Hi everyone!

11/10

My sweet cat Ziggy needs surgery this Wednesday to amputate one of his toes due to a HUGE fast-growing cancerous mass on his little thumb toe bean of the front left paw. In just one week, the lump tripled in size, and after consulting with the vet, surgery is the only way to give him the best chance at recovery.

The surgery alone costs $5,000, not including post-op care, medications, or any potential follow-up treatments. Depending on the biopsy results, there may also be additional treatment needed. We’re hoping and praying with everything in us that the results come back benign — that it’s just the toe, and that once it’s removed, he’ll be okay.

If it’s not benign, we may face more difficult decisions depending on whether the cancer has spread. That could mean more extensive treatments like a full leg amputation or even chemotherapy — but we’ll cross that bridge if and when we need to. For now, we’re staying hopeful and focusing on getting Ziggy through surgery safely and keeping him as comfortable as possible.

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11/12

Good News and Bad News

The surgery went well! They were able to close up the wound, which was a concern since the mass was so large — but thankfully, there was enough skin to stitch everything up.

Unfortunately, the mass was deeper than expected. Different parts of it had spread and attached to other structures, like ligaments. They were able to remove most of it, but not all.

Now we’ll just have to wait for the biopsy results to see if it’s benign. I could hear it in her voice when she told me about it though… and my intuition is telling me it’s not :/

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11/13

Worse news

This morning, the vet called to check on Ziggy and asked if he had gone to the bathroom. When I said no, they told me to bring him in right away.

He has a urinary obstruction.

They put it a catheter, gave him medication, and now he’ll need to stay there for at least 48 hours for observation and care. Untreated, a urinary obstruction can become fatal very quickly.

I’m so thankful they called to check in!!! This vet hospital has been amazing throughout everything: attentive, caring, and always taking the time to explain things and answer every question. If you're in Palm Beach County and in need of specialized pet services, I high recommend Pet Emergency & Referral Center on Northlake Blvd.

Unfortunately, this situation has added another $2,000 to the total cost.

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I’m still holding onto hope that everything will turn out okay!!! Maybe it’s just getting worse before it gets better.

Ziggy means the world to me — he’s my little shadow, my family, and the sweetest soul. Watching him go through this so suddenly has been heartbreaking, but he’s a fighter.

Anything you can contribute, even just sharing this page, would mean more than words can say!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read Ziggy’s story and for sending love, prayers, and good energy his way <3