Board Certified Veterinary Cardiologists frequently implant pacemakers in animals, most commonly dogs. But recently, specialists in the cardiology practice at the VRCC Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Hospital in Englewood, Colorado were introduced to a cat that needed a pacemaker.

Mickey was diagnosed with a disease that was causing an abnormally low heart rate, according to veterinarian Dr. Karen Sanderson and her team. They found it would be too dangerous to go through Mickey’s jugular vein for implantation, so his pacemaker was implanted in his belly and attached to his heart.

Mickey has been doing well since the operation. Over the past 17 years, VRCC’s Cardiology team has implanted about 100 pacemakers in dogs, but Mickey is the only cat that has received one.