Pillu becomes India's first cat to get a pacemaker after rare surgery

In a rare surgery in India, a seven-year-old cat named Pillu received a pacemaker at a veterinary clinic in Pune (Maharashtra) on Monday.

- BY S VENKAT NARAYAN

Pillu's heart rate had dangerously dropped to the 50s, far below the normal 160 beats per minute. Pet parent Ajay Hirulkar noticed Pillu's declining agility, prompting a medical investigation.

The seven-year-old female underwent a "challenging" surgery to implant the pacemaker at the veterinary clinic. Still in hospital, Pillu is now on the road to recovery.

Until a couple of years back, it was routine for the agile feline to leap nimbly to get onto the top of the cupboard in the house, said Pillu's pet parent Ajay Hirulkar, a resident of Vishrantwadi. But at one point, Pillu struggled to even clamber onto the chair. "I sensed something wrong," said Hirulkar.

Trouble started two years ago when the kitty had gingivitis (infection of gums), and was diagnosed with myocarditis (inflammation of the heart) leading to DCM phenotype (thin heart muscles).