The Cat that Saved My Life

Hi! I'm Nimmy, and I'm raising funds to pay for my cat, Smudge's recent and upcoming vet bills.

Smudge is a really special cat to me. I grew up in an abusive household, and when I finally had the resources to move out, it was a matter of courage. Anyone who's been in this situation knows how terrifying it is to leave, and my situation was no different.

Ultimately, when the final week or two came, I was in a panic. I had no idea what the reaction would be to my confirming I'd be leaving in a week, and no idea if I'd be strong enough to go through with it. My friends who'd been supporting me may choose to give up on me if I stayed, but they had that choice. I told myself I could live with losing friends, I'd lost people before.

Then, a friend of mine called me. She knew I was planning to move out soon, and she knew I loved cats and wanted another one. She knew of a tiny kitten, 10 weeks old, who needed a home. She'd already adopted his two brothers, and couldn't take a third cat. She urged me to come and meet the little thing, so I did.

I fell in love instantly. He was a mere 600g (21oz), malnourished, flea-bitten and full of worms, curled up in the middle of a pillow that looked enormous compared to him. I agreed to take him, then and there. Thankfully my friend was able to foster him for a week while I actually went through the process of moving out, so I at least didn't have that to worry about.

Then, when the crunch finally came and I had to really stay strong, I'd think of this tiny little baby that needed me. As I said earlier, if I disappointed my friends, they had the choice of whether to stick by me or not. This little cat had no choice at all, and if I didn't take him in, no home to go to. He was what kept me brave, and strong, and ultimately gave me that final hand-hold so that I could climb over that wall of fear and leave the situation I was in.

He saved my life, and i mean that quite literally. That was some 15 years ago now, and he's still such an important part of my home and my heart.

*****

Now, I need your help saving his life.

Since November we've spent a few thousand dollars on Smudge's health, including emergency visits, and the next few months are going to be just as bad. Today (5 March 2025) we had it confirmed that he has kidney disease and will need a complete change in diet (I can throw out all the food we recently got for him, yay), added medication to manage his bowels (dehydration causes constipation), and also anti-nausea meds and possibly appetite stimulants.

He will also need more frequent urine and blood tests to keep track of how he's going and whether we need to ramp up his level of care.

Smudge is a very special cat. When I first saw him, he was a tiny ball of grey fluff curled up in the centre of a pillow. He was riddled with fleas and worms, and horribly underweight due to neglect by his first owner. After a week of being fed properly and having treatments for parasites, at 10 weeks old, he weighed just 600g and was about half the size of his siblings which had been adopted earlier.

He's my special little rescue, but I also agreed to take him at a time when I was getting ready to leave an abusive household. There was a lot of fear and anxiety over possible repercussions from leaving, but knowing that this tiny little creature needed me kept me brave and determined. If I wasn't going to do it for myself or anyone else, I was going to do it for this little baby that nobody else had wanted to take in.

He is now 15 years old, and an absolute sweetheart and a delight. He's still enjoying food and play, and loves cuddles. I'm not ready to give up on him while he still has so much life and love in him.