Hi! Tara and Harpo here! Our beautiful Mainecoon cat, Leo, needs help.

On Sunday, our boy stopped eating and drinking. And if you know our boy, he's never passed on a meal! He a very talkative, very curious 6 year old boy who loves snacks and cuddles with his dad. (I always make the joke that if I ever go missing, it's because of Leo! :)

By Monday, his health had declined substantially: lethargic, third eye lid squinting, agitated, still not eating and drinking, and he felt warm to the touch.

Yesterday we took him into the vet, where they diagnosed pneumonia. Because he wasn't eating, his liver levels started to elevate slightly (which is super bad). He had a 104 fever, too.

The vet administered fluids, anti-inflammatories, and gave us antibiotics to take home. Thankfully, we were able to pay the almost $1100 bill on our own. He perked up a bit when we brought him home, and actually ate some wet and dry food!

Today, his condition dropped again. Fast. His breathing increased, showing new signs of distress. The respiration's were over 50 (normal should be below 40), so we knew we needed to move quickly. His fever had gone up to 106.1 as well.

He's now in critical care at the VMC Greenhaven. (Shout out to the crew there because they have been exceptional!)

The doctor felt quite confident that if they moved quickly, our boy would make it. And as a young-ish, spunky 6 year old boy, we feel it necessary to do what we could to help him live.

The hospital's initial $750 fee was the final straw to wipe our savings. And sadly, we don't have the ability to receive care credit at this time.

Thanks to the incredible generosity of my mom, we were able to put down the $3200 required to care for him. However, they quoted us upwards of $5500 when all is said and done. I burst out sobbing when I heard this, wondering how do we afford to keep him alive?

We have exhausted all our own financial means, and don't have any more options.

Y'all...this is hard to ask. I've struggled a lot of my life asking for help, especially for money. But this time, I need to put my pride aside and ask, "Can you help us?"

A huge THANK YOU to those who've already reached out. Your support means the world to us in this difficult time.