A poor orange cat in Siberia was left by his owners and lost all four paws to frostbite. Luckily for Ryzhik (which is Russian for “Ginger” or “Redhead”), his new owners didn’t give up on him!

Siberian winters are perilously cold (as low as -40 ºF).

While many of the people living in Siberia have actually acclimated and have appropriate clothing for the climate, many animals can not withstand such low temperatures.

Sadly, frostbite in dogs and cats is not uncommon, and most of the time it causes the animal dying in the cold or being euthanized.

The clinic continues to pioneer brand-new and innovative techniques to give a fighting possibility to the animals who need it the most!

One of the Lucky Ones

When his brand-new owners took him to the veterinarian with frostbite, Ryzhik remained in bad form; gangrene had embeded in to all 4 limbs.

The vet had no choice but to amputate them.

But Ryzhik’s tale didn’t end there.

His brand-new owner decided he was mosting likely to do everything in his power to help Rhyzik walk once again, so he took Rhyzik to a clinic in Novosibirsk that specialized in artifical limbs.

Rhyzik the Bionic Kitty

Utilizing computer system tomography and 3D modeling, the clinic equipped Rhyzik with four artificial paws.

Surgeon Sergey Gorshkov said that Ryzhik “is definitely the first cat in the world who experienced such surgeries.”

That means that Rhyzik is the world’s first bionic kitty!

Dr. Gorshkov explained that Rhyzik’s new titanium limbs were connected to the bones.

The part of the titanium limb connected to skin and bone is spongy, allowing the tissue to expand around it.

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

Rhyzik is still a little unsteady on his new limbs, but the vets at the clinic say that it’s a good sign that he’s not trying to remove them.

It’s Rhyzik’s method of showing that he’s comfortable with the new paws.

Rhyzik can go up and down the steps, but still doesn’t feel confident with running or walking.

Specialists say, provided time, Rhyzik will adjust to his new limbs and become steadier on his bionic feet.

Innovation Conserves Lives

Dr. Gorshkov’s clinic focuses on helping animals that would normally have no other choices.