Caslon's little snack

Hi, friends.

Caslon, one of our two resident felines, was behaving strangely today, and we realized that he accidentally ingested some human medication. (I imagine you're curious. It's the stuff I occasionally take for intermittent pain in my toes and knees. And I can't tell you the name of it because I'm 2,548.6 miles away from home.)

My wife, Susi, can no longer drive because of complications from functional neurological disorder. A friend stepped in and rushed him to the Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Hospital for us, where he was admitted and where he likely will be staying for at least two days.

This fiasco could not have come at a worse time for our family and our wallets. Last month, I lost a lot of my freelance work time to Covid. I am at a conference where, though I'm affiliated with the organization, I have had to foot the bill to get there, and it is not an inexpensive journey. We're paying out of pocket for Susi's care while I'm at the conference. And Caslon already had another recent surprise vet visit, which wiped out our emergency funds. What was once a cushion is now an empty pillowcase.

Susi and I were never lucky enough to have kids. This cat is beloved and lights up our home with his puckish mischief. He's eight years old and has what our friend observed as “little brother energy,” to the chagrin of his sister, Ghiva, who gives off vibes that are decidedly more adult. We adore both of these critters.

When I posted an update on Cazzie's condition, several friends immediately suggested that I pass the hat via GoFundMe and, while ordinarily we are both by disposition and profession wanting to be the people who help others, this time around we genuinely need some help to get the proper emergency medical care to a beloved member of our family.

The costs are hard to determine right now — it looks like we're starting at about $4,000 for a few days at VESH. Other measures might be pricier — if his condition worsens, we might be looking at far more. Any funds not expended will be donated to one of our local animal shelters.

Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts,

Jeff Potter, on behalf of me, Susi, Caslon, and Ghivashel

Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts

P.S. Our last cats, the late, great Kaatskill and Goldberry, were named after a typeface and a Tolkien character, respectively, and we wanted to continue the tradition as we named our two new kittens in 2014. “His name should be Caslon Openface," Susi said. Why? "Because he has such a little, open face."