Our sweet cat Bellatrix needs urgent help.

Bellatrix was born during Hurricane Irma, and we’ve loved her since she was tiny enough to syringe-feed. She has grown into the most gentle, affectionate cat you could ever meet. Everyone in our neighborhood knows her — she loves greeting people who walk by, soaking up pets, and curling up for snuggles with anyone willing to give her love. She truly is the light of our lives.

A few days ago, our neighbor found her lying near their home, unable to move her back legs. We rushed her to the vet, terrified. Her X-rays came back normal, and her bloodwork was completely normal, but she is still paralyzed from the waist down and unable to urinate on her own. We’ve been taught how to express her bladder and keep her comfortable, but we still have no answers about what is causing this sudden paralysis.

The vet explained that at this point, the only way to know what happened — and whether she has a treatable condition — is to get an MRI with a neurologist. Without it, we have no way of knowing if Bellatrix has a slipped disc, a spinal injury, an embolism (FCE), inflammation, or something else that could potentially be treated.

Right now we’re facing an impossible decision:

Do we move forward with the MRI that could save her… or do we prepare for the worst?

The MRI alone is expensive, and with everything happening, we simply can’t afford it on our own. We love Bellatrix dearly — she has been with us through so much, including the recent heartbreak of my daughter losing her favorite duck — and we want to give her every possible chance.

If you can help, even a little, it would mean the world to us. Every donation goes directly toward Bellatrix’s MRI and neurological care so we can finally understand what’s happening to her, and hopefully give her the chance to walk and live comfortably again.

Thank you for reading, for sharing, and for caring about our girl.

❤️ From our family and Bellatrix