Meet Lee, an adorable rescue kitten born with an interesting deformity.
Perfectly healthy otherwise, little Lee came out of the womb with 6 toes on each foot and something called angular limb deformity. Lee’s angular limb deformity (or ALD for short) caused the kittens’ arms to fold inward instead of outward, giving him quite the noticeable limp.
“The two most obvious things with Lee was that he had multiple toes on his back leg,” veterinarian Ralph Tran told Caters TV.
“And his front legs, he had what’s called an angular limb deformity. It’s actually called a ‘varus limb deformity’ in which his arms fold inward.”
Although a cute kitten wobbling around is arguably adorable, Lee would have to be seen by professionals for help.
Cats can be born with this ALD, as a result of hereditary malformation or genetic disorder. The condition can also arise due to trauma as a kitten— but in that case, signs would typically only be present on one leg, and not both, like Lee. Many cats with ALD are perfectly fine and have no difficulties surviving with a limp, but the condition can also cause them pain and may lead to arthritis as they grow older.
Lee was brought to the ASPCA in New York City where veterinarians in the Kitten Nursery vowed to help him out. When the vets examined Lee, they made an odd discovery.
It turned out the source of his issue was muscular, rather than skeletal— and since Lee’s condition affected only soft tissue, his muscles could easily be re-trained and strengthened. Additionally, it also meant that invasive surgery was not needed.
In fact, instead of any type of surgery, vets decided on a more gentle treatment with hopes it would be equally effective.
The vets put Lee’s arms into splints, meant to gradually train his limbs to bend the right way. These splints were changed every 3-4 days, leaving Lee to spend a day in between without casts. By dedicating themselves to this method, Lee’s arms were corrected and could finally be bent the proper way.
Overall, Lee’s treatment was successful. Now, he walks like any other kitty— except he’s a little bit clumsier than a cat born without ALD.
Lee also still has all 6 toes, but that’s likely just a genetic trait passed on from a parent.
“Lee could really have a normal home life,” Tran said.
“He might, on occasion, stumble when he’s running, but other than that, he shouldn’t have any problems with it,”
Lee is an incredibly lucky kitty! He had such an amazing group of doctors to look after him and make sure he got the care he deserves. Even if Lee never developed serious issues, it’s a relief that he’ll no longer have to worry about it!
Lee now lives with a loving family who adores his limp and stumbles!
See his story below!
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