My beloved soulcat Ginger Pear has been diagnosed with heart disease. We don’t yet know which part of her heart is not functioning correctly. But I know that mine is broken. GP & I have been together since I first moved to the NoFo over 10 years ago. A former stray from the mean streets of Mattituck, she has supported me through Lyme disease, the pandemic & my mother’s untimely passing from Covid. All of my life I’ve had cats (and one GSD named Great the Great) and i can honestly say that Ginger Pear is my soulcat. Although she has some ginger fur, she is named after the flavour of youghurt I fed her when I was walking home from the grocery store in Mattituck & saw her hiding under a neighbour’s car. She was too scared to let me pet her. Fast forward a decade & we now share the same pillow. Her diagnostics, including x-rays & blood work, have cost over $1,500 (the echocardiogram she had today cost $1,000). She will require compound medications on an ongoing basis. Due to her advanced age, she has also suffered from gastrointestinal problem over the past 2-3 years, treatment for which has cost thousands of dollars. She is being treated by Dr. Zangara at Roosevelt Animal Hospital. As you may know, I am farmer with a seasonal income. I also suffered from severe neuro & cardiac Lyme disease for 8 years & was so sick I was unable to control my limbs or complete sentences, let alone work. Importantly, LD treatment is not covered by insurance. Do the math.