Update:

Lucha had his surgery. He is doing well and recovering at home. It was a little crazy when he returned, but things are calmer now. He will return to the hospital to take his stitches out this coming Tuesday, December 7th.

Thanks for reading this...Lucha needs surgery to alter the anatomy of his urethra so his bladder no longer keeps getting blocked.

A little history about Lucha...

I adopted him from a high-kill shelter in 2020 when the lockdown started. He was rescued from a cat hoarder. He is a timid cat, but if you know him, he is the sweetest, cuddly cat, always asking for pets and scratches. He never bites or hisses at anyone. Whenever I had a hard day, he was always there to give me affection and make my day better. Lucha means so much to me.

His full medical story...

Starting about a few weeks ago, he could not urinate, which caused him to get ill. He was not eating and throwing up bile because the toxins in his blood were building up almost to the point of kidney damage. I took him to the vet, and by inserting a catheter, they could unblock him. They found some crystals and told me he would need to go on a prescription diet for the rest of his life. They kept him there for four nights to ensure his kidney values were back to normal and he could urinate independently.

When he came home, he was slowly starting to recover daily. However, a few days later, I noticed that he could not use the litter again. I took him to the vet again, this time to an ER because it was already after hours. They said he had an infection (three different strains of bacteria) that was causing the blockage. Again he was hospitalized for two nights. Doctors had to reinsert the catheter (which is very painful, mainly because the scar tissue has already formed) so that he could be unblocked. They had mentioned that if this happens the third time he will need an operation.

Three days later, I brought him home with antibiotics which he was supposed to be on for ten days. He was very low energy, lost about 3 lbs in less than two weeks (which is a lot when the total weight was 16 lbs) and still not eating. But every day, he was recovering. He was starting to eat more and moving around. I was so happy to see him regaining his strength and playfulness.

But this morning (Monday), I noticed he was acting strange again...I brought him to the hospital for the third time in less than two weeks. The doctor said his bladder is hard and he is under stress. This time, they told me he needs surgery. It is a major surgery that can come with complications. But they assured me that he would be okay...

The first visit was $3000, the second time was $5000 (because it was an ER visit), and now the third time, the surgery will cost $5000. I paid a total of $13,000 upfront. This has been a very emotionally and financially stressful situation for me. So I am asking for a bit of help to cover his operation's cost. Whatever you can contribute, I genuinely appreciate your support.