A FEMALE CAT named Dymka, who lost her four paws due to extreme frostbite two years ago, has become the world's second feline to be fitted with 3D-printed prosthetics made from titanium.
Dymka, a four-year-old cat in Russia, can now walk and run free after veterinarians performed a surgery to replace her front and hind-leg paws.
NYPost reported that veterinarian Sergei Gorshkov worked with researchers from Tomsk Polytechnic University in Russia to create the metal paws, which were fused to Dymka's leg bones.
In a statement, the university said Dymka's new front and rear paws have an individual model that was printed using titanium on a 3D printer.
A YouTube video of Dymka emerging from her cat house, stretching and walking around on her prosthethic legs have garnered close 400,000 views.
She was rescued in Dec 2018 after being spotted on a road in Siberia suffering from extreme frostbite.
Dymka not only lost her paws, but also her ears and tail due to extreme temperatures.
The surgery was performed by Novosibirsk-based BEST Veterinary Clinic in two parts.
In July and Dec 2019 respectively, Dymka received her front leg implants and later hind-leg implants.
Back in 2016, the clinic performed a similar procedure for Ryzhik, a male cat, that also suffered from frostbite.