of the person, but to each his own.


23 posted on 06/25/2010 4:18:29 PM PDT by Katya (Homo Nosce Te Ipsum)
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To: Venturer
I cannot help but wonder how many kids could have been fed

I can't help but wonder how many kids will eventually benefit from this break thru technology........

I guess the glass is half empty for you, eh?

24 posted on 06/25/2010 4:27:53 PM PDT by Hot Tabasco (Peanut butter was just peanut butter until I found Free Republic.........)
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To: Lady Jag

LOL! How’s that underway replenishment working out, though?


25 posted on 06/25/2010 4:34:10 PM PDT by rabidralph
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To: Katya
It wouldn’t be my choice to spend my money on this...

first of all, who spent what on this cat? Ya think that maybe, just maybe this vet took it on his own to perform the procedure?

So what do you treat in your veterinary practice?

26 posted on 06/25/2010 4:38:16 PM PDT by Hot Tabasco (Peanut butter was just peanut butter until I found Free Republic.........)
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To: Venturer

U.K. socialized medicine aside...

If you read the story, you’ll find that this is part of ongoing research into new methods of implanting prostheses.

Humans will benefit from Oscar the cat.


27 posted on 06/25/2010 4:39:25 PM PDT by primeval patriot
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To: Venturer

I agree.

also it would be important to remove this cat from the gene pool since it is too stupid to move when the harvester shows up.


28 posted on 06/25/2010 4:58:38 PM PDT by Chickensoup (The Acting President....is an incompetent puppet of Soros.)
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To: Venturer

Your statement is as dumb as any liberal could have come up with. Other people’s money belongs to them and they can spend it as they wish. You are severely divorced from reality if you truly believe the BS you just wrote.


29 posted on 06/25/2010 5:39:58 PM PDT by calex59
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To: calex59

Thanks for your comment.

Love you too.


30 posted on 06/25/2010 6:04:29 PM PDT by Venturer
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To: Venturer

Better yet, we could feed our cats for centuries on the flesh of our vanquished enemies, if only we had the will.

Not sure the cats wouldn’t turn up their noses at ‘em though.


31 posted on 06/25/2010 7:11:13 PM PDT by SunkenCiv ("Fools learn from experience. I prefer to learn from the experience of others." -- Otto von Bismarck)
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To: martin_fierro

I really thought he could take that combine.

Those sensations to the missing parts are going to drive this cat a little bonkers from time to time.


32 posted on 06/25/2010 7:13:17 PM PDT by SunkenCiv ("Fools learn from experience. I prefer to learn from the experience of others." -- Otto von Bismarck)
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To: Venturer

No problem, I am always ready to point out stupidity whenever I find it. Any time you write something as liberal and stupid as you did here, you can count on me to point it out. Have a nice day.


33 posted on 06/25/2010 7:59:45 PM PDT by calex59
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