Watch a Disabled Cat Take Her First Steps—Her Owner, a Wheelchair User, Couldn’t Be Prouder

Seeing your child take their first steps is truly an unmatched feeling, and for cat owner Madison Russell, that feeling extends to her feline. In a now-viral video, a 6-month-old cat named Athena uses custom cat leg braces to take her first steps. We have all the heartwarming details below.

The viral video of Athena taking her first steps with custom cat leg braces

Originally posted on Reddit by the cat’s owner, Madison Russell, the video of the 6-month-old cat Athena taking her first steps has quickly captured people's hearts all over the internet.

In the post, Athena is seen wearing large pink plastic braces held up by velcro on her front legs. Russell entices Athena with a treat, encouraging her to take her first steps with her custom cat leg braces.

"Athena was originally surrendered for euthanasia [a medical practice that ends a patient's life] at just a few weeks old but was saved by a local humane society, who posted her pictures online,” Russell told Newsweek . “It was very obvious she had serious deformities of her front legs, and as a wheelchair user, I immediately felt attached to her and knew she had to be mine. "

The cat always has trouble walking on her front legs due to her Feline Radial Hypoplasia , with Russell remembering, “ All Athena could do at first was slide around on the floor. ”

"Unfortunately, this led to pressure sores and spinal problems, so after working with a veterinary orthopedic surgeon and a rehab specialist, we decided to get her custom leg braces ."

Russell then confirmed that Athtena did get fitted for her leg braces on October 2 . Athena even tried to take her first steps then, but she stumbled around a lot.

“Athena took her first steps yesterday! I am such a proud mama. We've worked so hard to get to this point. Over the next few weeks, we will be doing physical therapy to get her used to the braces and how to move with them,” Russell wrote on her Instagram. “I was told to manage my expectations for our first try with the braces, and she far exceeded everything. I am just so so proud of her. ”

But after a lot of practice, Athena grew more and more confident in her new legs, leading Russell to post an updated video of the cat walking on Reddit.

"She still has a long way to go, but with lots of physical therapy, she's making huge strides, " Russell told Newsweek .

She also took the time to comment on how all of the online love has affected her, saying, “While she [Athena] is everything to me, it's amazing to see everyone else loves her too . She's such a special cat, and I've been really lucky to be able to share her story with others."

Athena’s journey to recovery

Aside from posting on Reddit, Russell also created an Instagram account for Athena under the username @twisty_legs.

There, Russell posts pictures and videos of Athena running around the house and even updates its followers on the cat's adventures in the real world.

“So far, leash training and socialization with Athena has been going great! She is such a laid-back kitten. Kids and dogs don't phase her at all, and she loves all the attention she gets,” Russell wrote on Instagram. “We started this training to make it easier when she starts physical therapy in a facility with lots of loud noises and dogs, but she has been having a lot of fun going on little adventures with me and hops in the carrier as soon as I grab my keys.”

We love you, Athena!

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