00:09 DR.
LIZ: I don't think leaving him the way he is, is a viable option.
00:20 COMM: In 2014 Big Cat Rescue was called to
a backyard zoo in Alabama, to rescue some animals kept in appalling conditions.
00:33 DR.
LIZ: Cats are being kept in open top cages, with all kinds of debris making it easy for
them to get out.
Poor lion.
00:43 COMM: It was alleged that the owner of the
zoo had been feeding the big cats live domestic cats and dogs, and in the case of this leopard,
it was claimed that a doberman, meant as a meal, had fought back.
The leopard had horrific injuries and later died.
00:58 COMM: But it wasn't too late for some of the
other cats, including Mickey, an eleven year old lame cougar.
01:05 DR.
LIZ: I think you can probably stand on the corner of the cage.
01:10 COMM: The team coaxed Mickey into a trap and
set out on the 14 hour journey back to Big Cat Rescue HQ in Tampa, Florida.
01:39 COMM: The next morning Mickey was sedated
so the team could assess his condition.
01:45 COMM: A healthy cougar with Mickey's frame
could easily weight 180lbs.
Mickey weighs barely half that weight.
01:53 COMM: Next, a dental check up.
01:56 DR.
LIZ: We're not gonna fix him, but can we make him comfortable enough to have a good quality
of life?
That's the question.
02:03 COMM: The veterinary team set about extracting
Mickey's rotten teeth.
02:15 COMM: But Mickey had a bigger problem.
Both of his back knees have torn ligaments, and were riddled with arthritis.
His discomfort when he first arrived at Big Cat Rescue was clear.
02:26 DR.
LIZ: So this motion right here that you can see, is instabilities.
So the reason his knee is so thick, and the reason his knees are abducted, pulled away
from his body, is this, is unstable.
02:42 DR.
LIZ: He has no muscle in his back legs at all.
I mean usually remember how meaty they are like this?
That's what knees should look like.
02:52 DR.
LIZ: : I don't think leaving him the way he is, is a viable option.
Because of the way he moves and the way he walks.
He looks miserable.
03:14 COMM: Over the next six months, Mickey underwent
two surgeries in his back legs, in an attempt to reduce the bowing and make him more comfortable.
03:25 COMM: For his first surgery, Mickey had to
have the ball joint in his left knee reshaped, to fit back into place.
03:34 COMM: But the second surgery was more complicated.
With Mickey on the table, the team were able to assess the condition of his right leg.
03:42 DR.
JUSTIN: The femur has displaced, kinda behind the tibia.
03:46 COMM: For this surgery the team, lead by specialist
Dr. Callum Hay, had to once again reshape the knee joint.
But also fit a mesh sleeve over the joint to hold it in place, as it was so badly worn
away.
04:13 COMM: Since his second operation in March
2015, Mickey has been under cage rest at Big Cat Rescue.
04:22 COMM: He's also been undergoing physical therapies
to encourage him to walk after his surgeries, when they can coax him out of his new den.
04:32 COMM: Mickey is making good progress, and
even showing his playful side.
04:46 COMM: Mickey will live out his days at Big
Cat Rescue, and the team are committed to making those days as comfortable as possible.