Curtis's story began with a love story. When Ryan and I first started talking about getting married, we knew we were going to be getting another cat. I had had my first cat Henry for a few years at that point, and we really wanted him to have a brother. We got married, and on our honeymoon we visited a pet store on a whim. We joked about the ridiculousness of bringing a cat home from a honeymoon, and that's definitely what ended up happening with Curtis! We were smitten from the second we laid eyes on him. He was so cute, had the softest fur, and little leaky eyes! His sweetness and playfulness immediately captured our hearts. We took him home with us, introduced him to his new brother Henry (who instantly hated him, thus beginning the Henry-Curtis Rivalry), and his life with us began.

Curtis is a sweet, silly, free-spirited weirdo with so many quirks. He's been a constant source of joy, laughter, stress-relief, and pure positivity for us as we've navigated married life, business, and all the ups and downs that have come our way in the past three years since we first got him. His love-hate relationship with Henry keeps us laughing every single day. And he never ceases to surprise us with new, adorable quirks! Simply put... he warms our hearts simply by existing, and we are excited every morning to wake up and snuggle him.

We never could have expected that our worlds would be completely turned upside down in an instant. 

Curtis hid under the bed nearly all day. He wasn't eating. He wasn't drinking. He wasn't playing. He wasn't himself. Period. The following morning I noticed his breathing was heavy and he looked so weak. We rushed to the ER. While sitting in the waiting room waiting to hear back his X-ray results, I remember telling myself to breathe. And finally, the doctor called us back. With deep empathy in his eyes, he told us that Curtis was in heart failure. Even typing this right now I'm telling myself to just breathe.

"6-12 months," he said, describing our remaining days with our sweet kitty. We were in shock. We still are.


The next 3 days consisted of more visits to the ER. Curtis was weak and seemingly not responding to the medication. Each time we left him we wondered if it would be the last time we'd see him. We finally opted for him to stay overnight, and when we picked him up the following day there was a pep in his step that we hadn't seen in days. He was responding to treatment, and still seems to be responding well. 

At the present moment, he is home. He is beginning to eat again and regain his strength. The light is back in his eyes. And we are still processing how such a happy and healthy kitty could be given such a grim prognosis. 


We are fighting for Curtis. We are fighting to outlive the timeframe they gave us. We are believing there is hope for our sweet boy. And we are cherishing each and every day we are fortunate enough to still be in the presence of such a precious joy-giving soul!

And now, we are asking you to fight with us. We have received so much love from so many wonderful people (shoutout to the #COIcommunity and all of the amazing friends we have through instragram!) and we've rallied together to create this fundraiser.

Each and every dollar donated will go toward Curtis's existing ER bills, his upcoming vet bills, and the testing he will be going through as doctors continue to map out the best plan for keeping him with us for as long as possible. And for every $5 donated, you will be entered to win one of three incredible packages courtesy of @kittenbearsadventures, @radrhett2010, and @mac_daddy_the_cat (be sure to include your Instagram handle with your donation if you’re entering!). Please follow our account @henrysthoughts for updates in IG stories, and for fun pictures as we celebrate each day we have with Curtis!

Thank you for your love and support. We truly cherish each and every one of you who has given your time, encouragement, prayers, positive thoughts, and money to help us in this extremely difficult and shocking time. We so deeply appreciate you, we feel your love, and it IS making a difference for Curtis and for us. We love you all!