Little Cat’s Claw Makes Him Look Just Like … A Lobster

His name is Lobstah and before you ask, yes, that's his real paw.

The San Francisco SPCA had no trouble naming the kitten with the unusual claw, rescued from the city's streets at just 4 months old.

But while Lobstah's oversized scratcher only made him more lovable, the cat unfortunately had a much bigger problem.

Staff soon learned that Lobstah had a serious birth defect, an underdeveloped chest wall, that made it hard for him to eat or even breathe. If uncorrected, it seemed likely to end his life.

"The surgical team, Dr. Jeanette Goh of the SF SPCA and vascular specialist Dr. Margo Mehl, went in not knowing what they'd find or if they could save little Lobstah," the SF SPCA wrote on Imgur. "They discovered that they were able to reconstruct a chest wall for him using connective tissues and muscles in his body."

"The surgery was unprecedented and...a total success!"

After recovering from surgery, Lobstah was quickly adopted by new mom and dad Leda and John, who had previous experience raising a special-needs cat.

Now Lobstah spends his days snuggling with mom, sleeping on dad and just generally being a special little cat!

To learn more about the SF SPCA and their mission to help and protect animals, visit their website.