Emergency Spaying Surgery Expenses for Hotaru

UPDATE (7/24): WE'VE REACHED THE GOAL! Thanks again to everyone who supported this fund or spread the word. Hotaru is doing great, with plenty of energy and no obvious signs of trauma around her stitches. She'll be getting those removed in a week or so, which I'm sure we're both very excited about. I'm so grateful for everyone's support, thank you so, so much!

UPDATE (7/22): THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone who has donated so far!! We've passed the halfway point of the goal, and I couldn't be more grateful for everyone's generosity and compassion. Hotaru is recovering very well, and her stitches look clean and uninflamed, so her surgery was clearly a success.

Hi, I'm Jack! I'm an American currently studying and working in Japan. In March of 2025, I adopted a lovely one-year-old cat which I named Hotaru - she is a very energetic, sweet girl, and very tiny to boot.

When I adopted her, she wasn't spayed, but I planned on getting the procedure done as soon as I reasonably could. I've been paying my own tuition, rent, utilities, and other such expenses on a part-time paycheck, so money can be a little tight, but I believed her age and good health would give me some additional time to get the funds together. I've been able to keep up with typical pet costs without issue.

Unfortunately, just a few days ago, Hotaru began to show signs of distress. Her appetite had decreased, she had recurrent diarrhea, and she was urinating more often. On 7/19, I noticed she was expelling thick, pus-filled discharge, and she started randomly growling throughout the apartment, even without being touched or approached.

When I brought her to the vet later that afternoon, I was informed that she not only had gastroenteritis, but an elevated white blood cell count and possible inflammation of her reproductive tract. The vet initially ruled out pyometra, which is an extremely serious and life-threatening infection, but later agreed that it was very possible that she would develop it based on her symptoms and how her health was progressively declining. It was decided that she needed to undergo an emergency spay to ensure that her infection wouldn't develop or worsen.

After the surgery, the vet confirmed that her uterus was inflamed and swollen, and that she was in the very early stages of pyometra. If left alone, the vet believed her condition would have deteriorated, and she might have died.

Hotaru has since come out of the surgery, and she's currently back home with me and recovering well. However, as a student that is only permitted to work part-time, the vet fees are a lot more than I can afford right now, so I'd really appreciate any support anyone might be able to offer. The total bill at the vet came out to $1,013 USD, so that is my goal!