Gelato the Kitten Got a Toy-Car Wheelchair, Then a Forever Home
A shelter vet tech built a tiny wheelchair from rulers and toy cars. The internet did the rest.
Some rescue stories make you grin from ear to ear, and this is one of them. Gelato, a stray kitten with a lower-back injury, arrived at Cincinnati Animal CARE in Ohio unable to use his back legs properly. The shelter’s wheelchairs were all far too big for him.
Enter some serious creativity
- Lead vet tech Mallory Smith built a mini wheelchair out of cardboard, tape, zip ties, wooden rulers and Hot Wheels cars, tweaking it until it rolled just right.
- An engineer later stepped in with a custom 3D-printed chair designed to fit Gelato and grow with him.
- When his story spread online, tattoo artist Hope Hollandsworth, who already cares for two cats with spinal injuries, met him and adopted him on the spot.
Where he is now
Gelato is still doing therapy in the hope of regaining some use of his hind legs. His recovery is uncertain, but he has wheels, a home and a person who gets it. That is a pretty great start.
Friendly reminder: this summary is for general info only. Your own vet knows your pet best.
