The Cat Model of Spinal Cord Injury

The cat can recover a robust pattern of hindlimb locomotion following partial or complete spinal cord injuries. As a result, it has been instrumental in our understanding of spinal networks controlling and regulating locomotor activity. Thanks to our feline friend, spinal cord-injured humans are now trained on a treadmill to promote the recovery of walking. This chapter highlights some of the landmark studies using the cat that have led to a better understanding of the adaptive changes that take place after spinal cord injury, as well as the underlying mechanisms governing locomotor control and recovery.