Hello everyone, my name is Kristina, this is my beloved cat, Birdie, and we really need your help!

On July 18, 2025, I took Birdie to the vet for a general checkup and rabies shot. She had also developed a bizarre obsession with licking bricks in the fireplace which had me a little concerned. Upon arrival, she was alert; adventuring the vet office as per usual. They took her blood, a urine sample, and gave her the shot. The vet didn't have any immediate concerns other than a noticeable case of anemia; with a red blood cell count of only 18 (should be around 35), and so we began a series of blood tests to determine what may be the cause.

I took her home, and she didn't seem like herself. A stressful day for her, I thought. I loved on her and made it a point to watch her like a hawk while eagerly awaiting the test results which would arrive a few days later. The results ruled out a lot of common ailments such as viral infections and leukemia...which is good, but because she didn't test positive for anything, I had to take her back for a second round of blood testing.

Her second visit for further analysis came on July 23rd. They were able to produce a red blood cell count right away, which remained at 18. It was however determined that her heart had arrythmia, which was either new, or not noticed previously. We were instructed to keep an eye on her closely until the test results came back (which took quite some time) and during that wait, she became extremely lethargic.

The test results arrived. Still no answers, so on August 4th she was taken back to the vet for more testing. Her breathing had changed, I knew something serious was going on. Unfortunately, I had to work that day, so Rory (absolute godsend) took her in. They immediately did an X-Ray which showed a massive amount of fluid that had built up around her heart and lungs (see image below). Rory put me on Facetime with the vet to show me the X-Rays (I was devastated) and we were told she had congestive heart failure and needed to be rushed to the ER immediately. I left work and met him at the hospital.

All of that milky substance in her X-Ray is fluid.

Once at the ER, they gave the official diagnosis of congestive heart failure and began to drain the fluid in hopes to improve her breathing. It worked, which did save her life, but it was and may only be a temporary fix. Her red blood cell count had also dropped to 13, which puts her in a dangerous place; with the potential of needing a blood transfusion.

After coming out of the procedure, she was stable enough to come home on medications Furosemide and Clopidogrel to keep her OK until her appointment with the cardiologist the following morning.

Here's the kicker, after further analysis of her heart, the cardiologist determined that she only has mild heart disease...which was not the cause of the fluid, and not the cause of her anemia. The fluid in her lungs was then sent off for testing and we are currently waiting on those results.

Birdie is currently eating, using the litter box, and showing moments of her personality. Test results or not, she will need to go in soon for another blood test to see if her red blood cell count has dropped any further. I'm trying to stay positive. I'm amazed and so grateful that she is still with us.

While her health is my top priority, I must address the financial burden that has come crashing down on us, and we're not done yet. I have drained my accounts along with maxing out my credit to save her. Rory also covered the remainder of what I couldn't, and if all I can do with this GoFundMe is pay him back, then I can at least breathe a little easier knowing he is no longer financially responsible. Rory has also been caring for her while I'm at work (I can't afford to miss anymore work) so let's be sure to send Rory all the good vibes and gratitude for being such a hero.

Speaking of heroes, those of you who know me well, know that I recently lost my other cat, Hero, which is why the possibility of losing Birdie has just rocked me to my core. I have to wonder if a part of her illness is being caused by a broken heart. Hero was her family. She was just two weeks old when I rescued her and took her home to Hero, so I'm sure she's grieving just as much as I am.

So far, her care has cost a total of $4,161.18 and I expect it will be another $1-2K to get to the bottom of what's happening and start treatment. With that, please, please, if there's anything at all, even a $1 that you can contribute to help pay for what has already accumulated, and what has yet to come, I will be SO GRATEFUL. Please see the attached billing documents below. I will continue to post updates with her progress. Thank you so much <3