Hi everyone, I’m Madison. My husband, Colin, and I are asking for your help for our youngest cat, Bear. The short of it is that Bear’s back right leg is broken and she needs orthopedic surgery to reattach her femur to her ball joint, and the surgery is not cheap.

The long of it is that on 7/25, when we got home from work, Bear wasn’t putting any weight on her back leg and was yelling out in pain when she moved. We put her in her stroller to minimize mobility overnight, and we were able to get her into the vet the next morning. The vet did a physical exam with minimal protest from Bear, an improvement from the night before. They said they thought it was a soft tissue injury, due to her toe touching and no obvious cuts or external trauma, but we could be sure with an x-ray. We decided to give her pain meds and rest, believing it was a sprain that would heal with limited mobility. In the first few days, she showed a lot of improvement, such as getting herself to the litter box and interest in food and water that we brought to her. After about a week, the progress had stalled.

On Monday, 8/11 we brought her in for a recheck, and decided to get an x-ray. In the x-ray, the vet discovered a clear fracture where her femur met the ball joint in her hip. The cause could have been multiple injuries over time, or it could be a condition that young cats can have. They said my options were orthopedic surgery, orthopedic surgery at the U of M, or surrender her to be euthanized. To be honest, I was in shock because I thought they were going to tell me she had a sprain and just needed more rest.

Our girl is so strong. The vet told us they were surprised she wasn’t showing more signs of pain, considering her broken leg. We can’t believe it either!

If you’ve met Bear or know me and Colin, you know that this cat holds a very special place in our hearts. She’s only 2 years old and with this surgery, she will live a long and healthy life.