In 2020, all of my college roommates left our apartment after all of our classes went virtual during the pandemic. Working full-time at Shands hospital, my family did not to risk me visiting with them. Completely alone and isolated, I came across a family looking to rehome a kitten. From the moment we crossed paths, we became inseparable. I would often look up at him and say "it's just me and you, Hercules." To be honest, it truly was just us. I would lovingly refer to him as my little man, my boyfriend, and Mr. Sweetface. He was truly still is my partner in crime.

After recently losing my job, I then lost my grandfather. I thought my bad luck streak had run out until I noticed Hercules with his claws in the sheets tensed up in serious pain. After taking him to the ER at 2am, the vet told me he had a bladder obstruction. A life threatening occurrence and to be honest, the absolute worst case scenario. Hercules was unblocked at VEG ER in Tampa and then released to a primary vet for further treatment.

By the time we got to the primary, he had already formed another blockage. After a urine analysis, we learned that he had crystals forming in his urine and that this is what was causing the block in his bladder to where he could pass urine. When Hercules could not pee, this strained his kidneys and caused him to also go into kidney failure.

After being unblocked again at Blue Pearl in Temple Terrace on Saturday, he was hospitalized for 24 hours. During this time, the crystals completely passed though his urine and the acute kidney injury completely worked itself out now that he was able to pee again. I had everything all set up for him to be released, I added a water fountain to increase the water intake, added another liter box, more bowls of wet food and water and got him new bedding as the vet suggested.

We were discharged from Blue Pearl at 10:30pm on Saturday. We arrived home around 11pm, as soon we got home, he went to the liter box and peed a very large amount. I was so happy I started crying and taking pictures of his urine like it was his trophy.

All throughout the night he was constantly in and out of the liter boxes, I realized he was starting to strain and nothing was coming out. This was absolutely devastating as I knew this meant he blocked again. We arrived back to Blue Pearl on Sunday morning where they confirmed my worst nightmare was true, he needed to be unblocked again and hospitalized for another 24 hours. Severely discounted, this was another $1,400 on top of the $3,600 already spent between the first 2 hospitalizations. Without hesitation I was ready to move forward and do everything I can for him.

He was then unblocked again and rehospitalized but this time there was a lot more inflammation and debris in his urine. The vet suggested another night hospitalized which was another $1,000. We are now up to over $5,000 and this was with a significant discount to his treatment.

I applied for The Blue Pearl Cares grant to help with his costs, though the chances were slim of being approved, I luckily was granted $1,000 towards his treatment- which covered another nights hospitalization today on December 15th.

Moving forward, Hercules will not only be on a Vet prescribed Urinary Tract Health diet for the rest of his life, he will also need surgery to alter his anatomy to where this does not happen again.

I have done everything I can for the 4 last sleepless days, but we still have a long way to go. I am willing to do whatever it takes for my little man! Not only is he my word but he is only 5 years old with no other health problems.

After lots and lots of prayers and continued discussion with the Blue Pearl team, a 55% discount was applied to estimate of his surgery, bringing the cost down to $3,000. We greatly appreciate any support at this time.