Lightning the Cat's Hospital Stay

Lightning is a roughly 10 year old (he was born in August, he just turned 10 not long ago) service and companion cat for my daughter Athena, working with her anxiety, depression, and other issues. It is largely due to his influence that she was able to make it through some dark times that are inappropriate to share about without her consent due to the personal nature thereof. We live in a little house out in the country chosen as much for affordability as it was for providing a safe place for my son's service companion dog and in the event of my daughter's cat sneaking out, as he likes to do when daughter is not home.

Friday the 13th of 2017 Lightning got outside, most likely slipping out under the dog when letting him out in the yard for nature's call. Friday night Lightning had come back and my son and I were in the living area when Lightning decided to empty his guts rather unexpectedly beside my feet after coming over. It was very unpleasant to clean, and at 11 PM on a Friday night I was not going to be able to get him to a clinic to be seen and with no gas to go to any that might be open down in Redding.

I did what I could for him, but he retreated under my daughter's bed. Daughter was at her boyfriend's for the weekend to make carpooling to work easier. It was my hope that it was merely stomach upset and that he would be better by the time she returned home to be with her cat.

The next day (Saturday) I couldn't find him anywhere in the house. I even called outside wondering if he managed to sneak out with dog during times I'd lost my balance at the door, since my back was also acting up very badly making it difficult to move around.

Sunday he turned up in the morning by the water bowl staring at it when I rose to get my morning coffee and let the dog out. He'd never been out after all on Saturday and I wondered WHERE he could have hidden in the house as he was not in any of his usual spots or even the less usual ones.

Sunday night daugher returned home. Lightning stayed out where he could get affection, and seemed to be doing better. He was at least showing interest in food and water even though he wasn't taking them. Monday was coming and I planned to take him in to be seen anyway, concerned as by this time he had lost two pounds and was rather obviously dehydrated.

Monday came and he was seen in Mt Shasta Animal Hospital at 11:40 AM. The vet said it looked like intoxication and that his kidney function was impaired. She mentioned that it was normally something like day lillies or antifreeze. We have none of the flowers that could produce such effects around the property, as we have cats. That left antifreeze and my blood running cold.

Lightning was given an estimate of a 20 to 30 percent chance of making it unless something changed, and was admitted to the animal hospital as an inpatient in an attempt to provide what was needed to make that turnaround happen for him. A day after being in the hospital his kidneys are now about half functioning,  so his chances of of living are getting higher; but we still have to take this day by day.

Lightning, my daughter, and I need help with his hospital stay. I work as a website tester, a publisher, an editor, an illustrator, author, and narrator. These are all on demand and as work projects are available jobs.  I do not make enough to provide for my family without assistance, as much of this work is not stable. Sometimes it is even difficult to pay out royalties to the authors that have published with me without having to tighten my belt in areas relating to my own care. My son is autistic and on Social Security. My daughter is only 16, works as a housekeeper on weekends for one of the local inns, and is concurrently enrolled in a high school level charter school and the local college with current intent to become a Forensic Analyst in the future. Even with all this I still need the help of cash aid and foodstamps to keep the children fed and the bills paid. Using the Care Credit Card for the vet bill gives us a little flex room, but I will still need whatever help can be garnered in getting that balance paid.

The estimate is at $543 a night and treatment will be on a day by day basis. We are hoping to pull him through and not to have to consider euthansia as he is a family member and an important keystone to my daughter's mental health, as her battle with her inner demons is still ongoing. Lightning is more than a pet. The estimate that I have put is is for about 5 days of treatment, but I do not know for certain what his bill will be. Any help is welcome. I hate asking for help, but Lighting and my daughter need this help, so I swallow my pride.

Thank you for reading this far.

Edit #3:
The total vet bill is $1270. His funerary expenses were an additional $180. The balance still owed is all on my Care Credit Mastercard now and thus where I need to send payments to. As I send payments from either my own pocket or my daughter sends some I will make note in the offline contributions to help keep track of how much is left.

Edit #2:
We have moved beyond the stage where the payment is to the vet's office, although I will leave the info on there for the retention of information's sake. The balance still owed is all on my Care Credit Mastercard now and thus where I need to send payments to.

Edit #1:
Not feeling comfortable going through Gofundme? That's ok. You can go direct. For those wanting to contribute directly to the hospital on Lightning's behalf:

Animal: Lightning Garcia
Owner: Teresa Garcia

Hospital address
Mt. Shasta Animal Hospital
1130 N Mt Shasta Blvd
Mt Shasta, CA 96067

Admitting Vet was Harmony McPherson, DVM

Phone: 1-530-926-5266