Please help us fund urgent dental procedures for our rescued foster, Lava the street cat! His gums are currently quite infected, he is already missing many teeth but the remaining teeth are in very bad shape and more are rotting and need to be pulled. The current infection and inflammation are causing him a lot of pain -- antibiotics are helping but this surgery will need to occur in the next month to put an end to the unnecessary pain he is in.

We have already spent $1,500 in vet bills for necessary vaccinations, antibiotics and exams. The vet has given us a detailed estimate for the dental procedures and related meds & bloodwork, bringing our total to about $5,000. We are able and happy to feed and care for Lava but vet bills have gotten beyond our means.

Lava's Story: Lava was our neighborhood stray, we saw him from a distance for a couple years infrequently and 6 months ago started to see him more regularly in a parking lot on our block, and promptly started feeding every day. He had lost weight and we noticed many teeth suddenly missing, so it was our intent that after building trust we would trap and take him in to make sure he had a better, healthier life and all the care he would need -- success! Two weeks ago we were able to trap him easily and have been caring for him since.

Due to his background and lack of prior socialization, he is a long-term foster (we anticipate about 9 months will be necessary before he can be re-homed). As he unfortunately was confirmed to have FIV by the vet, and we already have cats that are FIV-negative, we cannot be his forever home, and are working on finding him the safest possible home to go to when he is ready. Please help us support these mounting costs so that we can provide the best care and build a foundation of socialization that will set him up for success in his ultimate forever home.

Thank you so much!