Feline fine! Stockings the kitten who was born with legs back to front walks for the first time after breakthrough surgery



Stockings was born with his hind legs turned inwards, forming a 'W' shape



Staff at a Chicago animal shelter noticed the defect on the orange tabby

Orthopaedic specialist suggested a series of operations to help him walk



Now the energetic kitten can stand, walk and run and has found new owner



A kitten born with a defect so severe that it could not stand or walk, has found new purr-pose in life, thanks to medical help from a Chicago animal shelter.

Stockings was just a few weeks old when he was brought in to the Tree House Humane Society, where staff noticed his hind legs were hyperextended backwards, forming a 'W' shape.

The deformity meant that Stockings couldn't play, jump or use a litter box and he developed sores on his legs as the orange tabby dragged himself along.



When he arrived at the centre, he was also underweight and suffering from an upper respiratory infection.

Medical miracle: Stockings the kitten has undergone surgery after he was born with his hind legs turned inward

Tree House spokeswoman Jenny Schlueter told ABC Chicago : 'He had to drag his whole behind, and we knew that was going to be a really difficult way to live.'

'He had a lot of energy and wanted to run around like other kittens and play.



'He'd jump up and fall on his face - he really wanted to do what he couldn't do.'



But rather than opting to put him down, Tree House contacted Dr Steve Neihaus, an orthopaedic specialist who suggested a series of operations to cut the tendons in Stockings' hind legs so they could be realigned.



Schlueter added: ' We knew it was risky. We knew there were no guarantees it would work.'



Although the procedures were experimental, Dr Neihaus believed doing nothing for the then eight-week-old kitten would mean he would have to be euthanised.

'We went forward with surgery knowing we could never make him normal.



'Our goal was to make his feet functional so he could live a happy, pain-free life.'

Rescued: Stockings was taken to the Tree House Humane Society in Chicago

Operation success: Stockings underwent four procedures to realign his hind legs

No alternative: Dr Neihaus believed doing nothing would mean Stockings would have to be euthanised

The eight-week-old underwent his first surgery in October, followed by three more procedures - and the result was a success.

With his feet now pointing in the right direction, Stockings has ' blossomed into a rambunctious, lively, and energetic kitten'.

The fearless feline can walk, run and play as well as any other normal kitten.



Stockings has even found the purr-fect ending to his endearing tale, having been adopted by Priscilla Cherry, a veterinary technician who cared for the kitty while he underwent his surgeries.



She said: 'I saw him trying to grab people through the bars of his kennel without a care about his malformed legs, and I knew he was for me.'

Best paws forward: The operations successfully corrected Stockings' deformity