Kamloops couple 3D prints vertical feeding stand to help sick kittens
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A Kamloops, BC, couple has 3D printed a feeding stand to help a foster kitten struggling with a unique medical condition.
The kitten named Piglet, who is five months old, is being fostered by Angela and Jason Lyle. When they first got her at two days old, she said, she couldn’t eat properly.
“Even as a bottle-born baby, she couldn’t nurse properly. She remained small and didn’t benefit like others,” Angela told CBC News.
Piglet was part of a litter with her mother, and was fostered by local rescue group Sammy’s Forgotten Felines.
As days passed, he developed pneumonia. Angela said euthanizing the little black kitten was a serious consideration.
But after some veterinary testing, it was determined that she likely had megaesophagus — a condition that means the tube that carries food to her stomach doesn’t function normally, according to the couple.
“If she eats like a normal kitten, the food may come back up. The biggest risk is that she could inhale it into her lungs,” Angela said.
That’s when they 3D printed a unique vertical feeding stand, which Jason said he designed based on Template released for free On the Internet.
“We thought she was just a lazy kitten, and it turned out she was really sick and really malnourished,” Jason said.
“So, once she started eating regularly and actually getting nutrition, her fur grew back properly. She started getting bigger.”
A social media video After Angela posted a video on Sammy’s Forgotten Felines account, Piglet’s feeder went viral, receiving over a million views.
She said she hopes Piglet’s experience will be an educational experience for other cat owners megaesophagus condition This is rare in cats compared to dogs, who may use a device called a belly chair to help them eat.
The vertical feeding stand can be modified and changed, so the couple say they can adapt to the piglets as they grow.
Angela says the kittens have to be fed five times a day and then held upright for 15 minutes after their meals – which she describes as a “total family effort”.
“There were times when we didn’t know if she would make it or not, but she deserves it,” he said.
“It’s been incredible to finally see him thrive, and we’re grateful he’s still here.”
