RESCUE KITTEN WALKS FOR FIRST TIME THANKS TO CUSTOM WHEELCHAIR BUILT ENTIRELY OF LEGOS

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Rescue Kitten Walks for the First Time Thanks to a Custom Wheelchair Built Entirely of Legos

Rex, a 4-month-old rescue kitten with “wobbly-cat syndrome,” took his first steps thanks to a custom wheelchair built out of Legos by a North Carolina toy store employee

By Moná Thomas  Published on September 1, 2026 02:16PM EDT

 

A rescue kitten who had never been able to walk is finding his footing with a little help from an unexpected resource: Lego bricks.

 

According to ABC7, Rex, a 4-month-old kitten rescued by Rescue Connect, is learning to walk for the first time thanks to a custom wheelchair made entirely of Lego.

 

Rex was diagnosed with a neurological condition called cerebellar hypoplasia, also known as “wobbly-cat syndrome,” which affects his balance and coordination and has left him unable to walk on his own.

 

“He was pretty non-responsive when they got him,” animal rescuer Jennifer Witkowski told the outlet. “They started treating him, and he slowly got more movement.”

 

Rex needed a wheelchair, but traditional models can be pricey. Witkowski estimated a standard chair for the feline would cost around $1,800, which is a steep price given that the growing kitten would outgrow it in about a month and a half.

 

After seeing another shelter help a rescue cat with a Lego wheelchair, volunteers reached out to Bricks & Minifigs, a specialty Lego store in Wilmington, N.C., for assistance.

 

There, employee Michael Hawley was eager to take on the challenge. He credits his design skills to a lifetime of building.

 

“I’d say some of my earliest conscious memories are with Legos,” he recalled. “My older sisters used to terrorize me when I was younger. In order to fend for myself, I would have to build my own Home Alone contraptions to get back at them. They don’t make Lego sets for that, so I had to get creative.”

 

The project was also personal for Hawley, who previously had a dog named Mr. Wiggles with the same neurological condition as Rex.

 

After a few adjustments, the custom creation was ready for testing, and Rex started walking with it almost immediately. For the volunteers managing Rex’s daily rehabilitation, the wheelchair’s success has been a huge relief.

 

“It’s hard when you’re in rehab, and you watch them struggle and struggle, and you don’t know what their future is going to be,” Witkowski said. “It’s nice when you get that moment of hope they might have a normal life.”

 

Rex is not currently available for adoption but is expected to be listed soon through Rescue Connect and will hopefully find a loving forever home that will welcome the life-changing, Lego-made chair.

 

“It was honestly a great feeling,” Hawley said of seeing Rex move about in his brick-built creation. “I’m just glad to be a part of it.”