A black and white kitten with a broken back lay on animal doctor Betsy Kennon's examination table. A regular customer had rushed him to her office after his pet dog brought the cat home in his mouth. The dog's owner was horrified, believing that his pet had caused the cat's injuries. But Kennon found no teeth marks or bite wounds, which showed that the dog had probably saved, not harmed, the kitten. In Kennon's opinion, however, the cat was a hopeless case. Many doctors would have  _ such a badly hurt animal. But she couldn't be so cruel. The kitten's bright eyes and sad face had won her over. There was no way of finding his owner, so Kennon, a single woman aged 56, decided to keep him. She gave him a round of shots and fed him food mixed with medicines. He couldn't move his back legs but soon started pulling himself forward with his front legs. The doctor named him Scooter and contacted a company that makes carts for disabled animals. Scooter took to his new wheels like a natural. In no time he was able to move freely, but somewhat awkwardly, around Kennon's office, home and even her backyard. The sight of the determined Scooter was uplifting and amusing in equal measure and Kennon had to smile each time the cat entered the room. Kennon was convinced that her kitten could share his high spirits with others. So she took Scooter to the local hospital to see if he could help the patients. His first patient was an elderly woman who'd had a stroke and hadn't spoken to anyone for two days. Scooter jumped out of Kennon's arms and onto the bed, rolled over to the patient, and lay gently near her cheek, purring softly. The woman looked at Scooter. "Kitty," she murmured as she began to talk to him. Amazed, Kennon turned to the doctor --- and saw that she was in tears. The cat had engineered a small miracle. Today Scooter spends about ten hours a month working with patients who are recovering from strokes and injuries. Again and again, Kennon watches as her cat provides hope and comfort. As one patient who'd lost her leg in a car accident said, "If he can do it, so can I." How did Kennon help the cat move around?
By getting him a special cart. By curing his broken back. By feeding him medicines. By exercising him in her backyard.