The poor little kitten was only a few weeks old when she was tragically hit by a car.
Tibby was found paralysed near a private university in the US.
A difficult situation
The kitten had a fractured pelvis and her back legs were completely paralysed. However, there was some encouraging news. Vets found that her bladder and bowel functions were still working. Apart from her injuries, Tibby was in good health.
This gave the veterinary professors at the university an idea. They set the engineering students a project: to build a wheelchair for Tibby.
A custom-made wheelchair
The students spent two weeks designing and building Tibby's wheelchair. It needed to be comfortable and securely attached to her body. It also had to be light enough for her to move around with ease.
They tested four prototypes before settling on the final design. The good news is that Tibby now has her wheelchair and can move around independently. The brave little cat was overjoyed to try out her new wheels. The moment was captured in the video below, where she can be seen running and jumping after a student's keys.
People online were both amazed and moved by the video. "Oh my goodness, she plays so well, it brings tears to my eyes," one person commented. Another wrote: "I'm so moved, what an excellent engineering department." And we have to agree, we're very moved too!
