RALEIGH, N.C. (January 27, 2012)--Cyrano the cat weighs more than 20 pounds, so amputating his cancer-weakened leg wasn’t an option so his owners decided on a knee replacement.

On Thursday, the 10-year-old cat from Upperville, Va., received what doctors believe is the first total knee replacement performed on a cat in the U.S.

Britain's Dr. Noel Fitzpatrick is credited with the first in the world in 2009.

Cyrano's surgeon, Denis Marcellin-Little of NC State University, said the tabby's girth and big bones were a plus.

He said after Cyrano takes it easy for three months, they will let him be himself.

Such implants have become commonplace in dogs, but the smaller anatomy of cats has proved more difficult to work with.

One of Cyrano's owners is Sandra Lerner, who helped found Cisco Systems.