Paralyzed Kitten Found Near a School, Engineering Student...

By Alyce Collins

Life and Trends Reporter

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A paralyzed cat was given the gift of mobility again after engineering students built her very own wheelchair.

Hearts have been melted by an adorable video shared on TikTok by Samantha North (@snorth00) showing the incredible moment the disabled cat, named Tibby, got to run around once more.

Tibby wound up at an independent school in Pineville, Kentucky, earlier this year after being hit by a car. North, the sixth to 12th grade literacy coach told Newsweek that Tibby had "a crushed pelvis, and complete paralysis of her back legs."

She was assessed by the veterinary assisting teacher who started treating and stabilizing the kitten.

"We soon realized she still had control of her urinary and bowel functions, and was still full of attitude and life," North, 34, said.

It became clear Tibby's recovery was going well, so students in the engineering class were tasked with designing and building a wheelchair for the paralyzed cat.

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"Our teachers are always looking for community issues that they can use as a hands-on learning project. Our veterinary teacher came to our aerospace engineering teacher and asked if he thought his class could make some kind of device to help. And of course, they were all in," North continued.

Students spent two weeks researching, designing and building Tibby's new wheelchair. They built and tested four prototypes before reaching the final design.

Now Tibby is on the move again. North couldn’t resist sharing the heartwarming clip online, and the TikTok video has gone viral with over 3 million views and more than 771,200 likes at the time of writing.

Alongside the video, North wrote in the TikTok caption that Tibby is "so full of life, and now [she] has a second chance."

The project wasn't without its challenges, however, as North told Newsweek that the students encountered several problems they had to solve.

She continued: "One major issue was keeping the cat both comfortable and attached to the device. They experimented with four wheels, three wheels, two wheels and a roller, and finally two wheels was best. Another issue was making the device rigid but safe for the kitten and light enough to maneuver."

After getting her new wheelchair and having it fitted by the engineering class, there was no stopping Tibby. As someone dangled their keys in front of her and dragged them along the floor, Tibby instantly leapt forward and chased after the keys at pace using her new wheels.

Not only has this been a positive experience for Tibby, but it's also been enriching for the students too. North saw how dedicated they were to ensure this the cat could live a full and happy life and how they didn't shy away from the task.

"Although it was a tragic issue, we learned an important lesson. When faced with a serious issue, this cat is still a happy kitten. She loves to play and finds ways to do things around her disability," North told Newsweek.

Since the clip went viral, internet users can’t get enough of Tibby’s journey. Many people were keen to find out more about her story.

The online response to the video has been overwhelmingly positive, leading to more than 1,300 comments on the TikTok video so far. After seeing how far Tibby has come, many TikTok users praised the school and students for giving this sweet cat the chance to thrive.

One comment reads: "Omg he’s playing so hard, I'm sobbing."

Another TikTok user wrote: "They need to start making another for when [she's] full grown. That is wonderful."

A different person replied: "What an amazing thing to direct your studies. They'll always remember this."

Another commenter added: "sobbing, that’s a great engineering department."

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