A photogenic 20-pound orange tabby was resting comfortably in an intensive care unit today following pioneering replacement of a cancer-weakened knee by veterinary surgeons at North Carolina State University whose work could advance the field of human prosthetics.


Veterinarians were monitoring the recuperation of Cyrano, a 10-year-old cat, “and if things continue to go well, he could go home in the next few days,” said Tracey Peake, a university spokesperson. The School of Veterinary Medicine has been providing periodic updates on a blog.


Cyrano got a new lease on life thanks to top-tier veterinary care. He underwent life-saving chemotherapy and radiation for bone cancer at Colorado State University in 2010. However, while the thousands of dollars of treatments put Cyrano in remission, the combined ravages of his disease and treatment side effects left him with bone deterioration in his back leg and knee, causing pain and restricting his movements.


Cat’s New Knee an Ortho-PET-ic Innovation - ABC News