Baby's CATastrophe

Hi All,

I decided to start this fundraiser as this is an abnormal situation that would not have occured without a series of unfortunate events happening all in a row.

I had spent the last 6 years caring for an elderly relative, and late 12/2024 I relocated to LA for work. Shortly after I left, my relative fell and had multiple strokes. On top of going through most of my savings to move, I was driving 2 hours each way back to check in on my relative multiple times through Jan & Feb until they ultimately passed in March. In addition to that, I fell ill for two weeks after. Needless to say, my finances were completely devastated, including the emergency funds I kept.

On 5/1, after coming home from the office, I realized my cat (legal name: Loa, actual name: Baby,) was acting very odd and there was clear vomit puddles throughout the apartment. I grew up with multiple pets, relatives and family friends with farms, so I knew this wasn't the typical 'cat with a hairball' and rushed her to the emergency vet down the street. What I was hoping was something stuck in her throat she couldn't get out, turned out to be a severe obstruction in her intestines.

With my previous pet, I had insurance, and I got insurance for Baby the day I adpoted her. I had gone through the process of submitting a claim for the previous pet and knew I would get reimbursed (partially) for the vet bill. Unfortunately for me, the bill for an emergency surgery at 1am was $8,900.

I was lucky that the insurance, Nationwide, approved the claim in a decent amount of time. I was unlucky that, Nationwide had recently changed their insurance "style" and I did not realize the severity of this change. Previously, with the other cat, the style had been 'reimbursement up to 70% of the total bill,' but now, they are on a 'benefit schedule' where the company will only pay up to a certain limit. Without experiencing it, I had no way to anticipate an $8,900 bill on a gastric surgery that Nationwide will only pay up to $1,750 for. I received the reimbursement in the mail and deposited it yesterday.

In any other time of the year, even by August this year, I could have paid the difference from my emergency funds. Hindsight 20/20 and all that. I exhausted every option before deciding to make a GFM- I spoke to the vet (in person) yesterday to see if I could get any of the exhorbinant fees removed (I could not,) I called Nationwide to see if they could cover anything else per their benefit schedule (they would not.) The only benefit to Nationwide is I am not locked into a contract and can leave at any time- I will be setting up new insurance with either Trupanion or Pet's Best within the next month (still deciding between the two.) I am also pursuing a promotion within my team that will have a positive financial impact, and if not, I will consider other options.

Thankfully (or not) I was able to put the balance on CareCredit with a "if you pay it off in one year you will not owe interest." This is how CareCredit makes money- if you do not pay it off in one year, they asses interest on the full balance of the original purchase regardless of what you have paid off.

I will make do, I always have, and I do not expect anything. This is a horribly stressful time economically for everyone. But I recognize the absurdity of the situation & chain of bad luck. Even though I realize it is ok to ask for help when you need it, I am struggling even now to write these last few sentences from the guilt, but no person can manage everything on their own 100% of the time.

Enjoy a few more pictures of Baby and her brother Stinky as a thank you for reading.

Thank you,

saku